×

Rules of 500

Objective

The objective of the game is to be the first team to reach 500 points by winning tricks and bidding successfully.

Players

500 is played by four players in partnerships, with partners sitting opposite each other.

The Deck

A standard deck of 43 cards is used, which includes a Joker and exludes 2's,3's, and black 4's.

Dealing

Each player is dealt 1 card. The player with the highest card bids first, bidding proceeds clockwise.

The player rearanges their hand by suit

Each player is dealt 10 cards. The remaining three cards form the kitty, which is set aside for the winning bidder.

Bidding

Players bid for the number of tricks they believe their team can win, starting at a minimum of six. The bids range from six to ten, with a specified trump suit, or a No Trump bid. The highest bidder wins the contract and must attempt to win the declared number of tricks.

The Play

The game is played over a series of hands. The leading player plays a card, and the others must follow suit if possible. Hands are played clockwise. If a player cannot follow suit, they may play a card of the trump suit or any other card. The highest card of the suit led or the highest trump wins the trick.

The Joker is the highest trump unless No Trump is declared, in which case it is the highest card of any suit. It can still only be played if the player has no card of suit.

Scoring

If the bidding team wins the required number of tricks, they score points according to their bid. If they fail, they lose the same number of points. The non-bidding team scores points for any tricks they win.

The game ends when a team reaches 500 points, or drops to -500 points.

Winning the Game

The first team to reach 500 points or force their opponents to drop to -500 points wins the game.