Rummy 500 rules

Rummy 500, also called 500 Rum, is a rummy game for 2 to 8 players. Everyone scores in every hand. Cards you put on the table count for you, and cards left in your hand count against you. You may take cards from deep in the discard pile. The first player to 500 points wins.

Also called 500 Rum, 500 Rummy, Pinochle Rummy.

Keep score Print the sheets

Two runs. The ace is low in the first and high in the second.

Players: 2 to 8. Best with 3 to 5.
You need: One standard 52-card deck for 2 to 4 players, two decks for 5 to 8, plus paper and a pencil for the score
Deal: 13 cards each for 2 players, 7 each for 3 or more
Each turn: Draw from the stock or the discard pile, put cards on the table if you can, then discard 1 card
Goal: Get as many points as you can onto the table before someone runs out of cards
Game ends: When a player’s total reaches 500 points. The highest total wins.
Playing time: About 45 minutes to an hour for a game to 500

Quick start

Deal 13 cards each to 2 players or 7 each to 3 or more. Turn the next card face up to start the discard pile, and keep that pile spread so every card shows.
On your turn, draw the top card of the stock, or take any discard along with every card on top of it. The deepest card you take must be used that turn.
Lay down sets (3 or 4 cards of one rank) and runs (3 or more in order in one suit). An ace can be low or high, but K-A-2 is not a run.
Add cards to any meld on the table, even another player’s, and keep those cards in front of you. End your turn with a discard unless you have no cards left.
The hand ends when a player has no cards left, or the stock is empty and the player to draw will not take a discard. Score your table cards minus your hand.
A hand can score below zero. Keep a running total for each player. The first to reach 500 wins. If two pass 500 together, the higher total wins.

Rule sheet and score sheet

Print the whole game on one page, and a score sheet made for Rummy 500. Both are free PDFs for Letter paper.

Download the rule sheet

PDF, 1 page. The whole game on one page.

Download the score sheet

PDF, 1 page, landscape. Laid out for Rummy 500.

Setup

2 to 8 players, each playing alone in the main game. It is at its best with 3 to 5. Use one deck for 2 to 4 players and two decks shuffled together for 5 or more.

You need: One standard 52-card deck with the jokers taken out.

The 52 cards
In the set	Count	Worth when scoring
Aces	4	15 points each, or 1 point at the low end of an ace-2-3 run
Number cards, 2 through 9	32	The number on the card
10s, jacks, queens and kings	16	10 points each
Total	52

For 5 or more players, shuffle two standard decks together, 104 cards in all.
Card points count for you when the card is on the table in front of you, and against you when it is still in your hand.

Use one standard 52-card deck with no jokers for 2 to 4 players. For 5 or more, shuffle two decks together.
Draw cards to pick the first dealer. The lowest card deals, with the ace low. After each hand the deal passes to the left.
Deal one card at a time, face down, clockwise from the dealer’s left: 13 cards each for 2 players, 7 each for 3 or more.
Put the rest face down as the stock. Turn its top card face up beside it. This upcard starts the discard pile.
Keep the discard pile spread in an overlapping row so every card shows. The player on the dealer’s left goes first, and play passes clockwise.

How many to deal
Players	Each player gets	Notes
2	13 cards	One deck. 1 card is turned face up and 25 form the stock.
3	7 cards	One deck. 1 card is turned face up and 30 form the stock.
4	7 cards	One deck. 1 card is turned face up and 23 form the stock.
5	7 cards	Two decks. 1 card is turned face up and 68 form the stock.
6	7 cards	Two decks. 1 card is turned face up and 61 form the stock.
7	7 cards	Two decks. 1 card is turned face up and 54 form the stock.
8	7 cards	Two decks. 1 card is turned face up and 47 form the stock.

Each player’s hand

Stock

The 30 cards left over, face down

Discard pile

Starts with the upcard. Later discards overlap it so all show.

After the deal with 3 players: 7 cards in each hand, the stock face down, and the upcard starting the discard pile.

