How To Play Rummy 500 Card Game

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  1. How To Play Rummy 500 Card Game
  2. How Do You Play The Card Game Rummy 500
  3. How To Play The Card Game Rummy 500
  4. Play Rummy 500 Card Game Online

Deal seven cards to each player (except in the two player game, in which each player receives 13 cards). Place undealt cards face down in the center of the table, forming the stock. The top card is turned face up and is placed beside the stock as the up card to start the discard pile. How to Play Rummy How to Play Rummy: A Beginners Guide To Play 13 Cards Indian Rummy. Now, if you've always wanted to get in on the exhilarating rummy action, but didn't know quite how to play rummy, what the game was all about, or indeed what the rules and object of the game was, then you've come to the right place, for we're here to answer all these questions and more for you.

Rummy 500 is one of the most popular variations of Rummy. In fact, this is thegame that many people think of as regular, normal or standard Rummy. The biggestdifference from the actual Standard Rummy is that players may draw morethan just the top card from the discard pile if they wish, although they mustplay the the bottom card of the stack they draw.

Another difference is that scoring is based on what the player has melded orlaid off, not just the deadwood left in their hand at the end of a game. Thisfact places Rummy 500 into a slightly different category of games from StandardRummy, which we'll call Meld Scoring Games.

Setup

Players: Rummy 500 can be played by 2 to 8 players.

Cards: A standard deck of cards is used, with 52 playing cards and 2 jokers.If 5 or more players are playing then a second deck should be used, with 108cards total.

The Deal: The number of cards dealt depends on the number of players. Ifthere are 2 players then they get 13 cards each. If there are 3 or more playersthen players then deal 7 cards each. The remaining cards should be placed facedown on the table and will become the stock pile. The top card should be flippedand placed beside the stock pile, this will be the start of the discard pile.

Objective: The object of the game is to get rid of all your cards by formingmelds or laying off cards on preexisting melds. Points are scored from the cardsplayed by each player.

Game Play

The turn-by-turn game play in Rummy 500 is nearly the same as in Standard Rummy.The player starts by drawing either from the stock pile or the discard pile,optionally forms melds (a run or a set), optionally lays off cards ontoother melds, and then discards one card to the discard pile. Since there isso much similarity, only the additions or differences will be described here.Please read the description of Game Play in Standard Rummy if you're not alreadyfamiliar with it.

Drawing multiple cards from the discard

The most obvious difference from Standard Rummy is that more than one card maybe drawn from the discard pile. To facilitate this, the discarded cards shouldbe stacked to the side so the previous discards are still partially visible. Ifa player is able to make a meld or lay off a card that is not on the top of thestack then the player may take that card and all the cards above it in thestack. The bottom card taken must be played on that turn, (unless the playertook only the top card). The player should then play that card as well as anyother melds or layoffs they are able to do, and then discard a single card likenormal.

It is very important to understand how to use the discard pile for youradvantage. Suppose that you have these cards in your hand:2-4-5-8-J-K-K and that the discard pile is as follows:


How To Play Rummy 500 Card Game
How To Play Rummy 500 Card Game

You want to take the 4 and 4 from the discard pileto go with your 4 to make a group. To get these cards, you musttake all the cards from the 4 onwards, leaving only the 6 in the discard pile. You can then meld the 4-4-4, andyou have the following cards left in your hand: 2-5-7-8-J-Q-K-K-A. You can then discard something you don't need such as the 2 and the discard pile is then:


If you had taken only the 7 you would have been allowed to keepit in your hand and not meld it. Since you took the cards from 4onward, you must meld the 4.

End of Hand

The hand can end in one of two ways. First, when a player disposes of all thecards in their hand via forming melds, laying off cards, or adding a final cardto the discard pile, then the hand is done. Note that it is not required toinclude adding a card to the discard pile when going out, all the remainingcards in a player's hand may be played if they are all going to valid melds orlay offs.

