500 is a fun trick-taking card game. Be the first team to 500 points to win this game! Find the video tutorial and written explanation for how to play 500 below. Be sure to check out the quick guide to help you learn as you play.
500 Tutorial
Needed
43 card deck (Joker, Aces - 5s, red 4s); four players; pen and paper for scorekeeping
Deal
Each player is dealt ten cards. First, deal a set of three cards to each player. Next, deal a set of three cards to the middle. Then, deal a set of four cards to each player. Finally, deal a set of three cards to each player.
Objective
Score points through bidding and winning tricks as a partnership team. A trick is created by each player taking a turn playing a card into the middle. The winner of the trick is the player with the highest ranking card.
Card Rank
Highest to lowest
TRUMP: Joker, Jack, Off Jack, Ace, King, Queen, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 (if applicable).
NON TRUMP: Ace, King, Queen, Jack (if applicable), 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 (if applicable).
The trump suited cards will outrank all other suited cards.
Bidding
The player left of the dealer is first to bid. They can place a bid or pass on bidding. When bidding, a player will announce how many tricks his/her team will win, and what suit he/she wants trump to be. A bid of “7 heart” means a team needs to take seven tricks and wants hearts as the trump suit.
Each bid going forward has to be higher than the previous bid. A player can bid the same number of tricks in a higher suit or bid more tricks in any suit.
Suit Rank
Highest to lowest
No Trump / Spades / Hearts / Diamonds / Clubs
A no trump bid means during the round, no suit is considered trump. The Joker is still considered trump.
The bid winner gets to look at the three cards that were dealt into the middle and will discard any three cards he/she chooses.
Game Play
The bid winner leads the first trick. Every player is required to play a card in the same suit as the first card played whenever possible. If a player does not have a card in the lead suit, he/she can play any card.
The winner of the trick is the player with the highest ranking trump suited card. If no trump suited card gets played, the winner of the trick is the player with the highest ranking card in the lead suit. The player that wins the trick leads the next trick. At the end of the round, each team’s tricks are counted.
Scoring
The bid winner’s team is awarded points based on the bid made. Every trick the opposing team wins during the round is worth 10 points. The first team to 500 points wins the game.
Rules
If a team does not win the amount of tricks bid, they go negative the amount for the bid.
If a team wins all ten tricks in a round, and their bid amount won is less than 250 points, the team is awarded 250 points.
If a “no trump” bid is played, the joker is still considered trump. When led, the player must call a suit for others to follow. If not led, it can only be played if the player holding it cannot follow the lead suit.
The off suit jack is considered part of the trump suit, and when played, trump is required to follow suit.
The minimum amount a player can bid is six.