How to Play Rummy 500
Rummy 500 takes the familiar draw-meld-discard rhythm of Rummy and adds two twists that change everything: you can dig into the discard pile for a card you want, and every player scores every hand. It goes by several family names, including 500 Rum and Pinochle Rummy, but the heart of the game is the same everywhere. The rules below are exactly the ones our free online Rummy 500 game uses, with the house rules you can change marked along the way.
What You Need
- Two to four players. Two is the classic game; three or four makes the discard pile busier.
- One standard deck of 52 cards, jokers removed.
- Paper and pencil. Scores move in both directions, so keep a running total for each player.
The Object of the Game
You want to put as many points on the table as you can, in groups called melds, while holding as few points as possible when the hand ends. Unlike basic Rummy, going out first is not the whole story: it ends the hand and catches everyone else holding cards, but the points come from what each player melded. The first player whose running total reaches 500 wins.
Card Values
The same values count for you when a card is on the table and against you when it is still in your hand.
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| Ace | 15, or 1 when it sits at the bottom of an A-2-3 run |
| King, Queen, Jack, 10 | 10 each |
| 2 through 9 | 5 each |
The low Ace is the one to remember. In Q-K-A the Ace is worth 15; in a set of Aces each is worth 15; but in A-2-3 it is only worth 1. In your hand an Ace always costs you 15.
The Deal
Cut for the first deal; after that the deal passes to the left each hand. Deal one card at a time, face down:
- Two players: 13 cards each.
- Three or four players: 7 cards each.
Turn the next card face up to start the discard pile and put the rest face down beside it as the stock. The player to the dealer's left goes first.
One thing is different from most Rummy games: the discard pile is spread out in a row, each card overlapping the last, so everyone can read every card in it. Keep it in order, with the oldest card at one end and the newest on top at the other.
Your Turn
1. Draw
Start your turn in one of two ways:
- Take the top card of the stock, or
- Take a card from the discard pile, together with every card above it. Taking just the top card is fine too.
When you take more than one card, there is a condition: the deepest card you took must be melded or laid off that same turn. You can't take a pile just to fish for cards. The other cards you took come into your hand and you may use them or keep them.
Worked example. The pile, oldest first, is 5♦ J♠ 9♣ 2♥ Q♦, with the Q♦ on top. You hold 7♣ and 8♣. You may take the 9♣ along with the 2♥ and Q♦ above it (three cards), because you can meld 7♣ 8♣ 9♣ right away. You could not take down to the J♠ unless you had a way to use the J♠ this turn. After melding the run, the 2♥ and Q♦ are in your hand: 15 points that count against you if the hand ends before you get rid of them.
A card you took from the discard pile can't go straight back on it the same turn, unless it is the only card you have left.
2. Meld
After drawing you may lay down any melds you hold, face up in front of you:
- A set is three or four cards of the same rank, such as 8♠ 8♥ 8♦.
- A run is three or more cards in a row in the same suit, such as 4♥ 5♥ 6♥ 7♥. An Ace may be low (A-2-3) or high (Q-K-A), but a run can't go "around the corner" as in K-A-2.
Melding is optional, but in Rummy 500 a meld in your hand is worth nothing and costs you if someone goes out, so most players lay melds down as soon as they can.
3. Lay Off
You may also add single cards to any meld already on the table, yours or anyone else's: the fourth 8 to a set of 8s, or the 8♥ to the end of a 4-5-6-7 run of hearts. This is called laying off, and the card scores for you, not for whoever started the meld. Keep laid-off cards in front of the meld so everyone knows whose they are; our online game labels them for you.
4. Discard
End your turn by putting one card face up on the end of the discard pile. If you took a stack from the pile this turn, you can't discard until the deepest card has been melded or laid off.
Ending a Hand
A hand ends in one of two ways:
- A player goes out by getting rid of every card. You may go out by melding or laying off your last cards, or by discarding your last card. (Some families insist the last card must be a discard; that is a house rule in Settings.)
- The stock runs out. When a player should draw and the stock is empty, the hand is over. (Some families turn the discard pile over and keep going; that is also a house rule.)
Scoring a Hand
Every player scores, whether they went out or not:
- Add up the value of every card you melded or laid off this hand.
- Subtract the value of every card still in your hand.
- Add the result, which may be negative, to your running total.
Worked example. The computer goes out. Here is how the hand scores:
| Player | On the table | In hand | Hand score |
|---|---|---|---|
| You | 7♣ 8♣ 9♣ (15) + K♠ K♥ K♦ (30) + 10♣ laid off (10) = 55 | A♦ 4♥ = 20 | +35 |
| Computer | Q♥ J♥ 10♥ (30) + A♠ 2♠ 3♠ (1 + 5 + 5 = 11) + J♣ laid off on your run (10) = 51 | none | +51 |
Notice two things. The J♣ sits on your run but scores for the computer, because the computer laid it off. And the A♠ at the bottom of A-2-3 is worth only 1, while your stranded A♦ costs you the full 15.
Winning the Game
The first player whose total reaches 500 wins. If two players pass 500 in the same hand, the higher total wins; if they are tied exactly, play another hand. Shorter (250) and longer (1,000) games are common too, and you can choose either in Settings.
Common Questions
Can I take a stack from the pile and then lay off the deepest card on someone else's meld?
Yes. Laying it off anywhere counts as using it, and the card scores for you.
Do I have to take the top card if I only want the one below it?
Yes. You always take the card you want plus every card above it. The cards on top come along whether you want them or not, which is the whole gamble.
Can I meld other cards first, before the deepest card?
Yes, in any order, as long as you don't use up the cards the deepest card needs. Our game won't let you make a meld that would leave the deepest card with nowhere to go.
What if I can't go out and the stock runs out?
The hand ends and everyone scores as usual. Cards in your hand still count against you, so it pays to unload high cards as the stock gets thin.
How Our Online Game Helps
The discard pile is spread out so you can read every card, with the top card marked. Tap any card in it and the game tells you how many cards you would take, which card you must use, and which melds or lay-offs it makes possible, before you commit. A running line above your hand shows your points on the table and in your hand for the current hand, and the status box always says whose turn it is and what to do next. If you enjoy this game, try its cousins Rummy, Gin Rummy and Canasta.