Rummy 500 rules

How a game of Rummy 500 works on Rummy Dummy, for 2–4 players.

Goal

Score points by melding cards. When a round ends with someone at or above the target score (500, or 250 if the host chose it), the highest score wins.

2–4 players, one 52-card deck, no jokers.
With 2 players everyone gets 13 cards; with 3 or 4, everyone gets 7.
One card starts the discard pile and the rest is the stock.
The player left of the dealer goes first, and the deal moves one seat each round.

Draw the top card of the stock, or from the discard pile (below).
Meld and lay off as many cards as you like, or none.
Discard one card to end your turn. If you have no cards left, your turn just ends.

Set: 3 or 4 cards of the same rank, each a different suit.
Run: 3 or more cards of the same suit in order. Aces can be low (A-2-3) or high (Q-K-A), but a run can’t wrap around (no K-A-2).
Lay off: add cards from your hand to any meld on the table, yours or anyone else’s. The points go to whoever played each card.

You can take the top discard, but you can’t discard that same card this turn.
You can take a card further down only if you can meld it or lay it off right away. You also take every card above it, and you must meld or lay off the card you picked before you discard.
If your hand is empty, you can only take the top discard if you can meld or lay it off right away.
Once the stock is empty, you can only take a discard you can meld or lay off right away, even the top card.

The round ends when someone discards their last card.
Melding or laying off your last card doesn’t end it: your turn passes without a discard, and you play on from an empty hand next turn.
If the stock is empty and you can’t take any discard, the round ends and is scored, with nobody going out.
Everyone confirms before the next round is dealt.

Each round you score the cards you melded and laid off, minus the cards still in your hand. Scores can go below zero.
2–9 are worth their number; 10, J, Q and K are worth 10.
Aces are worth 15, except 1 in a low run (A-2-3). An ace left in your hand costs 15.