The other way that a hand can end is if the stock pile is exhausted and thecurrent player does not want to draw any cards from the discard pile. If theplayer is able to use something in the discard pile then they take their turnlike normal and play continues on to the next player.

Once the game has ended in one of the ways described above then the hand is overand other players may not meld or lay off cards even if they have validcombinations in their hand. Calling 'Rummy!' also not allowed.

Scoring

All players count the value of the cards they have melded, and subtract thevalue of the cards remaining in their hands. Each player's score is added totheir ongoing score for the series of games being played. Games continue untilone or more players reach a score of 500 points or better. Note that it ispossible to have a negative score if the value in the hand is more than thevalue of cards melded. Also note that unplayed melds still must be counted.

Cards have the following values:

CardValue
Ace, Joker15
Face cards10
OthersFace value


Optional Rules and Variations

  1. Playing without jokers: Rummy 500 was originally played withoutwild cards, and it certainly can still be played that way now. It makes for aslightly more challenging game, which some people prefer.
  2. 5/10/15 card values: To make scoring simpler the cards 2-9 can be givena value of 5 instead of their face value. If an ace is played as a low card,such as a A-2-3 run, then it will have a value of 5 points instead of 15.
  3. Card from discard pile must be played: With this variation the rule thatthe deepest card taken from the discard pile must be played also applies evenif only one card is taken from the discard pile.
  4. New meld for discard cards: When cards are drawn from the discard pilethen the deepest card must be played in a new meld, not laid off on existingmelds.
  5. Rummy in the Pile, or Calling Rummy!: This is a commonly played variant,although it is not regarded as part of standard Rummy 500 by most game books.The way it works is that if, for example, a player discards a card whichcould have been melded, or leaves the discard pile in a state where itcontains cards which can be melded without requiring a card or cards from anyplayer's hand, then before the next player draws, any player other than theone who just discarded, may call 'Rummy!' and take the discard pile as fardown as the relevant card. This player then completes their turn by meldingthat card and possibly others, and by discarding one card to end their turn. Theturn to play then passes to the player on the left of the one who called'Rummy!' and moves clockwise from there, possibly skipping some players ineffect. Note that it is not possible to call 'Rummy!' in this way when thegame has ended. When a player discards or melds their last card, the gameends and they need not have any regard to what is left in the pile. Here aretwo examples of how 'Rummy In The Pile' works in practice:
    • If there is a 3-4-5 on the board (i.e. in the meld area)and someone discards a 2 or a 6 then anyplayer, apart from the the discarder may call out 'Rummy!', take the cardand meld it.
    • If it is your turn and you have 7 and 8 inyour hand, you draw 6 from stock but there is already a 5 buried in the pile. If you meld your 6-7-8 inthis turn, then anyone can call 'Rummy!', take the 5 fromthe pile (and all cards above it) and add it to your meld. You cannot makethis call yourself immediately after placing your meld down, only the otherplayers may do this, but you may once the next player has taken his turn,in the unlikely event that no one else has spotted it and called 'Rummy!'.In situations like this you may want to hold on to your meld until yournext turn and then take the 5 from the pile (and all cardsabove it) in order to play the larger meld.
  6. Calling Rummy for top card only: For this variation only the mostrecently discarded card is eligible for being stolen by another playercalling 'Rummy!'
  7. Discard required when going out: This variant requires a player who goesout to keep one card so that they can discard at the end of their turn. Inthis version of the game you are not allowed to meld all your cards, leavingyourself nothing to discard.
  8. Floating: This variant also required that a player must discard in orderfor the hand to be ended, but they can meld all of their cards on their turn.When this happens the player 'floats' until it is their turn again. Theplayer can then draw a card and discard it, draw from the discard pile andmake a meld and discard like normal, etc. If the player still has cards atthat point (because of drawing more than one card from the discard pile) thenplay continues like normal until a player is able to go out with a discard.
  9. Unplayable discard required: if a player goes out with a discard thenthe card must be unplayable on any existing melds. Otherwise they will gointo floating mode as described above.
  10. Must go out to win: If another player is the one to go out on a hand,then you can not be the winner even if you have 500 points or better. If theplayer who did go out does not have 500 points then play continues withanother round. It is possible for the winner to have less points than otherplayers.



