500 Rummy is a game played by as few as two or as many as eight people. A regular deck of cards is used. Each player receives 7 cards. The idea is to make a group of 3 or 4 cards of the same rank or a sequence of 3 or more of the same suit. Scoring is based on the cards played minus the cards remaining when one player "goes out"(plays the last card in his/her hand). As the name implies, the game goes to 500 points. There are many local variations of play, such as wild cards or different scoring methods, but the basic play remains the same.
Personal History and Thoughts:
My mother used to play this card game with the neighbors way back when I was a wee child. About 150 years ago, or so. Or at least 35. They always seemed to be having such fun. As we grew older, my sister and I learned to play ourselves. But I've not played it in a very long time.
