Rummy 500 Rules: How to Play 500 Rummy

These rummy 500 rules cover everything you need for a relaxed evening of 500 rummy at the kitchen table. Rummy 500 (also called 500 rum) takes the classic draw and discard idea of basic rummy and adds two twists: you score points for every card you meld, and you can dig deep into the discard pile to grab the card you want. The first player to reach 500 points wins.

Quick rules

• Deal 13 cards each with 2 players, or 7 cards each with 3 or more players.
• On your turn, draw from the stock or take any card from the spread discard pile, plus every card above it.
• If you take a buried discard, you must meld that card on the same turn.
• Meld sets (3 or 4 of a kind) and runs (3 or more in sequence, same suit), and lay off on any meld on the table.
• End your turn with one discard. The hand ends when a player goes out or the stock runs dry.
• Score melded cards as plus points and cards left in hand as minus points.
• First to 500 points wins.

What you need

• One standard 52-card deck for 2 to 4 players. With 5 or more, shuffle two decks together.
• Paper and pencil, or the scorekeeper further down this page.
• A table with space in front of each player for melds, plus room for the discard pile to be spread out.

Setup

1. Pick a dealer by cutting the deck. Low card deals. The deal passes to the left after each hand.
2. Deal one card at a time, face down. With 2 players each gets 13 cards. With 3 or more players each gets 7 cards.
3. Place the rest of the deck face down as the stock and turn the top card face up beside it to start the discard pile.
4. As more cards are discarded, spread the pile in an overlapping row so every card's rank and suit can be seen.

How to play

1. Draw

The player to the dealer's left goes first, and play moves clockwise. Start every turn by drawing one of these:

• The top card of the stock.
• The top card of the discard pile.
• Any card deeper in the discard pile. You must take that card and every card above it, and you must use the deepest card you took in a meld (or lay it off) during this same turn.

2. Meld and lay off

After drawing you may lay cards face up in front of you:

• Sets: three or four cards of the same rank, such as 8, 8, 8.
• Runs: three or more cards in sequence in one suit, such as 5, 6, 7 of hearts. The ace can be low (A, 2, 3) or high (Q, K, A), but cannot go round the corner (K, A, 2).
• Laying off: you can add cards to any meld on the table, including an opponent's. Keep laid off cards in front of you, and say which meld they extend, because the points belong to you.

3. Discard

Finish your turn by placing one card face up on the discard pile. You cannot discard the card you just took from the top of the pile on the same turn.

4. Ending the hand

The hand ends as soon as one player gets rid of all their cards, either by melding everything or by melding and making a final discard. If the stock runs out, the next player may take the discard; if they decline, the hand ends there and everyone scores what they have.

Scoring

Each player adds the value of the cards they melded and laid off, then subtracts the value of every card still in their hand. Your hand total can be negative. Keep a running total across hands.

Sources differ slightly on the ace: most score it 15 everywhere except in an A, 2, 3 run, while some families score every ace 15. Agree before you start.

How to win

The game continues hand after hand until one player's total reaches 500 or more. That player wins. If two players pass 500 in the same hand, the higher total wins.

Variations

• Going out with a discard: many players require a final discard to go out, so you cannot simply meld every card.
• Calling rummy: if a player discards a card that could have been played on a meld, the next player to shout "rummy" may take it and lay it off for their own score.
• Partnership play: with 4 players, partners sit opposite and combine scores.
• Short and long games: play to 250 for a quick game, or to 1,500 for a long session (sometimes called 1500 rummy).
• Jokers: some homes add two jokers as wild cards worth 15 points.

Tips and strategy

• Watch the discard pile closely. A large pick up can win a hand, but only if you can use the cards before someone goes out.
• Meld high cards early. A held ace costs you 15 points if an opponent goes out suddenly.
• Lay off on opponents' melds whenever you can. Every card you lay off is points in your column.
• Avoid discarding cards that fit a meld already on the table, since the next player can lay them off.
• Late in the hand, dump high cards you cannot use rather than holding them for a dream run.

Common mistakes

• Taking a deep discard and then failing to meld the bottom card. That move is not allowed, so put the cards back.
• Forgetting to subtract cards left in hand.
• Counting laid off cards for the player who owns the meld instead of the player who laid them off.

Enjoyed this one? Try gin rummy for two players, Indian rummy with jokers, or the longer partnership melding game canasta. For more ideas see our list of card games for adults.