Learning how to play Rummy 500 is quick and easy. That's what makes it one of my favorite card games. We'll cover the basic rules for Rummy 500 and then some tips that will hopefully help you out the next time you play!

How To Play Rummy 500 Card Game


Game Specifics

Ages: Any age that can count and match cards!
# of Players: 2 or more
Deck Required: 1 Standard 52 card deck if 2-4 players, and 2 decks if there are 5 or more players.

The object of the game is to get as many points as possible and then go out. We're going to explain how you get those points and also walk you through a hand further below. For now, just remember that the the object is to get those points, and then 'go out'.

Terminology is important when learning how to play Rummy 500, so here's some words you'll see below and need to know.

  • Stock Deck - the deck of cards that is face down and that you can draw from.
  • Discard Pile - the cards that are face up and have been discarded by the players. You can draw 1 or more cards from this (More on that later).
  • The Field - The place on the table where you lay the cards that have been melded.
  • Meld - means to play the cards in your hand by laying them on the field, either as a run or a set.
  • A Run - Cards that are of the same suit and are in numerical order.
  • A Set - Cards that are of the same type, but not the same suit. 3,3,3.... 5,5,5.... etc.

How to Play

Okay, let's discuss how you get points since they're so important when learning how to play Rummy 500.

You get points by playing cards in your hand and placing them face up on your side of the table. Of course there's certain combinations that you can play, and those are the following:

  • There are three or more of the same cards which is known as a 'Set'. For instance, if you have three 5s or four sevens then you can play those cards by placing them face up on your side of the table.
  • You have three or more cards that go in order AND are the same suit, which is known as a 'Run'. For instance, the 2 3 and 4 of diamonds could be played.
  • You can also get play off of cards that are already on the table. For example if your opponent has three 9's on the table and you have a 9 you can play your 9 off of their set.

I know what you're thinking... You're saying, 'Great, but where do these points come in?' Well, the points are based on what cards you play. Don't worry though, it's simple to keep track of.

  • Cards 2-9 give you 5 points
  • Cards 10,J,Q,K gives you 10 points
  • The Ace and Jokers gives you 15 points.
  • However! If an Ace is played like this - Ace,2,3 - then the Ace is only worth 5 points.

A word about the Jokers. Some people play without them, but for those that would prefer to leave them in the deck, know this - The Jokers are considered wild cards. They can be used as any card you need them for, but once you choose which card it is, they cannot be changed. So if you have 2 Kings and a Joker, the Joker can act as your third King and allow you to meld the cards.

I never worry about keeping score while I'm playing. In other words, I don't count up every card as I lay them down. Instead, I just keep an eye on how many sets I have and how many my opponent has. You can get a rough idea of who's ahead by doing it this way and then when someones goes out you can count them up. Of course, how to play Rummy 500 is completely up to you. You can count as you go or leave the Jokers out, whichever you decide.

Since you now know how to accumulate points in Rummy 500, let's talk about the actual game play. We'll walk you through a practice hand and you can see how the game is played.


Here's where we're going to show you how to play Rummy 500 by walking you through a single hand.

How Do You Play The Card Game Rummy 500

First off, the dealer (which is usually one of the players) deals the cards. If you have two people playing a game, then each person gets 13 cards. If you have more than two people playing, then each person only gets seven cards. Just remember when learning how to play Rummy 500 - 2 people = 13 cards and more than 2 people = 7 cards. The cards are also dealt just like in poker, one at a time to each person starting with the person on the dealer's left.

For the sake of clarity, we're going to assume we have three players here. The dealer deals the cards clockwise until everyone has 7 cards. Then the dealer puts 1 card face up on the field. This is the start of the discard pile.

