How to Play 500 Rummy

500 Rummy is a fun game for all ages! The objective of the game is to lay down number sets in order to get the most points by the end of each round and to get rid of all your cards before anyone else does. The first player to reach 500 points wins the game. There are only a few things you need in order to play.

Step 1: Materials

• 1 deck of cards
• 2-4 players
• materials to record score

Step 2: Set Up

· shuffle the deck

· deal 7 cards to each player

· set the remaining deck in the middle of the table/players

· flip the top card of the deck face up next to the deck

Step 3: Rules

Sets - At the beginning of the game each player is dealt 7 cards. In those 7 cards, you can have a variety of sets with which to gain points. Sets consist of three or more cards that create specific patterns.

These patterns are:

· Sequential Set – three or more cards of the same suit (hearts, clubs, spades, or diamonds) and are in numerical order.

NOTE: Jacks, Queens, and Kings act as 11, 12, and 13 respectively. Ace can be used as a 1 or a 14.

· Three or Four of a kind

Points - Each card is worth a number of points. These points will be added or subtracted at the end of each round. Here is the breakdown of points:

· Cards 2-9………………………………..5 points per card

· Cards 10, Jack, Queen, King…….......10 points per card

· Ace, Rummy Card…………………......15 points per card

Step 4: Game Play

To begin each round, the player left of the dealer draws the first card. They can choose to take either the top card of the deck or the card that is face up next to the deck.

NOTE: A player can only draw one time per round and must draw a card on their turn.

Step 5:

After you have picked up a card, assess to see if you have a set. If you do have a set, place the set down in front of yourself, face up, for points.

NOTE: As you get more sets, place them in a manner which all the sets are visible for all players.

Step 6:

After playing any sets, discard a card onto the face-up pile, not directly on top, allowing the card underneath to still be seen. Once your discard, your turn is over.

TIP: Assess your hand before discarding. Do not discard a card that could potentially become part of a set. (i.e. If you have two eights in your hand, do not discard an eight, since you may draw a third eight later on.)

Step 7:

Once that player discards, it is the next player’s turn, going clockwise.

Step 8:

After the first turn, players can now draw a card slightly different. They can still pick from the face down pile at the start of their turn, but, the face-up pile is drawn from differently:

• Just like the first player, you can take the first face-up card from the top of all the others and are not required to play it automatically in a set.
• You can also pick any card facing upward, BUT you need to take all the cards on top of that card as well AND you can only take this card if you can use it in a set. If you cannot play it this round, you cannot pick it up.

Step 9:

During your turn, if you have a card that can be played off of another player’s already-played set, you can lay it down in front of you, and play it as an extension of their set, getting only the points for your own card. If you draw a card that can be played off of your own sets, it can be placed down alongside that set for points.

Step 10:

If at any time a player discards a card that could have been played off of someone else’s set, that card is now a “Rummy card.” Before the next person draws a card, the first player to grab the “Rummy card” and shout “RUMMY,” they gets the points for that card. (They get 15 points no matter what the card is.)

Step 11:

Players repeat these steps: drawing a card, playing any sets they have, and discarding. This continues until someone plays a set, and can discard their last card. You have to have a card to discard to complete your turn and the round.

Step 12:

Once a player has discarded their last card, the round is over and you need to add up all the points from the cards that were placed down. Any cards that are still in your hand that were not played are the same point value, but are negative points. These get subtracted from your total.

Step 13:

Once the points are added up, repeat the entire process. The first player to reach 500 points, wins the game!