500 Rules

Q: What is the game 500?

500 is a trick taking card game related to Euchre and Bridge. Players bid on how many tricks they can take, with the goal of being the first to reach 500 points.

Q: How many cards do you get in 500?

In the standard 4 player game, each player receives 10 cards, with 3 cards left in the "kitty" which goes to the highest bidder.

Q: What is the kitty in 500?

The kitty is a set of 3 4 cards (depending on player count) dealt face down at the start. The player who wins the bid takes the kitty and discards an equal number of cards before play begins.

500 is a beloved [regional card game](/) with strong roots in American tradition. Regional game enthusiasts often explore [Euchre](/euchre) and [Pitch](/pitch) for similar strategic gameplay. For historical context, [Bicycle Cards](https://bicyclecards.com/how-to-play/500-rum/) documents American card game traditions.

Category: Midwest & Regional Classics
Players: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Objective

Your mission is to reach 500 points before anyone else by winning tricks and living up to your bid. Every hand starts with a bit of daring: you decide how many tricks you think you can take, then the highest bidder sets the trump and accepts the challenge. From there, it’s all about timing, teamwork, and the thrill of seeing your contract actually hold.

Material

43-card deck (modified standard deck):

A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ 9♠ 8♠ 7♠ 6♠ 5♠ 4♠

Remove: 2s, 3s, black 4s Add: Joker (highest trump)

Material

A special 43-card deck (or 45-card deck with Jokers):

Standard cards from 4/5 to Ace in all four suits
One Joker (highest trump)
Removed cards: 2s, 3s, and sometimes 4s depending on player count

Card Ranking

**### Trump Suit Ranking

| Rank | Card | Notes | |------|------|-------| | 1st | Joker | Highest trump | | 2nd | Right Bower | Jack of trump | | 3rd | Left Bower | Jack of same color | | 4th | Ace | Highest natural card | | 5th | King | | | 6th | Queen | | | 7th | 10 | | | 8th-12th | 9-5 | Descending |

In Trump Suit:**

Joker J♥ J♦ A♥ K♥ Q♥ 10♥ 9♥

The Right Bower (Jack of trump) and Left Bower (Jack of same color) are the highest trumps!

In Non-Trump Suits:

A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ 9♠

Standard ranking from Ace (high) to lowest card in play.

Special Cards

Joker - Always highest trump, regardless of suit Right Bower - Jack of trump suit (2nd highest trump) Left Bower - Jack of same color as trump (3rd highest trump)

Example: If Hearts are trump:

Joker is highest
J♥ (Right Bower) is 2nd
J♦ (Left Bower) is 3rd
A♥ is 4th

Setup

Dealing

For 4 players (most common):

Deal 10 cards to each player in batches (3-4-3 is traditional)
After first round of dealing, place 3 cards face-down in the center (the kitty or widow)
Continue dealing remaining cards to players

Player count variations:

3 players: Deal 10 cards each, 3 to kitty (40 cards used)
4 players: Deal 10 cards each, 3 to kitty (43 cards used)
5 players: Deal 10 cards each, 0 to kitty (50-card deck)
6 players: Deal 8 cards each, 3 to kitty (51-card deck)

Example Starting Hand

J♠ A♠ K♠ 10♠ 9♣ 8♣ 7♣ K♦ Q♦ 5♥

Strong hand in Spades! You have potential for a high bid.

How to Play

Bidding Phase

Players bid starting from dealer's left, proceeding clockwise. Each bid must be higher than the previous bid (either more tricks or same tricks in a higher-ranking suit).

Bid Structure

Format: Number of tricks + Trump suit

Minimum bid: 6 tricks Maximum bid: 10 tricks (all tricks)

Suit Ranking (Low to High)

| Suit | Rank | Example Bid | |------|------|-------------| | Spades ♠ | Lowest | 6 Spades | | Clubs ♣ | Second | 6 Clubs | | Diamonds ♦ | Third | 6 Diamonds | | Hearts ♥ | Fourth | 6 Hearts | | No Trump | Highest | 6 No Trump |

Special bids:

Misère (Misery): Bid to win zero tricks (between 7♠ and 7♣ in rank)
Open Misère: Win zero tricks with hand face-up (highest possible bid)

Bidding Example

Player 1: "Six Spades" (6♠) Player 2: Pass Player 3: "Six Hearts" (6♥) - higher suit Player 4: "Seven Clubs" (7♣) - more tricks Player 1: "Seven Hearts" (7♥) - more tricks, higher suit All others: Pass

Player 1 wins the bid at 7♥

Taking the Kitty

The highest bidder:

Takes the 3-card kitty and adds to hand (now has 13 cards)
Discards 3 cards face-down (back to 10 cards)
Cannot discard cards from the kitty if they contain trumps (variant rule)

Playing Tricks

Lead: The highest bidder leads the first trick Following: Players must follow suit if possible Trump: If you cannot follow suit, you may play trump or discard Winning: Highest card of led suit wins, unless trump is played (then highest trump wins)

Trick Examples

Example 1: Trump Power

Hearts are trump:

K♠ A♠ 5♥ Q♠

Result: Player 3 wins with 5♥ (lowest trump beats all non-trump!)

Example 2: Bower Dominance

Clubs are trump:

A♣ K♣ J♠ 10♣

Result: Player 3 wins with J♠ (Left Bower - 3rd highest trump!)

