Five Hundred is more than just a card game. This is a strategic war. I am working hard to reach 500 points. You bid. You win tricks. You score. If you are playing with three people, this is the best option. Two to six players can make a difference, but three creates tension.
Hierarchy of deck and cards
For three players, you don’t need all 52 cards. Reduce it to 33 pieces. Keep the Aces down to 7s. Add one joker. That’s it.
This is the hard part. The clown is the boss. This is the ultimate trump card. Or the highest card if there’s no trump. But what about Jack? they are special.
When trump is declared, the hierarchy shifts.
- Joker : Overall the best.
- Right Bower : Jack in trump suit. Second highest.
- Left Bower : Jack whose suit is the same color as the trump card. Third highest.
- A-7 : Normal ranking.
Therefore, if a spade is a trump card, the jack of spades is the right bower. The jack of clubs (same color) becomes the left bower. They all rank higher than the ace of spades. The ranking continues down to the 7.
Bid units are listed from easiest to most difficult. There are no trump cards. heart. diamond. club. Spades.
Dealing cards
How do you start? Each player draws a card. The lowest card deals first.
Here, the ace is the lowest card. The joker is even lower. What happens if two people get the same low grade? Draw again. Continue until the dealer responds.
The dealer shuffles the cards. After this, the deal is complete.
First, each player is dealt three cards. Face down. clockwise. Start with the person to the dealer’s left.
Next, place three cards face down in the center. This is a widow.
Third, each player is dealt four more cards.
Finally, each player is dealt three cards.
You have 10 cards in your hand. Three in the widow. There are 33 cards in total. Math checked.
“On the left in the pavilion is an ace and a jack in another suit of the same color.”
Why widows matter
Widow is your secret weapon. It’s face down. No one touches it before bidding. Or so you think. The dealer usually gets the cards later and switches them. It’s how you fix a bad hand.
But you have to bid high enough to get it. Or win enough tricks to justify it. That’s the twist. It’s not just about playing cards. You are betting on your ability to read the table.
Bids and strategy
You don’t just deal and go. You bid. The goal is 500 points. Not 100. Not 200. 500. That means every trick counts.
Bids determine the trump suit. Or if there is no trump at all. No trump is risky. This can be very useful if you manage it, but it can be deadly if you misjudge the spread.
Spades are the hardest suit to control.
The level of 500 trump cards is tough. If the diamond is the joker, the highest card is the joker and the lowest trump is the 7. In a suit with no trump, the jack is below the joker, ace, king, and queen, but above the 10, 9, 8, and 7 of each suit.
Offer and sign
The player to the left of the dealer starts the bid. Moves clockwise. You can skip or make an bid. Your bid must be higher than your previous bid. The presence or absence of a trump suit and the number of tricks needed (varies from 6 to 10) are defined.
When everyone passes, the hand is thrown in. The next dealer takes over.
The highest bidder becomes the contractor. The other two players become opponents. The contractor claims the widow before the first trick was performed. They discard three losing cards. These discards come from their hand or widow.
Trump
The contractor leads. The winner of one trick leads the next. Any card can be led. If possible, other players should follow suit. If they can’t follow it, they can play any card they want.
The highest card of the led suit wins the trick, unless a trump is played. If several trump cards are thrown, the highest trump card wins.
Trump rules for the joker are specific. Joker is the highest trump. If Trump leads, it must follow suit. You cannot play a joker if you have at least one card from a suit other than a trump.
In a deal made without a trump card, the joker does not belong to any suit until it is played. If you lead a joker without a trump, you must state what suit it represents. In a no-trump play, it is simply the highest card.
Points
Estimates vary according to the contract. If you’re a contractor and you win the number of tricks you bid, you’ll get points on your scoring table. You won’t get extra points if you win more cards than you bid.
Bid 8 diamonds and win 9 tricks to get 280 points. No 380.
There is one exception. If you win all 10 tricks and your bid is less than 250 points, you get 250 points.
500 points table
| Tricks | Spades | Clubs | Diamonds | Hearts | No Trump |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 40 | 60 | 80 | 100 | 120 |
| 7 | 140 | 160 | 160 180 | 200 | 200 220 |
| 8 | 240 | 260 | 260 280 | 300 | 300 320 |
| 9 | 340 | 360 | 360 380 | 400 | 420 |
| 10 | 440 | 460 | 460 480 | 500 | 500 520 |
If the contract is not followed, the same points will be deducted from your running score. The total can be negative.
Your opponent gets 10 points for each trick. This applies regardless of whether the contractor made their contract or not. One opponent cannot count the tricks taken by another opponent.
Win the game
Hands with 500 or more points win.
If the contractor and/or opponent reach 500 points or more in the same hand, the contractor wins. Spread doesn’t matter.
If only two opponents have 500 points or more, the player who takes the first trick wins.
Reaching minus 500 does not immediately end the game. That player must continue playing until the opponent wins. If a negative player later reaches or exceeds 500, no one wins the game. The game continues.
About 500 frequently asked questions
What is the goal of card game 500?
You can earn 500 points by making bids and taking tricks.
How do I get 500 points in 500?
You can earn points according to the winning bid. If you exceed your bid, you will not receive bonus points.
What are the rules for negative points?
When you reach minus 500, you stay in the game. If 500 is reached, the game continues without a winner.
How are cards dealt in Card Game 500?
The dealer shuffles the cards. Starting from the dealer’s left, each player is dealt three cards face down in a clockwise order. Add three cards face down to the widow. Each player is dealt 4 cards. Finally, each player is dealt three cards.
How many players can participate?
2-6 players. 3 is the ideal number.
