How to play Rummy 500
Rummy 500 (also called 500 Rum) is rummy where the discard pile is a treasure chest. Every card in it stays in view, and you can dig down for the card you need, as long as you take everything above it too. Put down sets and runs to score them; the first to 500 points wins.
The deal
- Each player gets 13 cards. One card starts the discard pile, and the rest is the deck.
- The discard pile is spread out so you can see every card in it.
Your turn
- Draw the top card of the deck, or take any card from the discard pile together with every card above it. If the card you dig for isn’t the top card, you must put it down this turn, in a new meld or on a meld already on the table.
- Meld if you like: put down sets (three or four cards of the same rank) and runs (three or more cards in a row in one suit). An Ace can be low (A-2-3) or high (Q-K-A), but not both at once (K-A-2 isn’t a run).
- Lay off single cards on any meld on the table, yours or the computer’s. The card counts for you.
- Discard one card to end your turn. You can’t throw back a top card you just picked up.
Ending a hand
The hand ends when a player goes out by getting rid of every card (with or without a final discard), or when a player would have to draw from an empty deck. Once the deck is empty, you can still take from the discard pile, but only a card you can put down right away.
Scoring
- Every card you put down, in your own melds or laid off on others, scores for you.
- Every card still in your hand at the end counts against you. Your score for a hand can be negative.
- Card values: Ace 15 (but only 1 in a low run like A-2-3), 10, J, Q, K are 10, and the rest are worth their number.
- The first player to reach 500 wins. If both pass 500 in the same hand, the higher score wins.
How to play here
- Draw: tap the deck, or tap any card in the discard pile. For a card below the top, the game tells you how many cards you’ll pick up and asks you to confirm.
- Meld: tap three or more cards in your hand, then Meld. Cards that already make a set or run are marked with a colored bar, and Put down all places every meld and lay-off at once.
- Lay off: tap one card, then tap the meld on the table it fits (the melds it fits light up).
- Discard: tap one card, then Discard.
Tips
- A deep card is worth digging for when it completes a meld and the cards above it are low or useful. A big handful of junk late in a hand can cost you more than the meld gains.
- Put down melds before the computer can go out. Points still in your hand count against you.
- Watch what the computer picks up from the pile, and don’t throw it cards that go with them.
- Aces are the richest cards (15 points) but also the most costly to be caught holding.
Questions
Is Rummy 500 the same as 500 Rum or Pinochle Rummy?
Yes, these are names for the same family of games. Families often play small variations; the rules used here are the common ones described above.
Do I have to meld the top card of the discard pile if I take it?
No, only a card taken from below the top has to be used that turn. The one exception is when the deck has run out: then any card you take from the pile has to go down straight away.
How is it different from gin rummy?
In gin rummy you keep your melds in your hand and knock; in Rummy 500 you put melds on the table as you go and score the cards themselves, and you can take cards from deep in the discard pile.
Does the computer see my cards?
No. It knows its own cards, the discard pile, the table, and which cards you picked up from the pile, which is what a person across the table would know.
Is it free? Will my game be saved?
Yes and yes: it’s free with no sign-up, and your game is saved in this browser after every move.