Example 3: Joker Always Wins

Diamonds are trump:

J♦ A♦ Joker Q♦

Result: Player 3 wins with Joker (always highest trump!)

Scoring

Contract Scoring

When you make your bid, you score points based on the number of tricks and trump suit:

| Tricks | Spades ♠ | Clubs ♣ | Diamonds ♦ | Hearts ♥ | No Trump | |--------|----------|---------|------------|----------|----------| | 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 |

Special Bids Scoring

| Bid | Points | Description | |-----|--------|-------------| | Misère | 250 | Win zero tricks, hand concealed | | Open Misère | 500 | Win zero tricks, hand face-up |

Overtricks

If you win MORE tricks than your bid:

Each overtrick = 10 points (added to contract value)

Example: Bid 7♥ (200 points), win 9 tricks:

Base: 200 points
Overtricks: 2 × 10 = 20 points
Total: 220 points

Undertricks (Failing Your Bid)

If you win FEWER tricks than your bid:

Lose the full value of your bid
Score becomes negative if below zero

Example: Bid 7♥ (200 points), only win 5 tricks:

Score: -200 points

Opponent Scoring

Non-bidding team scores:

10 points per trick won (regardless of bid outcome)

Complete Scoring Example

Bid: 8♦ (280 points) Bidder wins: 9 tricks Opponents win: 1 trick

Bidder's score:

Contract: 280 points
Overtricks: 1 × 10 = 10 points
Total: +290 points

Opponents' score:

Tricks won: 1 × 10 = 10 points
Total: +10 points

Strategy Tips

Bidding Strategy

Strong bidding hand (bid 7-8):

Joker J♥ A♥ K♥ Q♥ A♠ K♠

You have top trumps in Hearts and side suit strength!

Weak hand (pass):

9♠ 8♠ 7♠ 9♣ 8♣ 7♦ 6♦ 5♦ 4♥

No high cards, no Joker, no Jacks. Pass and score 10 per trick.

When to Bid Misère

Good Misère hand:

2♠ 3♠ 4♠ 2♣ 3♣ 4♣ 2♦ 3♦ 4♦ 2♥

All low cards! No Aces, Kings, or face cards = safe Misère bid.

Bad Misère hand:

A♠ 5♠ 4♠ 3♣ 2♣ 6♦ 5♦ 4♥ 3♥ 2♥

The A♠ will likely win a trick. Don't bid Misère!

Playing Strategy

Lead trump to draw out opponent trumps if you have strength
Save the Joker for critical tricks (unless you have many trump)
Count trump - remember which high trump have been played
Protect partner if playing partnerships
Watch the kitty cards you discarded - they're out of play

Kitty Management

Cards to discard:

7♦ 8♦ 9♦

Discard weak cards in non-trump suits that won't help you win tricks.

Cards to KEEP:

A♠ K♠ Q♠

Keep high cards in side suits - they can win tricks!

Ending the Game

The first player or team to reach 500 points wins immediately!

Special situations:

Both teams pass 500 in same hand:

Bidding team wins if they made their contract
Otherwise, non-bidding team wins

Falling below -500:

If your score drops to -500 or lower, you lose immediately
This is called being "in the hole"

Example Game Progression

| Hand | Bid | Result | Bidder Score | Opponent Score | |------|-----|--------|--------------|----------------| | 1 | 7♥ (200) | Made 8 | +210 | +20 | | 2 | 8♦ (280) | Made 8 | +490 | +40 | | 3 | 7♣ (160) | Failed (5 tricks) | +330 | +90 | | 4 | 8♥ (300) | Made 10 | +640 (WIN!) | +100 |

Bidder reaches 640 points and wins!

Variants

Two-Handed 500

Each player receives 10 cards with a 3-card kitty. More aggressive bidding since you see half the deck in your hand plus kitty.

Four-Handed Partnership 500

Most common version. Partners sit opposite and combine scores. Requires coordination and signaling.

Three-Handed 500

Each player plays independently. More cutthroat with no partnerships to rely on.

Five-Handed 500

Use a 50-card deck (add red 4s and black 4s). No kitty. Bidder calls a card, and whoever holds it becomes their secret partner!

Six-Handed 500

Two teams of three players. Use a 51-card deck. Deal 8 cards each with a 3-card kitty. More chaotic and social.

Frequently asked questions

What is the game 500?

500 is a trick-taking card game related to Euchre and Bridge. Players bid on how many tricks they can take, with the goal of being the first to reach 500 points.

How many cards do you get in 500?

In the standard 4-player game, each player receives 10 cards, with 3 cards left in the "kitty" which goes to the highest bidder.

What is the kitty in 500?

The kitty is a set of 3-4 cards (depending on player count) dealt face-down at the start. The player who wins the bid takes the kitty and discards an equal number of cards before play begins.

What happens if you fail your bid in 500?

If you fail to make your bid, you lose the points you bid instead of gaining them. This is called "going set" and can result in negative scores.

What is a misère bid in 500?

Misère (or "no trump") is a special bid where you contract to take no tricks at all. It ranks between 8 clubs and 8 diamonds in bidding value.

How do you win 500?

The first player or team to reach 500 points wins. However, if a player drops to -500 points (from failed bids), they are eliminated and the game ends.