There are 3 steps to your turn.

1. Draw

You can either draw from the discard pile or from the stock deck. If you draw more than 1 card from the discard pile you have to play the top card. I know the normal Rummy players are probably scratching their heads right now, so let me explain about that multiple card draw from the discard pile.

In normal Rummy, you are only allowed to play the top card in the discard pile. However, according to the rules of Rummy 500, you can draw multiple cards. The only stipulation to this is that if you do pick up more than one card, you MUST play the first card that you drew. If you can't meld it, then you can't pick it up.

So for example, let's say you have a 3 and a 4 of diamonds, and you see the 5 of diamonds in the discard pile, but it's covered by two more cards. You're allowed to pick up all three cards (the 5 of diamonds and the two cards on top of it) but you MUST play that 5 of diamonds on this hand. You're not allowed to keep it. You'll have to lay it down with your 3 and 4 of diamonds to make a complete run. You can keep the other two cards however. This is just to stop people from picking up the entire discard deck when they don't actually need a card. It also forces you to use much more strategy when playing.

Understand? Great, now let's move on to the part of your turn when you'd actually lay those cards down. It's called the Play.

2. Play

How To Play The Card Game Rummy 500

This is the part of your turn when you meld (place) the cards face up on the field (table). Remember if you pick up multiple cards from the discard pile then you have to meld the first card and place it on the field. If you only picked up one card from the discard pile or the stock pile then you can keep it in your hand. You don't have to meld cards every turn.

3. Discard

Once you are done playing your cards, or if you can't play any cards, you have to discard a single card from your hand to the discard pile, face up.

Once you've discarded, that ends your turn. Then it's the person on your left's turn. This continues until someone goes out.

Going Out

When a person 'Goes out', it just means that they have used all the cards in their hand. Once that happens, it's time to count the cards. Not only the ones on the field, but also the ones left in the other player's hands.

The cards on the field (all those that have been melded) are added together to get a final score for each player. However! The cards in the hands of each player are then counted and subtracted from that score. This is why it's always best to be the one who 'Goes Out'. No cards means no score subtraction!

Keeping up with our example, let's say another player on the table went out and you have 3 J's on the field and a K and a 3 in your hand.

Play rummy 500 card game online

For your field score, you'd have 30 points for the 3 Jacks. But don't forget the cards in your hand. You would subtract 10 points for the king and 5 points for the 3. That would leave you with a total of 15 points. (30-10-5=15)

Winning the game

Game

You want to take the 4 and 4 from the discard pileto go with your 4 to make a group. To get these cards, you musttake all the cards from the 4 onwards, leaving only the 6 in the discard pile. You can then meld the 4-4-4, andyou have the following cards left in your hand: 2-5-7-8-J-Q-K-K-A. You can then discard something you don't need such as the 2 and the discard pile is then:


If you had taken only the 7 you would have been allowed to keepit in your hand and not meld it. Since you took the cards from 4onward, you must meld the 4.

End of Hand

The hand can end in one of two ways. First, when a player disposes of all thecards in their hand via forming melds, laying off cards, or adding a final cardto the discard pile, then the hand is done. Note that it is not required toinclude adding a card to the discard pile when going out, all the remainingcards in a player's hand may be played if they are all going to valid melds orlay offs.

The other way that a hand can end is if the stock pile is exhausted and thecurrent player does not want to draw any cards from the discard pile. If theplayer is able to use something in the discard pile then they take their turnlike normal and play continues on to the next player.

Once the game has ended in one of the ways described above then the hand is overand other players may not meld or lay off cards even if they have validcombinations in their hand. Calling 'Rummy!' also not allowed.

Scoring

All players count the value of the cards they have melded, and subtract thevalue of the cards remaining in their hands. Each player's score is added totheir ongoing score for the series of games being played. Games continue untilone or more players reach a score of 500 points or better. Note that it ispossible to have a negative score if the value in the hand is more than thevalue of cards melded. Also note that unplayed melds still must be counted.

