The deal
With two players each gets 13 cards. Turn one card face up to start the discard pile and place the rest face down as the stock. Unlike most rummy games, the discard pile is spread out so every card in it can be seen.
Rummy 500 (also called 500 Rum or Pinochle Rummy) is the rummy game where every card you meld scores points and you can dig deep into the discard pile. Lay down sets and runs, lay off on anyone's melds and race to 500 points.
With two players each gets 13 cards. Turn one card face up to start the discard pile and place the rest face down as the stock. Unlike most rummy games, the discard pile is spread out so every card in it can be seen.
On your turn take the top card of the stock, or take any card from the discard pile — but you must also take every card on top of it, and you must meld or lay off that deepest card during the same turn. Taking only the top discard has no obligation.
A meld is a set of three or four cards of the same rank, or a run of three or more consecutive cards in one suit. Aces can be low (A-2-3) or high (Q-K-A) but not both. You can also lay off single cards on any meld on the table, including your opponent's — and those cards score for you.
End your turn by discarding one card. The round ends when a player goes out or the stock runs out. Each player scores the value of all the cards they melded or laid off, minus the cards left in their hand. Aces are worth 15 (1 in a low A-2-3 run), tens and face cards 10, and other cards their number. First to 500 wins.
Ace: 15 points (1 point when melded low in A-2-3). King, Queen, Jack, 10: 10 points each. 2 through 9: face value. Every card in your melds and lay-offs scores for you at the end of the round; every card still in your hand is subtracted. A player can finish a round with negative points.
This is what makes Rummy 500 different. If the pile holds 7♥ 2♣ 9♠ K♦ from bottom to top and you want the 2♣, you take the 2♣, 9♠ and K♦ together and must use the 2♣ in a meld or lay-off that same turn. Large pickups give you more options but risk leaving high cards in your hand if the round ends quickly.
Many families let jokers act as wild cards worth 15. With three or four players each is dealt 7 cards. Some house rules require a player to discard to go out, and others play to 1,000 instead of 500. Persian Rummy is a four-player partnership version with jokers worth 20.
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