Rummy 500

You have entered the wonderful world of Rummy 500 rules. Rummy 500, or 500 Rum is an exciting card game that will entertain and challenge you, time and time again. You will find an overview of the rules, the history, some tips to help you strategically and a few variations to the game of Rummy 500. Whether it is your first time to play the game, or whether you have been playing Rummy 500 for years, you can always know that a good time will be had by all.

The game of Rummy 500 uses an entire deck of cards and can be played by two to five players at once. The object of the game, as the name implies, is to score 500 points.

Below are the rules of the game:

1. Each player is dealt seven cards. The rest of the cards that have not been dealt are also placed, face down, in the center of the table and are called stock cards. Only the top card is flipped, face up and placed in a stack next to the face down card. This card starts the discard pile.
2. Players can reorganize their cards and the person to the dealer’s left will go first. The direction of play will continue to the left.
3. When it is a player’s turn, he can either draw the top card from the stock pile and can keep it hidden from the other players, or he may pick up as many cards as he wants from the discarded card pile. However, if a player goes beyond the top card in the discard pile, he must immediately play that card, and take all the cards on top of that card.
4. The player may play any of the other cards that he picked up, as well. You can play as many cards as “legally” possible with each turn.
5. Each player’s turn ends when he discards a card. Discards must be made so that the card is visible to the other players.
6. Any card picked up can either be played on a series that he has built among his own cards, or among a series that had already been built by other players.
7. If a player cannot discard a card, play continues and when it is that player’s turn again, he simply draws another card. That card will either be playable, or if not, it is discarded face down and the hand is finished.
8. The hand is finished whenever a player discards his final card, too. A card cannot be discarded if it is playable, and that last discard can be verified by the other players.
9. If there are no cards left in the stock pile, and the next player does not want any cards from the discard pile, the hand is finished, as well.
10. When the hand is over, count your score.

500 Rummy Scoring

Keeping Score in Rummy 500:

• Count the score the cards that you have played. This includes any sequences you have laid down, any cards you have played off of your sequences, and any cards that you have played off other players’ sequences. Then, count the score of the cards that you have left in your hand. Subtract the score of the cards left from the score of the cards played, that will be your final score for that hand
• Any cards numbered 2 thru 9 are worth 5 points each.
• Any 10s, Jacks, Queens, or Kings are worth 10 points each.
• Aces are worth a whopping 15 points each. UNLESS, it is part of a suit with a 2 and a 3, or if it is placed off of a 2 in a sequence. Then, it is only worth 5 points.
• If your final score for that hand is a negative number, you have a negative score. The first person to reach 500 or more points, wins the game. If two people reach 500 during the same hand, the highest score wins.

The Sequences (or Combinations or Melds) that are played in Rummy 500:

• Three or four cards of the same rank. For example, three queens.
• At least three consecutive cards of the same suit. For example, the 3, 4, and 5 of Diamonds.
• Aces can count as either a high card or a low card. For example, Ace, 2, and 3 of Diamonds is fine. Queen, King and Ace of Diamonds would be fine too. But you cannot lay down a King, Ace and 2 of Diamonds.
• You can also lay a card off of cards already on the table. For example, if you or another player has three Queens, you can lay down the fourth Queen. Or if you or someone else has placed a 6, 7, and 8 of Hearts on the table, you can lay down the 9 of Hearts to that sequence.
• You can also lay off a card off of a lay off card. For example, If 5, 6, and 7 of Hearts was laid on the table. Then, someone laid down an 8 of Hearts. You can lay down a 9 of Hearts.
• NOTE: It is not mandatory that you lay off cards.
• NOTE 2: If a card could be laid off more than one sequence, you must state which sequence you are playing off of.