The two main rule sources we checked do not say how to pick the first dealer or who deals next. The way given here comes from another rule book.

How to play

Every turn has the same order: draw, put cards on the table if you want to, then discard. The big difference from basic rummy is the discard pile. You may dig into it, as long as you use the deepest card you take.

Draw from the stock or the discard pile

Start your turn by drawing. Take the top card of the stock, or take any card from the discard pile along with every card lying on top of it.
- Because the discard pile is spread out, you can see every card in it before you choose.
- You cannot pull one card out of the middle and leave the cards above it. Take the card you want and every card discarded after it.
Use the deepest card at once

The deepest card you take from the discard pile must go onto the table that same turn, in a new meld or laid off on one already down. If you cannot use it, do not take it. The other cards go into your hand.
- This applies to the top card too. If you take only the top discard, you must meld it or lay it off that turn. Some groups let you keep a lone top card in your hand. See the variants.
- The other cards you picked up can be melded or laid off right away, or kept in your hand for a later turn.
Lay down melds

You may lay sets and runs face up in front of you. These are melds. A set is 3 or 4 cards of the same rank. A run is 3 or more cards of one suit in order. An ace can be low (A-2-3) or high (Q-K-A), but a run cannot pass through it (K-A-2).
- You can lay down more than one meld in a turn.
- An ace at the low end of an A-2-3 run counts 1 point. An ace anywhere else counts 15, including the top of a Q-K-A run and a set of aces.
- With two decks there are two of every card. The cards in a set must still all be different suits, so two 6s of spades and a 6 of hearts are not a set.
Lay off cards on any meld

You may add cards from your hand to any meld on the table, yours or another player’s. This is laying off. Keep each card you lay off in front of you, because it scores for you.
- Say which meld the card goes with. If it could fit more than one, choose one and say so. You cannot change your choice later.
- A set can take its fourth card. A run can grow at either end.
- You do not need a meld of your own on the table before you lay off.
Discard one card

End your turn by putting one card face up on the discard pile, overlapping the last discard so both show.
- You discard on every turn unless you have gone out.
- If you took several cards from the discard pile, you may discard any card in your hand, including one you just picked up.
Go out to end the hand

The hand ends the moment a player has no cards left. The last card may be melded, laid off or discarded.
- Going out earns no bonus. It ends the hand before the other players can get more cards onto the table.
- Some groups require the last card to be a discard. See the variants.
If the stock runs out

If the stock is empty, the player whose turn it is may still take from the discard pile. If they do not, the hand ends with nobody out.
- The hand is scored the usual way, even though nobody went out.
- The discard pile is not turned over to make a new stock. Some groups shuffle it and play on. See the variants.
Score the hand

Each player adds up the cards in front of them, melded and laid off, then subtracts the cards still in their hand. The result goes onto their running total. It can be below zero.

What counts as a meld
Cards	Meld	Why
8♠ 8♥ 8♦	Yes, a set	3 cards of the same rank
A♣ 2♣ 3♣	Yes, a run	The ace is low here and counts 1 point
Q♥ K♥ A♥	Yes, a run	The ace is high here and counts 15 points
K♠ A♠ 2♠	No	A run cannot go round the corner
4♦ 5♦ 6♣	No	A run must stay in one suit
6♠ 6♠ 6♥	No	With two decks, a set needs different suits

Example: digging into the discard pile

The discard pile, oldest first, is the 6 of spades, 9 of diamonds, jack of clubs, 4 of hearts, king of diamonds and 2 of spades. You hold the jack of spades and the jack of hearts. You want the jack of clubs, so you must also take the 4 of hearts, king of diamonds and 2 of spades. You lay down the three jacks as a set, which uses the deepest card you took. The other three cards go into your hand. You discard the 5 of spades onto the 9 of diamonds. You could not have taken the 4 of hearts unless you could use it that turn.

Discard pile, spread out

The 2♠ is the newest card. You take from the J♣ to the end.