Cards have the following values:

CardValue
Ace, Joker15
Face cards10
OthersFace value


Optional Rules and Variations

  1. Playing without jokers: Rummy 500 was originally played withoutwild cards, and it certainly can still be played that way now. It makes for aslightly more challenging game, which some people prefer.
  2. 5/10/15 card values: To make scoring simpler the cards 2-9 can be givena value of 5 instead of their face value. If an ace is played as a low card,such as a A-2-3 run, then it will have a value of 5 points instead of 15.
  3. Card from discard pile must be played: With this variation the rule thatthe deepest card taken from the discard pile must be played also applies evenif only one card is taken from the discard pile.
  4. New meld for discard cards: When cards are drawn from the discard pilethen the deepest card must be played in a new meld, not laid off on existingmelds.
  5. Rummy in the Pile, or Calling Rummy!: This is a commonly played variant,although it is not regarded as part of standard Rummy 500 by most game books.The way it works is that if, for example, a player discards a card whichcould have been melded, or leaves the discard pile in a state where itcontains cards which can be melded without requiring a card or cards from anyplayer's hand, then before the next player draws, any player other than theone who just discarded, may call 'Rummy!' and take the discard pile as fardown as the relevant card. This player then completes their turn by meldingthat card and possibly others, and by discarding one card to end their turn. Theturn to play then passes to the player on the left of the one who called'Rummy!' and moves clockwise from there, possibly skipping some players ineffect. Note that it is not possible to call 'Rummy!' in this way when thegame has ended. When a player discards or melds their last card, the gameends and they need not have any regard to what is left in the pile. Here aretwo examples of how 'Rummy In The Pile' works in practice:
    • If there is a 3-4-5 on the board (i.e. in the meld area)and someone discards a 2 or a 6 then anyplayer, apart from the the discarder may call out 'Rummy!', take the cardand meld it.
    • If it is your turn and you have 7 and 8 inyour hand, you draw 6 from stock but there is already a 5 buried in the pile. If you meld your 6-7-8 inthis turn, then anyone can call 'Rummy!', take the 5 fromthe pile (and all cards above it) and add it to your meld. You cannot makethis call yourself immediately after placing your meld down, only the otherplayers may do this, but you may once the next player has taken his turn,in the unlikely event that no one else has spotted it and called 'Rummy!'.In situations like this you may want to hold on to your meld until yournext turn and then take the 5 from the pile (and all cardsabove it) in order to play the larger meld.
  6. Calling Rummy for top card only: For this variation only the mostrecently discarded card is eligible for being stolen by another playercalling 'Rummy!'
  7. Discard required when going out: This variant requires a player who goesout to keep one card so that they can discard at the end of their turn. Inthis version of the game you are not allowed to meld all your cards, leavingyourself nothing to discard.
  8. Floating: This variant also required that a player must discard in orderfor the hand to be ended, but they can meld all of their cards on their turn.When this happens the player 'floats' until it is their turn again. Theplayer can then draw a card and discard it, draw from the discard pile andmake a meld and discard like normal, etc. If the player still has cards atthat point (because of drawing more than one card from the discard pile) thenplay continues like normal until a player is able to go out with a discard.
  9. Unplayable discard required: if a player goes out with a discard thenthe card must be unplayable on any existing melds. Otherwise they will gointo floating mode as described above.
  10. Must go out to win: If another player is the one to go out on a hand,then you can not be the winner even if you have 500 points or better. If theplayer who did go out does not have 500 points then play continues withanother round. It is possible for the winner to have less points than otherplayers.



Learning how to play Rummy 500 is quick and easy. That's what makes it one of my favorite card games. We'll cover the basic rules for Rummy 500 and then some tips that will hopefully help you out the next time you play!

