What is 500 Rum?

500 Rum turns rummy into a points race. Melds score their face value, the discard pile becomes a resource you can raid, and the first to 500 wins.

Quick answer: 500 Rum is a scoring rummy game where melds are laid on the table and their card values count toward a 500-point match. Its signature twist: instead of only the top discard, you may dig deeper, taking every card above your pick - as long as you immediately use the chosen card in a meld.

Melding for points

Like basic Rummy, you draw, form melds, and lay them face up on the table. But in 500 Rum, every melded card scores: face cards 10, Aces 1 or sometimes 15, number cards their pip value. You also lay off onto anyone's melds for more points. Cards left in your hand when someone goes out count against you.

Digging the discard pile

The defining rule is the deep dig. Rather than taking only the top discard, you may reach further down and take a card from within the pile - but you must scoop up every card above it too, and you must play your chosen card straight into a meld that turn. It's a powerful, risky way to grab a key card while loading your hand.

Racing to 500

Hands are scored and totals accumulate until a player reaches 500 points, which wins the match. Because both melding and going out earn points - and leftover cards lose them - 500 Rum rewards aggressive, well-timed melding. It's one of our most demanding games to track.

Play 500 Rum

Related questions

What is the difference between gin rummy and rummy?

The big difference is where melds go and how you win. In gin rummy you keep your melds concealed in hand and end the hand by knocking with low deadwood or going gin. In basic Rummy you lay melds face up on the table as you form them, lay off onto others, and win by being first to empty your hand.

What is laying off in gin rummy?

Laying off is what the defender does after an opponent knocks: you add your unmatched cards onto the knocker's melds to reduce your own deadwood. If they have a run of 5-6-7, you can lay off a 4 or an 8 of that suit. You can't lay off at all when the knocker has gone gin.

What is the hardest rummy game?

Straight Gin is the hardest of our games: knocking is banned, so you can only go out with zero deadwood - a perfect hand every time. Oklahoma Gin is next, because the upcard can force you to go gin or squeeze your knock limit. 500 Rum demands sharp tracking of a deep discard pile.