Your hand before the draw

Your new set

The J♣ is used at once, as the rule requires

Your hand after the discard

The 5♠ went on the discard pile

Taking the jack of clubs means taking every card above it too.

Scoring

Every player scores every hand, not only the one who went out. Your cards on the table count for you. Your cards still in hand count against you.

What each card is worth
Card	Points
Ace	15
Ace at the low end of an A-2-3 run on the table	1
King, queen, jack or 10	10
2 through 9	The number on the card

Your score for one hand
Cards	What they do
Cards you melded, in front of you	Add their points
Cards you laid off, in front of you	Add their points
Cards still in your hand	Subtract their points

An ace left in your hand counts 15 against you.
A complete set or run that you never laid down counts against you in full, the same as loose cards.
Your score for a hand is below zero when your hand is worth more than your table. It comes off your running total, and a running total can go below zero too.

The first player whose total reaches 500 or more wins. If two or more players pass 500 on the same hand, the highest total wins.

Use a sheet with a column for each player. After each hand, write each player’s score for the hand, with a minus sign when it is below zero, and update their running total.

A worked example: one hand with 3 players

Ana goes out. Ben and Cal still hold the cards shown. Ana’s low ace counts 1 and Cal’s high ace counts 15. Ben’s hand is worth more than his table, so he scores below zero for this hand.

Ana: on the table

A run, a set, and the 8♥ laid off on Ben’s run. No cards in hand.

Ben: on the table

5 + 6 + 7 = 18

Ben: in hand

15 + 10 + 9 + 2 = 36

Cal: on the table

10 + 10 + 15 = 35

Cal: in hand

4 + 4 + 6 + 3 = 17

Each player’s cards when Ana goes out.

What happened	Goes to	Points
Ana: run of the ace, 2 and 3 of clubs (1 + 2 + 3)	Ana	6
Ana: set of three kings	Ana	30
Ana: 8 of hearts laid off on Ben’s run	Ana	8
Ben: run of the 5, 6 and 7 of hearts	Ben	18
Ben: ace of spades, queen of diamonds, 9 of spades and 2 of diamonds left in hand	Ben	−36
Cal: run of the queen, king and ace of hearts	Cal	35
Cal: 4 of diamonds, 4 of spades, 6 of spades and 3 of hearts left in hand	Cal	−17
Ana		44
Ben		−18
Cal		18

Scorekeeper

Everyone scores every hand: cards on the table minus cards left in hand. A hand can score below zero, so enter a minus score when a player’s hand is worth more than their table. Totals run to 500, and the highest total wins. It works in this browser, keeps the game if the page reloads, and needs no account.

Other ways to play

Rummy 500 for 2 players

Deal 13 cards each instead of 7, from one deck. After the upcard is turned, 25 cards are left in the stock. The player who did not deal goes first. Everything else is the same: the deepest card you take from the discard pile must be used at once, both players score every hand, and the first to 500 wins.

Rummy 500 for 5 to 8 players (two decks)

Shuffle two standard decks together and deal 7 cards each. Play and scoring do not change. The bigger stock lasts longer: 68 cards with 5 players and 47 with 8. Two decks hold two of every card. A set must still be made of different suits, so two 6s of spades cannot sit in one set. Two of the rule sources we checked put the top of the range at about 8 players.

Partnership Rummy 500

Four players form two teams of two, with partners sitting across from each other. Deal 7 cards each and play as usual. Each team keeps one running total. The game ends when a team reaches 500. The team with the higher total over 500 wins, even if the other team went out on the last hand.

