500 Rum or Rummy 500 is a shedding and combination game of the Rummy family. This popular card game suits two to eight players, but it is best for three to five. You aim to be the first player to get rid of all their cards by forming them into sets and runs.
The game is very similar to Rummy, but the scoring is distinctively different: In 500 Rum, each player scores the value of the cards they meld, not just the winner. And as you might have guessed, rounds are played until one player reaches or passes the threshold of 500 points.
500 Rum is a popular card game in several countries around the world, particularly in the USA, India, Australia, and Canada. The game continues to grow in popularity worldwide. Because of that, this game has various names attached to it, such as Rummy 500, Pinochle Rummy, 500 Rummy, Michigan Rummy, and Persian Rummy.
You will typically use a standard deck of 52 playing cards in four suits (Hearts, Diamonds, Spades, and Clubs), each featuring 13 cards (Ace, Two, … , Ten, Jack, Queen, and King). Some variations may include Jokers, but this is not standard. When playing with five or more players, two decks of cards should be used.
The first dealer is chosen at random, and the turn to deal rotates clockwise each round. The dealer shuffles the deck and deals cards to each player.
- two players: 13 cards per player
- three and more players: 7 cards per player
The remaining cards form the draw pile, with the top card revealed next to it as the discard pile’s base.
Then the first player to dealer’s left starts playing. Each turn starts with drawing a card, may continue with melding and adding to melds, and ends with discarding a card.
Melds can be sets or runs.
- Set: a group of three or more cards of the same rank and different suits.
- Run: a sequence of three or more cards of the same suit in ascending or descending order of ranks.
Playing ends immediately when any player discards the last card in their hand.
It’s time for scoring:
- Each player gains the value of all cards that they placed on the table that round.
- Then, the point value of all cards remaining in the player’s hand is subtracted from that score. The difference is added or subtracted from the player’s total score. That means, negative scores are possible.
- In some variants, the player ending the round gets a bonus of 100 points.
The values of the cards in hand and on the table are:
- Pip cards: according to face value
- Face cards: 10 points
- Aces: 15 points
If any player’s total score reaches or passes 500 points, they win the entire game. Otherwise, you play another round adding to each player’s total score.
It is important to note that some rules and conventions may vary based on region, but the general structure of the game remains the same.
If you enjoy rummy type card games, have a look at our games at the Rummy Palace, Gin Rummy Palace, and Canasta Palace!
