Rummy 500 Scoring
Everything that counts in Rummy 500 — the card values, how melds and lay-offs score, why a hand can come out below zero, and how the running total decides the game. For how a hand is played see the Rummy 500 rules.
Play Rummy 500 NowCard values
| Card | Melded, laid off or held |
|---|---|
| Ace | 15 |
| Ace used low in a run (A-2-3, A-2-3-4 …) | 1 |
| King, Queen, Jack | 10 |
| 10 | 10 |
| 2 to 9 | Face value |
The same values apply whether a card is melded, laid off or caught in your hand — the only difference is the sign. The Ace is the card to watch: 15 points is the most any card is worth, and an Ace left in your hand costs 15. Only an Ace at the bottom of a run (A-2-3) is a cheap card, worth just 1, so a set of Aces (45) is far more valuable than a low run.
How a hand is scored
When a hand ends — because a player went out or the stock ran out — each player works out:
- Plus the value of every card in the melds they laid.
- Plus the value of every card they laid off, on their own melds or on the opponent's.
- Minus the value of every card still in their hand.
The result is that hand's score — positive or negative — and is added to the running total. Both players score every hand; there is no “winner takes the difference” as in Gin Rummy, and no bonus for going out in the standard rules. The player who goes out simply has nothing to subtract, while the other is charged for whatever they were caught holding.
Worked examples
Example 1: a normal hand
You go out. On the table you have melded 9♠ 9♥ 9♣ and 5♦ 6♦ 7♦ 8♦, and during the hand you laid the K♥ off on the computer's K♠ K♦ K♣.
- Set of Nines: 9 + 9 + 9 = 27
- Run 5-6-7-8♦: 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 = 26
- Lay-off K♥: 10
- Cards in hand: none (you went out) = 0
- Your hand score: 27 + 26 + 10 = 63
The computer melded the three Kings (30) and was caught holding A♠, J♦, 4♣ and 3♥ (15 + 10 + 4 + 3 = 32).
- Set of Kings: 30 (the K♥ you laid off is yours, not theirs)
- Cards in hand: 32
- Computer's hand score: 30 − 32 = −2
Example 2: the two Aces
You melded A♠ 2♠ 3♠ 4♠ and A♥ A♦ A♣, and were caught with the Q♣ when the computer went out.
- Run A-2-3-4♠: the Ace is low, so 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10
- Set of Aces: 15 + 15 + 15 = 45
- Cards in hand: Q♣ = 10
- Your hand score: 10 + 45 − 10 = 45
Had you kept the A♠ for a Q♠ K♠ A♠ run instead, it would have counted 15 rather than 1 — the difference between an Ace at the bottom and the top of a run is 14 points.
Example 3: a negative hand
The computer goes out early. You have melded nothing and are holding K♠, K♥, J♦, 10♣, 8♠, 7♠, 6♥, 5♦, 4♣, 3♣, 2♦ and A♦.
- Melded: 0
- Cards in hand: 10 + 10 + 10 + 10 + 8 + 7 + 6 + 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 15 = 90
- Your hand score: −90
If your total before the hand was 40, it is now −50. This is why holding a whole hand of near-melds waiting for the perfect card is dangerous, and why melding what you have when the opponent's hand is getting short is usually right.
Example 4: the stock runs out
Nobody goes out. You have 7♥ 8♥ 9♥ (24) on the table and hold J♠ and 2♣ (12); the computer has 4♦ 4♠ 4♣ (12) and Q♦ K♦ A♦ (35) down and holds 6♠ (6).
- You: 24 − 12 = 12
- Computer: 12 + 35 − 6 = 41 (the Ace is high in Q-K-A, so it counts 15)
The running total and the end of the game
Each hand's score is added to the player's total, which can rise and fall — and go below zero — as the game goes on. The game ends at the end of the hand in which a player's total reaches 500 or more. The player with the higher total wins; if both pass 500 in the same hand the higher score still wins, and an exact tie is a draw. On CardCouch the sidebar score sheet lists every hand with each player's net, and the hand-end panel shows what was melded and what was held.
Scoring at a glance
- Ace 15 · Ace low in a run 1 · K, Q, J, 10 = 10 · others face value.
- Melded and laid-off cards count for the player who put them down.
- Cards left in hand count against you at the same values.
- Both players score every hand; hands can be negative; no going-out bonus.
- The game ends after the hand in which someone reaches 500; higher total wins.
Frequently asked questions
How much is an Ace worth in Rummy 500?
15 points — in a set, at the high end of a run (Queen-King-Ace) or when caught in your hand. The one exception is an Ace used at the low end of a run (Ace-2-3), which counts 1.
Who gets the points for a card laid off on someone else's meld?
The player who laid it off. If you add the 4♦ to your opponent's 5♦ 6♦ 7♦, the 4 counts for you. On CardCouch every card on the table remembers who put it there.
Can your score be negative in Rummy 500?
Yes. A hand scores what you melded minus what you still hold, so a player who melds little and is caught with a big hand loses points, and a running total can drop below zero. It is not unusual for a score to go negative in the first hand or two.
Is there a bonus for going out?
Not in the standard rules used on CardCouch. Going out is its own reward: your hand is empty, so nothing is subtracted, while your opponent is charged for everything they still hold. Some house rules add 25 for going out; see the variations on the rules page.
What happens to the score when the stock runs out?
The hand is scored exactly as it stands: each player adds their melds and lay-offs and subtracts their hand. Nobody went out, so both players usually lose something for the cards they are holding.
What if both players pass 500 in the same hand?
The game ends at the end of the hand and the higher total wins. If the totals are exactly equal the game is a draw.