Rummy 5,000, sometimes called 500 Rummy, is a card game in which you try to reach the target score. You make plays, also known as melds, by putting down three or more cards in a sequence or group. A group is a play of three or four cards of the same number or rank, like three fives or three jacks. If you are playing with two decks\, you might not have more than one type of each suit in a group. A sequence is a play of three or more cards that have consecutive numbers and the same suit, like the one, two, and three of hearts. You can also add to the plays of others, by placing one or more cards down in front of you that continue a sequence or group that another player started; this is called laying off. You can also lay off your own plays, by continuing to add one or more cards to them throughout the game. There are different variations of this game, but most of the rules are consistent throughout all of the versions.
Shuffle the deck and deal each player seven cards. Deal the cards one at a time, clockwise. The person to the left of the dealer has first turn.
Place the remaining cards face down in a pile at the center of the table. This is the stock pile. Flip the first card over and place it face up next to the stock pile. This is the discard pile. The cards in the discard pile are spread across the table, as each player discards, so everyone can see each card.
Draw a card. When it is your turn, you draw a card from either the stock pile or the discard pile. You can only draw a card from the discard pile if you have a play or meld you are going to put down immediately. If you draw a card from the middle of the discard pile, you must take all of the cards that followed it.
Put your play or meld down on the table for everyone to see. If you do not have a play, this step is not necessary.
Discard a card to end your turn. Choose a card you no longer want and place it face up on the discard pile. Play moves to the person on your left.
Call “Rummy!” when there is a card in the discard pile that plays with a sequence or group currently on the table. Some versions of this game only allow you to Rummy the top card in the discard pile, other versions allow for “Rummy in the deck,” which is one or more cards anywhere in the discard pile that can play. The player that calls Rummy can also slap the discard pile in case another player also calls “Rummy!” and there is a debate as to who called it first. By slapping the discard pile, you know that the hand on the bottom is the one to win the Rummy play. Take the card or cards of the Rummy play. In the case of a “Rummy in the deck” you must also take any cards after the cards you want from the discard pile. Some versions of the game also demand that the person who wins the Rummy then gets to take her turn and discard. The person to her left would then take his turn as usual.
Repeat Steps 3 through 6 until a player uses all of the cards in her hand. You do this by completing a play, while still having one card left in your hand. This last card is necessary for the discard pile; without a card for the discard pile, you cannot make your last play and end the game.
Count up the points. Aces are worth 15 points. Kings, queens and jacks are each worth 10 points. The number cards from two to 10 are worth their face value. For easier scoring, some versions of the game allow all of the number cards from two to nine to count as five points, with 10 still counting for 10 points.
Use a sheet of paper to write down all of the player’s scores. Everyone calculates their own score, adding points from the plays they made and subtracting points from the cards left in their hand. The scorekeeper writes down the final score for that round, for each player.
Play the game again. After every game, the scorekeeper combines all the points you make. The first player to reach 5,000 wins the game.
- 1 or 2 decks of cards
- Sheet of paper
Use two decks of cards when playing with five players or more. Deal 13 cards when playing with only two people. If you choose to play with jokers, they are worth 15 points and are treated as a wild card. Once you state which card a Joker represents, you cannot change it. If there were no cards left in the stock pile and the current player is unable to use any cards in the discard pile, the game ends.
Some versions of Rummy 5,000 consider an ace worth one point, when it is in the play: ace, two, three. Some versions also allow you to draw the top card from the discard pile, without requiring you to use it right away. However if you follow this version, you are not allowed to discard that card until your next turn. Some versions of the game do not require you to have a card for the discard pile in order to end the game. Most versions of 5,000 Rummy do not allow a person to call “Rummy!” on their own discard or during their own turn. Some versions of the game also do not allow you to call “Rummy!” after a player has discarded her last card and the game has therefore ended. Most versions of the game do not allow for an “around the world” play, where an ace is both a high and low card at the same time: king, ace, two.