The full standard pack of 52 cards is used (with five or more players two packs are used). Cards rank in the order: King, Queen, Jack, 10,9,8,7,6,4,3,2, ace. Cards also have values for scoring points as follows: King, Queen, Jack are each worth ten points, ace are worth 15 points each if melded as Aces, but one point if used in a sequence of Ace, 2,3,. All other drawing cards score according to their pip value.

Each player draws a card to decide dealer; lowest deals. The dealer shuffles the pack, which is cut by the player to his right, and deals seven cards, one at a time, to each player, beginning with eldest. The remaining cards are placed face down to form the stock, and the top card is turned face up and placed beside the stock to begin the discard pile.

THE PLAY

The object of the game is to form sets of three or four cards of the same rank, or sequences of three or more cards of the same suit. Sequences stop at Ace at one end and King at the other: Ace, King, Queen is not a sequence.

Beginning with eldest, each player may take either a card or cards from the discard pile, or the top card of the stock. After drawing, the poker player may meld as many cards as he likes by placing sets and / or sequences on the table in front of him, and he then discards one card to the discard pile and the turn passes.

Should a player draw from the discard pile, he must meld, and he must use the card taken from the discard pile in his meld. In other words a card cannot be taken from the discard pile unless it is used immediately in a meld.

This game differs from most other variations of rummy in that all the cards in the discard pile are available, therefore the discard pile are available, therefore the discard pile is not strictly a pile but a collection of cards spread out to so that all their indices can be seen ( see illustration).

When a player takes a card from the discard pile, he must also take all the cards above it. After melding with the card taken, he leaves on the table for one round any other cards taken from the discard pile which he has not melded, so that all other players may memorize them. On his next turn he takes them into his hand.

A player may on his turn add cards to any meld on the table, whether it is his meld or an opponent’s. these cards are not actually attached to the melds, if they be opponent’s melds, but kept on the table before the player, who will score for them later.

It may happen that a card thus placed on the table would fit onto two existing melds, in which case the player must state which meld he is fitting his card or cards to. This is important because other online poker players may subsequently add to the melds further.

Play continues until one player gets rid of all the cards in his hand or until the stock is exhausted. When the last card is drawn from stock, and the drawer has discarded, play may continue if the next player can draw from the discard pile and meld, and again if the next player can, and so on until one player passes.

At the end of the game, each player adds up the values of all the cards he has melded, and from the total he deducts the values of all the cards left in his poker hand, if any (an Ace in hand counts 15).

Once a player has gone out, no further melds can be made by other players, and any sets or sequences held, or cards which might be added to melds, are debited. A player may thus end with a minus score on the hand. A running total is kept of each player’s score, and the first to reach 500 is the winner.

500 RUM FOR TWO PLAYERS

When played by two players, each receives 13 cards. Otherwise the game is played as above.

500 RUM FOR FOUR PLAYERS

The game may be played by four players as cut-throat, each playing against each, or it may be played in two partnership, partners sitting opposite each other. The play is as above, but partners try to co-operate with each other. Scores are kept for each side.