500
A deeper bidding trick-taker often described as a cousin of Euchre and Bridge.
Setup
Use a standard deck with adjustments by player count. Deal hands plus a kitty.
How to Play
- Players bid contract levels and trump suits.
- Highest bidder takes the kitty and discards.
- Play tricks, following suit if possible.
- Declarer must make the contract.
How to Win
First player or partnership to 500 points wins.
The kitty can transform a hand, but overbidding gets punished quickly.
Is 500 Right for You?
500 is Australia and New Zealand's beloved national card game, a bidding trick-taker for four in partnerships using a 43-card deck with one Joker. Reach for it when you want Euchre-style bowers and trump scaled up into a meaty bidding contest with a kitty.
Maybe skip it if: The bidding ladder and Joker rules make it more to learn than casual players may want in one sitting.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Forgetting the Joker is the highest trump, and in no-trump it is the only trump and can win any trick.
- Misranking the bowers: the right bower (Jack of trump) and left bower (other Jack of same color) sit above the Ace.
Strategy Tips
- Bid to control the kitty; winning the auction lets you pick up three cards and discard your weakest.
- Track the two bowers and the Joker as your top three trumps when valuing a hand.
Popular Variations
Misere
A bid to win zero tricks; open misere lays your hand face up and is the highest-paying contract if it succeeds.
Joker in No-Trump
In no-trump contracts the Joker becomes the sole trump and its holder may name the suit it represents when led.
Our Take
We rate 500 as one of the finest four-handed bidding games going, richer than Euchre yet friendlier than Bridge. It is our top suggestion for an antipodean game night or anyone graduating from Spades.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cards are in a 500 deck?
Forty-three: a standard deck with the 2s, 3s, and black 4s removed, plus one Joker, for the four-player game.
What beats what in 500?
The Joker is the top trump, then the right bower (Jack of trump), then the left bower (other Jack of the trump color), then Ace down through the rest.