House rules and other versions

Keep the top discard: You may take the top card of the discard pile on its own and keep it in your hand without using it. You must then discard a different card. Taking any deeper card still means using that card at once. Some rule books give this as the standard rule.
Deepest card starts a new meld: A stricter rule. The deepest card you take from the discard pile must go into a new set or run of 3 or more cards. Laying it off on a meld already on the table does not count.
Discard to go out: Your last card must be a discard. You cannot go out by melding or laying off every card, so keep one card back to throw away.
Floating: Played with discard to go out. A player who melds every card has nothing to discard, so the hand goes on and that player floats. On their next turn, if nobody has gone out, they draw. They can then go out with a discard, meld everything and float again, or keep a card and return to normal play.
Must go out to win: You win only on a hand that you go out on, with a total of 500 or more. Another player passing 500 does not end the game. So a player who goes out with 505 beats a player sitting on 520.
Going out decides it at 500: If two or more players reach 500 on the same hand and one of them went out, that player wins, whatever the totals.
Calling rummy: If a discard could go straight onto a meld on the table, or the discard pile holds cards that make a meld by themselves, any other player may call rummy before the next player draws. The caller takes that card and every card above it, uses it at once, then discards. Play goes on from the caller’s left.
Five-point cards: The 2 through 9 count 5 points each instead of their number. Tens and face cards stay at 10. An ace counts 15, or 5 at the low end of an A-2-3 run.
Jokers: Add two jokers to each deck as wild cards. A joker can stand for any card in a set or run. Say which card it stands for when you put it down, and that cannot change. A joker counts 15 points, for you on the table or against you in your hand.
Reuse the discard pile: When the stock is empty, shuffle the discard pile and turn it face down as a new stock. Play then goes on as before.
No minus at the end of the stock: When the stock runs out and nobody can play, the hand ends and nobody subtracts the cards left in their hand. Cards on the table still count.

Rule questions

How many cards do you deal in Rummy 500?

13 cards each with 2 players and 7 each with 3 or more. Deal them one at a time. The rest form the stock, and its top card is turned face up to start the discard pile. With 5 or more players, shuffle two decks together first.

Can you take a card from the middle of the discard pile?

Yes. Take that card and every card on top of it. You must use that deepest card on the same turn, in a new meld or laid off on one already down. You cannot take the one card alone and leave the cards above it.

Can you take the top discard and just keep it?

Not under the rules on this page. Any card you take from the discard pile must be used that turn, the top card included. Some rule books let you take the top card alone and keep it, as long as you discard a different card. Agree on this before the first deal.

Who gets the points for a card laid off on someone else’s meld?

You do. Keep the card in front of you and say which meld it adds to. It scores for you at the end of the hand, not for the player who laid down the meld.

Is the ace high or low in Rummy 500, and what is it worth?

Both. A-2-3 and Q-K-A are runs, but K-A-2 is not. An ace at the low end of an A-2-3 run counts 1 point. Every other ace counts 15: high in a run, in a set, or left in your hand. Groups that count the 2 through 9 as 5 points each also count a low ace as 5.

Do you need a meld of your own before you can lay off?

No. You can lay off on any meld on the table during your turn, even if you have not laid down a meld yet.

Do you have to discard to go out?

No. Your last card can go into a meld, be laid off or be discarded. The hand ends as soon as your hand is empty. Some groups require the last card to be a discard, so settle it before the first deal.

What happens when the stock runs out?

The player whose turn it is may still take from the discard pile. If they do not want to, the hand ends with nobody out. Everyone scores the usual way: cards on the table minus cards in hand. Some groups shuffle the discard pile into a new stock instead, and some end the hand with nobody subtracting their cards.

Can your score go below zero?

Yes. If the cards left in your hand are worth more than your cards on the table, you lose the difference. With 40 points on the table and 55 in your hand, you score minus 15 for the hand. Your running total can drop below zero too.

What if two players pass 500 in the same hand?

The higher total wins. If the top totals are tied, play more hands until one player is ahead. Some groups give the win to the player who went out, or play that you can only win on a hand you go out on.

Can you call rummy when someone misses a play?

Only if your group plays that rule, which is in some rule books and not others. A player who sees a discard that could go straight onto a meld on the table calls rummy before the next player draws. The caller takes that card and any above it, uses it, then discards, and play goes on from the caller’s left. Some rule books let the caller take only that card and lay it off.

