500 rum, also called pinochle rummy, Michigan rummy, Persian rummy, rummy 500 or 500 rummy, is a popular variant of rummy.[1] The game of canasta and several other games are believed to have developed from this popular form of rummy.[2][3][4][5][6] The distinctive feature of 500 rum is that each player scores the value of the sets or cards they meld. It may be played by 2 to 8 players, but it is best for 3 to 5.
The term Michigan rummy may also refer to an unrelated game, very similar to the Canadian Rummoli (both sharing traits with the much older Poch), involving a playing board, chips, and accumulated pots that are awarded to players who play certain cards.[7]
^Carlisle, Rodney P. (2009). Encyclopedia of Play in Today's Society, Volume 1, p. 615. SAGE. ISBN9781412966702. "Canasta developed from 500 Rum."
^Morehead, Albert Hodges and Hoyle, Edmond; eds. (1991). The New Complete Hoyle, Revised: The Authoritative Guide to the Official Rules of All Popular Games of Skill and Chance, p. 70. Doubleday. ISBN9780385249621. "This [500 Rummy] is also called Pinochle Rummy, and its family includes the popular games of Canasta, Samba, Persian Rummy, Michigan Rum, and Oklahoma."
^Spadaccini, Stephanie (2005). The Big Book of Rules, unpaginated. Penguin. ISBN9781440626883. "500 Rum: A direct descendant of basic rummy, and an ancestor of Canasta."
^Root, William S. (2016). Fun With Games of Rummy, unpaginated. Read. ISBN9781473356696. "500 Rum: From this popular form of Rummy have developed the new games of Canasta and Oklahoma; also Persian Rummy."
^Morehead, Albert H.; Mott-Smith, Geoffrey; and Morehead, Philip D. (2001). Hoyle's Rules of Games, unpaginated. Penguin. ISBN9781101100233. "Canasta is the culmination of many minor features tacked onto Five Hundred Rum." One direction of conquain variations, "emphasize melding, leading to Five Hundred Rum, Canasta, Samba, etc."