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How to Play 500 Rummy
The basic rules of 500 rummy are as follows.
Number of Players
500 rummy can be played by 2–8 players. With more than 4 players, you must use an additional deck of cards.
Cards
The number of cards you need to play 500 rummy depends on the number of players:
- 2–4 players: 500 rummy is played with a standard deck of 52 cards plus two jokers (54 cards total).
- 5–8 players: You must add a second full deck of cards and two more jokers (108 cards total).
Point Value of Cards in 500 Rummy
Each card in 500 rummy is assigned a point value, according to the following rules:
-
Numbered cards: Equal to the number on the face (for example,
is worth 5 points) - Jacks, queens, kings: 10 points
- Jokers: 15 points
- Aces: 15 points or 1 point, depending on how it’s used
One player should serve as scorekeeper and keep track of each player’s point totals as play progresses.
Melds
As you move through the rounds of play, your goal is to score points by creating melds, groupings of three or more cards. There are two types of melds, called sets and runs.
-
Set: A group of 3–4 of the same-ranked cards in different suits (for example,
). A set may not consist of more than four cards—one of each card of that value from each of the four suits. -
Run: Sometimes called a sequence, a collection of three or more continuous cards within the same suit (for example,
). A run may be as long as you can make it. If you have 2–3–4–5–6–7 of one suit, you can lay that down as a run.
Laying Off
In addition to creating melds, a player can also lay off cards from his hand onto melds that are already on the table. For example, if you hold the 
and your opponent lays down a run of , you may lay off your card on his meld.
and your opponent lays down a run of , you may lay off your card on his meld. Occasionally, one card may be laid off into more than one meld. For instance, if you hold the and both the run and the set 
are already on the table, you could lay off the as part of either of those melds. When laying off a card in such a scenario, you must specify the meld into which you’re laying off the card. In the example above, if you laid the jack off into the run, then someone else could build on the run by putting down the 
. If you instead laid off the jack into the set of jacks, however, that set would be complete, and no one could build on it.
and both the run and the set are already on the table, you could lay off the as part of either of those melds. When laying off a card in such a scenario, you must specify the meld into which you’re laying off the card. In the example above, if you laid the jack off into the run, then someone else could build on the run by putting down the . If you instead laid off the jack into the set of jacks, however, that set would be complete, and no one could build on it.Aces and Jokers in Melds
Aces and jokers have a few unique rules regarding how they function in melds.
Aces in Melds
Aces in 500 rummy can be used as either the high card or low card in a run. For instance, an ace could complete a run of Q–K–A or be the first card in a run of A–2–3. However, an ace may not be used to bridge a 2 and a king: K–A–2 is not an acceptable run.
The way an ace is used in a run affects its value. If an ace is used as a high card (Q–K–A after a king), it’s worth 15 points). If it’s used as a low card (before a 2), it’s worth 1 point. An ace is always worth 15 points if it’s part of a set.
Jokers in Melds
A player can use a joker to represent any card. When using a joker,
you must declare which precise card the joker represents.
-
Jokers in runs: If you’re laying down a joker along with
, you have to declare whether the joker is acting as a 
or a 
. If you choose to have the joker act as a , another player could then lay off a 
or a to continue the run. A player in this case could not lay down the actual , as its place has been taken by the joker. -
Jokers in sets: As in runs, when playing a joker in a set, you must state definitively which card your joker represents. For example, if you have
and you use a joker to complete the set, you must specify which of the other two 8s the joker represents. For instance, if you specify that the joker represents the 
, then another player may add the 
to complete the set of 8s. However, no player may add the actual , since the joker is already taking that card’s place in the set.
Once a joker has been laid down and declared to be a particular card, it may not be changed.
The Deal
Players draw cards to see who deals first—the player who draws the highest card wins the deal.
- The dealer shuffles the deck.
- Starting with the player to his or her left, the dealer deals one card at a time clockwise until each player has 10 cards (for a two-player game) or seven cards (for a three-player game or bigger).
- The remaining cards are placed in a pile called the stock.
- The dealer turns over the top card in the stock and places it face up next to the stock. This card—called the upcard—becomes the first card in the discard pile.
In a four-player game, the setup after the deal will look like this:
Play
Play begins with the player to the dealer’s left. Each player’s turn involves three actions: drawing a card or cards, melding and laying off, and discarding a card.
Drawing a Card or Cards
The player whose turn it is may draw either the top face-down card from the stock or one or more cards from the discard pile.
Drawing Cards from the Discard Pile
In most of the different rummy games, the cards in the discard pile are stacked one on top of the other so that only the upcard is visible. In 500 rummy, though, the discard pile is fanned out so that all cards in the pile are visible.
On your turn, you may choose to draw any card from the discard pile, with a few restrictions:
- You may draw a card other than the top card only if you’ll be using that card to create a meld or lay off in the same turn.
- When drawing a card other than the top card, you must take all the subsequent cards in the pile and add them to your hand.
For instance, let’s say you hold the 
in your hand and, when it’s your turn, the discard pile contains the eight cards shown in the image above. To create a set of jacks, you can pick up all the cards in the discard pile to the , which includes the 
.
in your hand and, when it’s your turn, the discard pile contains the eight cards shown in the image above. To create a set of jacks, you can pick up all the cards in the discard pile to the , which includes the . Melding and Laying Off
If the player has built any melds, she lays them on the table. The player may also lay off any cards she can on other players’ melds.
When laying off, make it clear which set or run you’re laying off onto, but put down the actual card or cards that you’re laying off in the space in front of you. Keeping the cards that you put down as melds or lay off in front of you makes it much easier to keep score.
Discard
The player discards a card from his hand and places it face up in the discard pile.
Calling “Rummy”
If a player completes her turn and inadvertently leaves cards in the discard pile that could be used to create a meld or be laid off on any existing melds, then any other player in the game may yell “rummy.” The first player who yells “rummy” may pull those cards out of the discard pile (without having to pick up any other cards from the pile), place them on the table, and score them for himself.
Ending the Round
A round of 500 rummy ends when either one player has no cards left or there are no cards left in the stock. Each player’s score is then tallied.
Scoring a Game of 500 Rummy
A player’s point total is determined by counting up the total value of cards in the melds and cards that she has laid off. Then the value of the remaining cards in her hand is subtracted from the point total. So if a player put down melds and layoffs equaling 80 points, but was holding 50 points worth of cards when the round ended, then that player’s score for the round is 30.
Players’ points are added up from round to round. The winner of the game is the first player to reach at least 500 points at the end of a round. If two or more players have at least 500 points when a round ends, the winner is the player with the most points. If no player has at least 500 points at the end of a round, then the deal moves one player to the left, the cards are reshuffled and redealt, and a new round begins.
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