When do you need two decks for Rummy 500?

With 5 or more players. Shuffle two standard decks together and deal 7 cards each. The game works for up to about 8 players.

Words used in Rummy 500

500 Rum: Another name for Rummy 500. It is also called 500 Rummy and Pinochle Rummy.
Meld: A set or a run laid face up on the table. To meld is to lay one down.
Set: 3 or 4 cards of the same rank, such as three kings. Also called a group.
Run: 3 or more cards of the same suit in order, such as the 4, 5 and 6 of clubs. Also called a sequence.
Stock: The face-down pile of undealt cards that players draw from.
Discard pile: The face-up row of discards, spread so every card shows. You may take any card from it along with all the cards above it.
Upcard: The card turned face up after the deal to start the discard pile.
Lay off: To add a card from your hand to a meld already on the table, yours or another player’s. The card stays in front of you and scores for you.
Go out: To get rid of the last card in your hand. It ends the hand at once.
Hand: One round of play, from the deal until the hand ends. Also the cards a player holds.
Round the corner: A run that passes through the ace, such as K-A-2. It is not allowed.
Calling rummy: A house rule. A player who spots a discard that could have been played calls rummy and takes it.
Floating: In the discard-to-go-out variant, staying in the hand with no cards after melding everything, until your next turn.

What you need

A standard deck of playing cardsOne 52-card deck is enough for 2 to 4 players. Take the jokers out.Find it on Amazon (A standard deck of playing cards, opens in a new tab)
A second deckFor 5 to 8 players. Decks are often sold two to a box.Find it on Amazon (A second deck, opens in a new tab)
A score pad and pencilEvery player scores every hand, so a pad with a column for each player helps.Find it on Amazon (A score pad and pencil, opens in a new tab)
Card holdersOptional. They help small hands hold 13 cards in a 2-player game.Find it on Amazon (Card holders, opens in a new tab)

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. How the site is paid for.

Checked against

These rules are written in our own words from Bicycle Cards and checked against Pagat. Sources last checked on October 12, 2026.

First source: Bicycle Cards, 500 Rum. The deal of 13 or 7 cards, the stock and upcard, the spread discard pile, taking all cards above the one you want and using it at once, sets and runs, the ace high or low but not round the corner, laid-off cards kept in front of you, the hand ending when a player runs out, table minus hand scoring that can go below zero, and the highest total winning when two pass 500.
Second source: Pagat, 500 Rummy. 2 to about 8 players, two decks for 5 or more, dealing one at a time, the first player and direction, card values, the low ace worth 1, laying off on any meld and saying which, discarding after taking several cards, going out with or without a discard, the empty stock, negative totals, ties, different suits in a two-deck set, and most variants.

Other sources we used (2)

Wikipedia, 500 rum. Drawing for the first deal and passing it left, 2 to 8 players and best with 3 to 5, two decks for 5 or more, using even the top discard at once in a new meld, five-point cards, jokers, the going-out tie-break, reusing the discard pile, no minus at the end of the stock, partnership play and calling rum.
Pagat (archive of Howard Fosdick’s article), Scoring Rummies. Confirms the deal, two decks for 5 or more, using the deepest card taken, laid-off cards kept on your own side, no discard needed to go out and no bonus for it, face values as the traditional scoring, and the five-point values.

Where the sources differ (11)

