Five Hundred – Rules
Play Five Hundred against the computer
1. Overview
| Name | Five Hundred (500) |
| Type | Bidding and trick-taking game with a joker, in teams |
| Players | 4, two teams, partners opposite (variants for 2 to 6) |
| Recommended age | 12 and up |
| Playing time | one hand 5–8 minutes; a game to 500 points 45–75 minutes |
| Material | 43 cards (4 to ace, without black fours, plus 1 joker), pen and paper |
| Goal | Make your bids as a team and be first to 500 points. |
| Difficulty | medium |
What is it about? Five Hundred is the national card game of Australia and New Zealand and was once very widespread in the USA too. It's a mix of Euchre and Bridge: you bid how many tricks you'll take in which suit. The joker is the highest trump, followed as in Euchre by the right and left bowers.
2. Cards and material
- Pack: 43 cards: 4 to ace in hearts and diamonds, 5 to ace in spades and clubs, plus one joker.
- Trump ranking (high → low): joker, right bower (jack of trumps), left bower (jack of the same colour), A, K, Q, 10, 9 …
- Other suits: A, K, Q, J, 10 … (the left bower is missing from its suit).
- No trumps: The joker is then the only trump and wins any trick.
- Bidding order of suits (low → high): spades, clubs, diamonds, hearts, no trumps.
- Face up and face down: Hands and kitty concealed, tricks face down.
3. Preparation and start
- Deal: Everyone gets 10 cards; 3 cards go to the kitty.
- Bidding: Starting left of the dealer, players bid in turn (until all others pass): a number of tricks (6 to 10) and a suit, or misère. Each bid must be higher.
- Kitty: The highest bidder picks up the kitty and discards 3 cards.
- Start: The highest bidder leads.
Start example: You bid “7 hearts”. Everyone passes. You take the three kitty cards and discard three weak ones.
4. Goal and winning
- A hand: The bidding team must take at least the number of tricks bid.
- Game: The first to 500 points wins. A team falling to −500 loses.
- Important: A team can only reach 500 by making its own bid.
5. Play in detail
Bid values (Avondale table).
| Tricks | ♠ | ♣ | ♦ | ♥ | No trumps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 40 | 60 | 80 | 100 | 120 |
| 7 | 140 | 160 | 180 | 200 | 220 |
| 8 | 240 | 260 | 280 | 300 | 320 |
| 9 | 340 | 360 | 380 | 400 | 420 |
| 10 | 440 | 460 | 480 | 500 | 520 |
Misère: The player aims to take no trick and plays alone (partner puts their cards away): 250 points; open misère (cards face up) 500.
A trick.
- The leader plays any card.
- Follow suit if possible (the left bower belongs to the trump suit).
- A player who can't follow may trump or discard.
- In no trumps the joker may only be played when you can't follow suit; if it is led, its holder names the suit.
Example with Players 1 to 4. Players 1 and 4 against Players 2 and 3. Player 1 plays 7 hearts (200 points).
- Player 1 leads the joker – the highest trump; Players 2, 4 and 3 must follow with hearts.
- Then Player 1 leads the jack of hearts (right bower) and the jack of diamonds (left bower): the opponents soon run out of trumps.
- At the end Players 1 and 4 have 8 tricks, Players 2 and 3 2.
- Players 1 and 4 score 200 (overtricks don't count extra); Players 2 and 3 score 20 (10 per trick).
6. Scoring
| Result | Points |
|---|---|
| Bid made | value of the bid |
| All 10 tricks (slam) | bid value, at least 250 |
| Bid missed | minus the bid value |
| Opponents | 10 per trick |
| Misère made / failed | +250 / −250 |
- Recording: “We” and “They”.
- End: 500 by making your own bid, or −500.
7. Special rules and situations
- All pass: Redeal (variant: play with no bid, 10 points per trick).
- Joker in no trumps: It always wins but may only be played when you can't follow suit.
- Opponents at 490: The opponents can't go past 490 by trick points alone (variant).
- Revoke: Failing to follow when you could costs your team the hand.
- Common mistakes: treating the left bower as its printed suit; overbidding; forgetting that overtricks don't count.
8. Variants
Standard in this description: 43 cards, Avondale table, game to 500.
| Variant | What changes | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Three players | 33 cards, everyone for themselves. | three players |
| Six players | 63 cards with 11s, 12s and red 13s. | large groups |
| 300 points | Shorter game. | little time |
| No misère | Suit bids only. | beginners |
When playing against the computer on cardgames.zone you play with the player opposite as your partner to 500 or 300 points; bids are 6 to 10 tricks and misère.
9. Tips for beginners
- Count joker and bowers: Joker, right and left bower are three sure trump tricks.
- Count on your partner: They usually bring one or two tricks.
- Think of the kitty: It may improve your hand – don't bid only on what you see.
- Draw trumps: As bidder, lead trumps early.
- No trumps with aces: Many aces and the joker suit no trumps.
- Misère only with low cards: A single high card can ruin it.
- Bother the bidders: As defenders take every trick – 10 points each.
10. Summary in 10 steps
- 43 cards with joker, 10 each, kitty 3.
- Bid: 6–10 tricks + suit, or misère.
- Spades < clubs < diamonds < hearts < no trumps.
- The highest bidder takes the kitty and discards 3.
- Joker > right bower > left bower > A …
- Follow suit, else trump or discard.
- Bid made: table value.
- Missed: minus table value.
- Opponents: 10 per trick.
- 500 through your own bid wins, −500 loses.
11. Frequently asked questions
What is the highest trump?
The joker, then the right bower and the left bower.
Do overtricks count?
No, only the bid value. Only taking all 10 tricks gives at least 250.
What is misère?
A bid to take no tricks at all. The partner sits out.
Why are the black fours missing?
So that exactly 43 cards are in play: 4 × 10 hand cards and 3 in the kitty.
Can you win through defensive points?
Not under the basic rule – you need to make your own bid to win.
How long does a game take?
To 500 points about 45 to 75 minutes.
Origin & history
Five Hundred was introduced in 1904 by the United States Playing Card Company as a development of euchre. In the USA it was later displaced by bridge; in Australia and New Zealand it is still the most popular card game.