How To Play Rummy 500 Card Game


Game Specifics

Ages: Any age that can count and match cards!
# of Players: 2 or more
Deck Required: 1 Standard 52 card deck if 2-4 players, and 2 decks if there are 5 or more players.

The object of the game is to get as many points as possible and then go out. We're going to explain how you get those points and also walk you through a hand further below. For now, just remember that the the object is to get those points, and then 'go out'.

Terminology is important when learning how to play Rummy 500, so here's some words you'll see below and need to know.

  • Stock Deck - the deck of cards that is face down and that you can draw from.
  • Discard Pile - the cards that are face up and have been discarded by the players. You can draw 1 or more cards from this (More on that later).
  • The Field - The place on the table where you lay the cards that have been melded.
  • Meld - means to play the cards in your hand by laying them on the field, either as a run or a set.
  • A Run - Cards that are of the same suit and are in numerical order.
  • A Set - Cards that are of the same type, but not the same suit. 3,3,3.... 5,5,5.... etc.

How to Play

Okay, let's discuss how you get points since they're so important when learning how to play Rummy 500.

You get points by playing cards in your hand and placing them face up on your side of the table. Of course there's certain combinations that you can play, and those are the following:

  • There are three or more of the same cards which is known as a 'Set'. For instance, if you have three 5s or four sevens then you can play those cards by placing them face up on your side of the table.
  • You have three or more cards that go in order AND are the same suit, which is known as a 'Run'. For instance, the 2 3 and 4 of diamonds could be played.
  • You can also get play off of cards that are already on the table. For example if your opponent has three 9's on the table and you have a 9 you can play your 9 off of their set.

I know what you're thinking... You're saying, 'Great, but where do these points come in?' Well, the points are based on what cards you play. Don't worry though, it's simple to keep track of.

  • Cards 2-9 give you 5 points
  • Cards 10,J,Q,K gives you 10 points
  • The Ace and Jokers gives you 15 points.
  • However! If an Ace is played like this - Ace,2,3 - then the Ace is only worth 5 points.

A word about the Jokers. Some people play without them, but for those that would prefer to leave them in the deck, know this - The Jokers are considered wild cards. They can be used as any card you need them for, but once you choose which card it is, they cannot be changed. So if you have 2 Kings and a Joker, the Joker can act as your third King and allow you to meld the cards.

I never worry about keeping score while I'm playing. In other words, I don't count up every card as I lay them down. Instead, I just keep an eye on how many sets I have and how many my opponent has. You can get a rough idea of who's ahead by doing it this way and then when someones goes out you can count them up. Of course, how to play Rummy 500 is completely up to you. You can count as you go or leave the Jokers out, whichever you decide.

Since you now know how to accumulate points in Rummy 500, let's talk about the actual game play. We'll walk you through a practice hand and you can see how the game is played.


Here's where we're going to show you how to play Rummy 500 by walking you through a single hand.

How Do You Play The Card Game Rummy 500

First off, the dealer (which is usually one of the players) deals the cards. If you have two people playing a game, then each person gets 13 cards. If you have more than two people playing, then each person only gets seven cards. Just remember when learning how to play Rummy 500 - 2 people = 13 cards and more than 2 people = 7 cards. The cards are also dealt just like in poker, one at a time to each person starting with the person on the dealer's left.

For the sake of clarity, we're going to assume we have three players here. The dealer deals the cards clockwise until everyone has 7 cards. Then the dealer puts 1 card face up on the field. This is the start of the discard pile.

There are 3 steps to your turn.

1. Draw

You can either draw from the discard pile or from the stock deck. If you draw more than 1 card from the discard pile you have to play the top card. I know the normal Rummy players are probably scratching their heads right now, so let me explain about that multiple card draw from the discard pile.

In normal Rummy, you are only allowed to play the top card in the discard pile. However, according to the rules of Rummy 500, you can draw multiple cards. The only stipulation to this is that if you do pick up more than one card, you MUST play the first card that you drew. If you can't meld it, then you can't pick it up.

