500 Rum

Overview

500 Rum (also called Rummy 500) is a multi-round rummy race. Dig into the fanned discard pile, form sets and runs, lay off on anyone’s melds, and be the first to reach 500 points.

Rules follow Bicycle Playing Cards — 500 Rum.

Players

2–8 players. Two to four players use one standard 52-card deck. Five to eight players shuffle two decks together (104 cards), so a full table still has a real stock to draw from.

Objective

Be the first player whose cumulative score reaches 500 (or more). If two or more players pass 500 on the same hand, the highest total wins. A tie for the highest total goes to the lowest-numbered seat.

Cards and melds

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Rank order: King (high) down to Ace.

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Set: three or more cards of the same rank. Melding a set lays down every card of that rank in your hand. With two decks a set may hold both copies of a card, such as two 7♥. You may lay off on a set only a suit it does not already hold, and only while it has fewer than four cards.

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Run: three or more consecutive cards of the same suit. A run takes one card of each rank. With two decks, a second copy of a card in the run stays in your hand.

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In runs, an Ace may be high (Q–K–A) or low (A–2–3). Runs may not wrap (K–A–2 is illegal).

Setup

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2 players: 13 cards each.

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3 or more players: 7 cards each.

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Remaining cards form the face-down stock.

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Player 1 plays first in every hand. The first player rotates between games: Player 1 opens the first game, Player 2 the next, and so on around the table.

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Turn the top stock card face up to start the discard pile. Discards stay partially visible (fanned) so buried cards can be taken.

Turn structure

On each turn, in order:

1. Draw

Either:

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Take the top card of the stock, or

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Take any card from the discard pile and all cards above it.

When taking from the discard pile, the selected card (the deepest card of the take) must be used immediately in a new meld or by laying off on an existing meld.

2. Meld and lay off (optional)

Lay down new sets/runs and add cards to any melds already on the table (yours or opponents’). Cards you put on the table this round count toward your round score.

3. Discard

End the turn by discarding one card face up, unless you have emptied your hand (gone out — no discard required).

Ending a round

The round ends when a player has no cards left, or under stock exhaustion (below).

Scoring a round

Each player scores:

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Plus the pip value of cards they melded or laid off this round

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Minus the pip value of cards still in hand

Cards

Points

2–9

Face value

10, Jack, Queen, King

10 each

Ace

15 (melded or in hand)

Add the net to each player’s running total.

Stock exhaustion

When the stock is empty and a player needs to draw:

Once per round: Turn the discard pile over (except the current upcard) to form a new stock; the upcard stays as the only discard. Play continues.

Second time the stock is empty: The round ends immediately. Score meld credit minus hand values even if nobody went out.

If the upcard is the only card in the discard pile when the stock runs out, there is nothing to turn over, so the round ends as in step 2.

Differentiation

Aspect

Basic Rummy

Gin Rummy

500 Rum

Discard draw

Top only

Any visible discard + cards above

Table melds

Yes

Until knock

Yes

Match goal

Single hand

100 points

500 cumulative

Lay off on others

Yes

On knocker

Yes