How to play Rummy 500
Rummy 500 (also called 500 Rum) turns rummy into a points race: every card you meld scores immediately, every card stuck in your hand at the end counts against you, and the first player to 500 points wins. Its signature twist is the spread discard pile — you can dig for any card in it, not just the top one.
Just want the rules? Read the complete Rummy 500 rulebook.
- The deal — 13 cards each in this two-player version; the next card starts the discard pile face up.
- The draw — take the top of the stock, the top discard, or ANY buried discard. Digging for a buried card means taking every card above it too, and you must use that card in a meld or lay-off the same turn.
- Melding — sets of three or four of a rank, or runs of three or more suited cards. Aces play low or high: A-2-3 and Q-K-A are both runs, but K-A-2 never wraps.
- Scoring as you go — aces 15 (1 when melded low), faces and tens 10, the rest pip value. Laying off on your opponent's melds scores for YOU.
- Going out — discard your last card or meld your whole hand. Everyone then scores melds minus the cards left in hand — negative totals are very possible.
Strategy tips that win the points race
- Dig with a purpose. A deep take is worth it when the buried card completes a big meld and the cards riding along feed future ones. Swallowing six strays for a 6-point run is how hands go negative.
- Count what the pile pays. Before discarding, glance at what a card would let your opponent dig for — every discard is a card you may be handing back at the worst time.
- Bank early, mostly. Melded points can never be taken away, and cards in hand are a liability the moment your opponent can go out. Hold a finished meld back only to time a one-turn dump.
- Aces are 15 both ways. Meld them high (Q-K-A or a set) whenever you can; an A-2-3 run scores a single point for the ace, and an ace stranded in hand costs the full 15.
- Watch the stock gauge. The stock never recycles. When it runs low, shed expensive cards and meld everything — being caught mid-collection is how a 60-point hand becomes minus 40.
- Use their melds as an exit. Lay-offs on your opponent's runs and sets score for you and shrink your hand — often the safest way to bank points late in a hand.
Frequently asked questions
Can you take from the middle of the discard pile in Rummy 500?
Yes — that is the signature rule. The discard pile is spread face up, and on your turn you may take any card in it, as long as you also take every card discarded after it AND immediately use the card you dug for in a meld or a lay-off that same turn. The extra cards simply go to your hand.
How many points is an ace in Rummy 500?
An ace is worth 15 points — in a set of aces, at the top of a Q-K-A run, or as a penalty left in your hand. The one exception: an ace melded low in an A-2-3 run counts just 1 point.
How many cards do you deal in 2-player Rummy 500?
Thirteen cards each. The rest of the deck becomes the stock, and its top card is flipped face up to start the discard pile. With three or more players the deal is seven cards, but this version is a two-player duel.
Do you have to discard to go out in Rummy 500?
No. You can go out by discarding your last card or by melding your entire hand — in the classic rules no final discard is required. Play ends immediately either way, and everyone else is caught with the cards still in their hands.
Can your score be negative in Rummy 500?
Yes. At the end of a hand you score the value of everything you melded minus everything left in your hand. Hold too much when your opponent goes out and your hand — even your running total — can drop below zero.
What happens when the stock runs out in Rummy 500?
The stock is never reshuffled. When it is empty, the player whose turn it is may keep taking from the discard pile, but as soon as they decline to draw, the hand ends and both players count up: melds minus cards in hand.
More free card games
Prefer the classic race to empty your hand? Play Rummy. Like your melds hidden until the knock? Try Gin Rummy. Want the full partnership meld epic? Deal into Canasta.