So for example, let's say you have a 3 and a 4 of diamonds, and you see the 5 of diamonds in the discard pile, but it's covered by two more cards. You're allowed to pick up all three cards (the 5 of diamonds and the two cards on top of it) but you MUST play that 5 of diamonds on this hand. You're not allowed to keep it. You'll have to lay it down with your 3 and 4 of diamonds to make a complete run. You can keep the other two cards however. This is just to stop people from picking up the entire discard deck when they don't actually need a card. It also forces you to use much more strategy when playing.

Understand? Great, now let's move on to the part of your turn when you'd actually lay those cards down. It's called the Play.

2. Play

How To Play The Card Game Rummy 500

This is the part of your turn when you meld (place) the cards face up on the field (table). Remember if you pick up multiple cards from the discard pile then you have to meld the first card and place it on the field. If you only picked up one card from the discard pile or the stock pile then you can keep it in your hand. You don't have to meld cards every turn.

3. Discard

Once you are done playing your cards, or if you can't play any cards, you have to discard a single card from your hand to the discard pile, face up.

Once you've discarded, that ends your turn. Then it's the person on your left's turn. This continues until someone goes out.

Going Out

When a person 'Goes out', it just means that they have used all the cards in their hand. Once that happens, it's time to count the cards. Not only the ones on the field, but also the ones left in the other player's hands.

The cards on the field (all those that have been melded) are added together to get a final score for each player. However! The cards in the hands of each player are then counted and subtracted from that score. This is why it's always best to be the one who 'Goes Out'. No cards means no score subtraction!

Keeping up with our example, let's say another player on the table went out and you have 3 J's on the field and a K and a 3 in your hand.

For your field score, you'd have 30 points for the 3 Jacks. But don't forget the cards in your hand. You would subtract 10 points for the king and 5 points for the 3. That would leave you with a total of 15 points. (30-10-5=15)

Winning the game

After every hand, you add the points you have just received to your total points. So if you had a score of 100 before that last hand, you'd now have 115.

The first player to reach 500 wins (Hence the name, Rummy 500). If multiple players get above 500 at the same time the one with the highest score wins.


Now that you know the rummy 500 rules lets give you some tips.

I love teaching people how to play Rummy 500 because many of their opponents will make some simple mistakes. If you use some basic strategy, you can take advantage of those mistakes.
  • 1. Most people try to go out fast so that their opponents will be left with a lot of points to subtract from their hand. Don't do this! You will end up with 1 or 2 cards waiting forever for a lucky draw while your opponent gets more and more points.
  • 2. Use the discard pile! If you have 2 K's, most people will keep them in their hand and wait for a 3rd K. Don't! Instead, discard 1 to the discard pile. This will do 1 of 2 things - Either you'll get a 3rd king later and will be able to pick up a whole pile of discarded cards, which will give you more opportunities to get points or - your opponent will think you have no other kings and discard another king as a safe bet, giving you a 3rd king. See where the strategy comes in? It's an important part of learning how to play Rummy 500.
  • 3. When your opponent is getting low on cards, help them out! If the discard pile is 2,8,2,J,K and you have a 2, put it down. Your opponent will pick it up to play the points, which is bad, but it gives them extra cards in their hand and make sure they will not go out any time soon. If you have 10 or more cards in your hand and your opponent only has 1 or 2, it's probably worth the points they'll pick up just to offset the points you'd lose if they went out.
  • 4. When your opponent is low, start shedding your high cards. This prevents you from getting hit too badly if you can't prevent them from going out.
Conclusion

It shouldn't be hard to see why I love this game so much. It's easy to learn how to play Rummy 500. It does require some serious thinking and strategy, but it's a relatively fast playing game that is still loads of fun!

Play Rummy 500 Card Game Online

Next time you have a few people and a deck of cards, teach them how to play Rummy 500. I'm sure they'll thank you for the introduction!





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