How to Play Rummy Five Hundred
- 1). Gather two to eight players and one to two decks of cards. Deal the cards. If you're playing with two players, use one deck of cards and deal each player 13 cards to start. If you're playing with three or four players, still use one deck and deal each player seven cards. If you're playing with five to eight players, use two decks and deal each player seven cards.
- 2). Flip one card over from the top of the deck that is left over after you dealt each player their initial hand. This card will be the first card in the discard/meld pile. Players can choose to either draw a card from the top of the deck, or draw a card or multiple cards from the discard/meld pile.
- 3). Rotate drawing cards clockwise from the dealer. Each player's turn will consist of the following steps: drawing, laying down, discarding and passing. Each player will draw a card from either the top of the deck or the discard/meld pile individually. He or she can then choose to lay down a three or greater card suited run or set, or he or she can pass to the next player. Before passing to the next player, the player whose turn it is must discard one card from his or her hand, placing it on top of the discard/meld pile.
- 4). End the round when a person lays down or discards all the cards from their hand.
- 5). Score the round by tallying up the values of the cards each player laid down and subtracting the values of the cards in that players hands. In Rummy 500, aces are worth 15 points, face cards are worth 10 points and all other cards are worth the value equivalent to the number on the card. For example, a set of three aces is worth 45 points (15 points per ace), a set of four eights is worth 32 points (eight points per eight) and a suited run of nine-10-jack is worth 29 points (nine points for the nine, and 10 points each for the 10 and Jack).
- 6). Continue scoring rounds until a player's score tallies at or above 500 points.
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