500 Rum

500 Rum card is played with a standard 52 card deck plus two jokers, 54 cards in total. It can be played between 2-8 players, and in case of more than 6 people, two decks (108 cards) are required.

Related: Best card games collection

Objective

The aim is to be the first player to obtain 500 total net points by laying matched number sets of 3 or 4 and /or sequences of 3 or more cards of the same suit.

Melds

Melds consist of groups of three or more cards of the same sequence rank, such as J J J or a sequence consisting of three or more consecutive cards in the same suit such as 5 6 7.

Ranks of cards

Ace(can be high or low), K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A.

How to play

In the case of two players, each is dealt 10 cards. If there are more players, each is dealt 7 cards. The meld is counted based on the value of individual cards.

• High Aces-15 points
• Low Aces-1point
• King, Queen, Jack -10 points
• Other cards- their face value

Exception: If an ace is melded in a sequence meld with 2 and 3 of the same suit, it scores 1 point. If in a meld with Q and K of the same suit, then it scores 15 points.

Starting the game

The play begins at the dealer’s left. The players have the option to either take the top card from the stock or any card in the discard pile as long as the card is immediately used in a meld or lay off.

If you decide to take a card from the discard pile, you must take all the cards above the one you take. These cards can be both beneficial or disastrous since they can offer additional opportunities to meld, and with the same accord, they can make it difficult to get out.

In every turn, each player is required to place their melds on the table in front after you draw a card or before you discard.  Players also have the option to lay off cards to their own or other player’s melds.

These lay-offs contribute to your score, and they should also be placed on the table in front of you.  Keep in mind that a card can be laid off on another lay-off card.  For example, if a 7 was used as a laid of a 6-5-4 meld, you can still use an 8 to lay off the 7.

Exception of lay-Offs

You cannot use a lay-off card to a sequence that ‘goes around a corner. For example, if you have an A, K, Q, sequence, you cannot use a 2, nor can you use a K to lay off an A, 2, 3 sequence.

The End

The game ends when a player melds or lays off all his/her cards. If no player goes out, the game ends when the stock runs out.

Scoring and winning

Each player totals their melds and lay-offs then subtracts the value of the cards left in their hand. If the value of the cards left in hand has a higher value than the total score of their melds and lay-offs, it means they will have a negative score.

The winner of the game is the first player to score 500 points. If more than one players have points exceeding 500, the player with the most points wins. 

FAQ