How to play 500: Complete rules, setup, gameplay, and strategy tips for beginners.

500 (Five Hundred) is a trick-taking card game that has been Australia’s most popular card game for over a century. It combines the Bower system of Euchre with a bidding system similar to Bridge, creating a game with excellent depth that’s still approachable for beginners.

What You Need

  • Players: 4 (in partnerships), variants for 2, 3, 5, or 6
  • Deck: 43 cards — standard deck stripped to a specific configuration (see below)
  • Objective: Be the first team to reach 500 points
  • Time per hand: 10-15 minutes
  • Skill required: Medium-High

The Deck

For 4 players, use a 43-card deck:

  • All four suits: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7 (32 cards)
  • Red suits only: 6, 5 (4 additional cards)
  • Black suits only: 6, 5 (4 additional cards — some variants omit these)
  • One Joker (the highest trump)

A simpler approach: use a standard deck and remove 2s, 3s, and black 4s. The exact cards included can vary by regional rules; if you and your opponents agree on a configuration, use it.

Card Ranking

In the Trump Suit

From highest to lowest:

  1. Joker — Always the highest trump
  2. Right Bower — Jack of the trump suit
  3. Left Bower — Jack of the same-color off-suit (e.g., if Hearts is trump, the Jack of Diamonds)
  4. Ace of trump
  5. King of trump
  6. Queen, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 (descending)

In Non-Trump Suits

Ace (high), King, Queen, (Jack if not a Bower), 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5

No-Trump Hands

In a no-trump bid, the Joker is still the highest card. It belongs to no suit but can be played at any time. The trick leader can declare the Joker’s suit if leading with it.

If you’ve played Euchre, the Bower system (Jack hierarchy) will feel familiar.

How to Deal

  1. Deal 10 cards to each player (3-2-3-2 or 3-3-2-2 pattern)
  2. Place 3 cards face-down in the center as the kitty
  3. The dealer rotates clockwise each hand

Bidding

Starting with the player left of the dealer, each player either bids or passes. A bid consists of:

  • Number of tricks you estimate your partnership will take (6, 7, 8, 9, or 10)
  • Trump suit (Spades, Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts) or No Trump

Each bid must be higher than the previous bid. The bidding hierarchy:

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

A bid of “7 Hearts” (200) outranks “7 Clubs” (160). No Trump is always highest for any trick count.

The highest bidder wins the contract for their team.

After Bidding

The bid winner:

  1. Picks up the 3-card kitty
  2. Discards any 3 cards face-down (these won’t count for either team)
  3. Leads the first trick

Playing Tricks

Play follows standard trick-taking rules:

  1. Lead player plays any card
  2. Other players must follow suit if possible
  3. If unable to follow suit, play any card (including trump)
  4. Highest trump wins the trick. If no trump is played, highest card of the led suit wins
  5. Trick winner leads the next trick

The Joker can be played at any time but must be played if the trump suit is led and you have no other trump.

Scoring

Bid Winner’s Team

  • Made the contract: Score the bid value (from the table above)
  • Set (failed): Lose the bid value (score goes negative)
  • Bonus tricks: Each trick over the bid earns 10 extra points

Defending Team

  • Score 10 points per trick they take, regardless of the contract

Winning and Losing

  • First team to 500 points wins
  • If a team drops to -500 points, they lose immediately
  • If both teams cross 500 on the same hand, the bid-winning team wins

Strategy Tips

Bidding

  • Count your sure tricks — Bowers, Aces in long suits, and trump length
  • Add 1-2 tricks for the kitty — you might pick up useful cards
  • Don’t overbid — going set is devastating (lose the full bid value)
  • Use defensive bids wisely — sometimes bidding to prevent opponents from getting a cheap contract is worth it

Playing

  • Lead trump early if you have a long trump suit — strip opponents of their trump
  • Keep your Aces for late tricks when opponents can’t trump them
  • Watch the Bowers — knowing where the Joker, Right, and Left Bower are is critical
  • Communicate through play — your partner reads your leads and follow-suits

Key Differences from Similar Games

  • Unlike Euchre, you see 10 cards (not 5), so there’s more planning
  • Unlike Bridge, there’s no dummy hand and the kitty adds a luck element
  • Unlike Spades, the trump suit changes each hand

3-Player 500

Remove more low cards to get a 33-card deck. Deal 10 each with a 3-card kitty. Each player plays for themselves.

2-Player 500

Deal 10 cards each with a dummy hand and kitty. Several variants exist for head-to-head play.

Misère (Nullo)

Some groups include a special bid: Misère (250-520 points) — the bidder plays alone and tries to lose every trick. A challenging and exciting addition.

Ready to Play Trick-Taking Games?

If 500 appeals to you, try these similar games free at Rare Pike:

  • Euchre — 500’s simpler cousin (Bower system, shorter hands)
  • Bridge — Even deeper partnership bidding
  • Spades — Fixed-trump partnership game
  • Hearts — Trick avoidance instead of trick-taking
  • Pinochle — Melding plus trick-taking

Browse all free card games.