Topic	Bicycle Cards	Pagat	This page
Taking only the top discard	Any card drawn from the discard pile must be used at once. The rule is not limited to cards below the top.	The top card alone may be kept in hand without melding. Only a card from below the top must be melded at once. Pagat adds that most card game books require a meld for any draw from the discard pile.	Follows Bicycle and Fosdick: any card taken, the top one included, must be used that turn. Wikipedia also requires it and asks for a new meld of 3 or more cards, which is a variant. Keeping the top card is a variant and a rule question.
Card values	No point values for any card are given.	Ace 15, or 1 when melded low with the 2 and 3. Jack, queen, king 10. The 2 through 10 their number. Jokers 15. The 5-point values are a variation.	Pagat’s values, which Fosdick calls the traditional scoring. Fosdick also counts the 2 through 9 as 5 and a low ace as 5, given as the five-point cards variant. Wikipedia counts the ace through 9 as 5, and an ace used high as 15.
Jokers	The standard 52-card pack. No jokers.	52 cards plus two jokers as wild cards in the main rules. Playing without them is a variation, said to be the original form.	No jokers, as in Bicycle and Fosdick. Wikipedia gives 52 cards with one or two jokers as optional. Jokers are a variant.
Number of players and decks	Lists 2, 3, 4 and 5 or more players. One pack and no two-pack rule.	2 to about 8 players. Two decks shuffled together for 5 or more.	2 to 8, as Pagat and Wikipedia say, with two decks for 5 or more, which Fosdick also gives. Best with 3 to 5 is from Wikipedia. Fosdick gives 2 to 6 players.
Going out with or without a discard	Play ends as soon as a player has no cards. Silent on whether the last card must be discarded.	The last card may be melded or discarded. A required discard, with floating, is a variation.	Either way, as Pagat and Fosdick say. Discard to go out and floating are variants. Wikipedia is mixed and gives the required discard as an agreed variation.
When the stock runs out	Not stated.	The player may still take from the discard pile. If they do not, the hand ends and is scored as usual.	Follows Pagat. Wikipedia’s paragraph on the empty stock gives the same rule and calls it normally standard, but its scoring section says nobody subtracts the cards left in hand when the stock runs out and nobody can play. It also offers a reshuffle. Both are variants.
Two players passing 500 on the same hand	The one with the highest score wins.	The player with the highest score wins. A tie is played off with more hands. Must go out to win is a variation.	The highest total wins, ties play on. Wikipedia’s rule that the player who went out wins is a variant, as is must go out to win.
The target	The first player to reach +500 wins.	Worded both as reaching 500 or more and as scores that exceed 500.	500 or more.
Calling rummy	Not in the rules.	Part of the main rules: any player but the discarder may call before the next player draws, take the card and the cards above it, meld it and discard. Play goes on from the caller’s left. Variations limit it or drop it.	A house rule, since Bicycle and Fosdick do not have it and Wikipedia lists it only as a variant. Given in the variants and a rule question with Pagat’s procedure. Wikipedia’s version lets the caller take only the discarded card, to lay it off on a meld.
Choosing the first dealer and passing the deal	Not stated.	Not stated in the main rules.	From Wikipedia: draw cards, the lowest deals with the ace low, and the deal passes to the left. A setup note says the two main sources are silent.
Settling up	The winner collects from each opponent the difference between their final scores.	Not stated.	Left out. The page plays for points only.

What on this page is our own

The playing time of about 45 minutes to an hour is our estimate. Wikipedia gives 20 minutes, which looks too short for a game to 500.
The discard pile example, the scoring example and the minus 15 example in the rule questions are our own.
The stock sizes after the deal (25, 30, 23, 68, 61, 54 and 47 cards) and the 104 cards in two decks are our arithmetic.
The remark that going out ends the hand before others can get more cards down is our explanation of why going out matters, since it carries no bonus.
The advice to keep score on paper with a minus sign for a hand below zero is ours.
That each player plays alone in the main game is implied by the individual scoring and is not stated outright.
That a complete set or run still in your hand counts against you in full follows from the sources’ rule that every card left in hand is subtracted.
In the partnership version, that each team keeps one running total is our reading of Wikipedia, which says the game ends when either side reaches 500.
‘If you cannot use it, do not take it’ is our plain wording of the rule that the card must be used at once.
The notes under What you need describe products and are not rules.
The pieces pictured at the top of the page are our own example.
That the discard pile is not turned into a new stock under the main rule is our reading of Pagat, where the hand ends when the stock is empty and the player to draw does not take a discard.

Spotted a mistake? Email [email protected] and we'll check it against the sources.