About 500 Card Game Rules PDF + Scoring Chart
A bid of 6 spades is worth 40. Each step up in suit (spades, clubs, diamonds, hearts, No Trumps) adds 20 and each extra trick adds 100, so the chart runs from 40 up to 520 for 10 No Trumps.
By the ToolFluency team · Updated October 2026
Five Hundred (the 500 card game) is a partnership trick-taking game for exactly 4 players in two teams, played with a 43-card deck that includes one joker. Players bid how many tricks they will win and in which trump, and the first team to reach 500 points by making its own contract wins, while a team that falls to minus 500 loses. A game takes about 30 to 60 minutes. The full printable rules sheet, with the deck, deal, trump order and the bidding and scoring chart, is on this page. Print it or save it as a PDF. Looking for the rummy game played to 500 points? See Rummy 500 rules.
How to play Five Hundred
- Build the 43-card deck: from a standard pack remove all 2s and 3s and the two black 4s, then add one joker. Partners sit across from each other.
- Deal clockwise in three rounds: 3 cards each plus 1 to the kitty, then 4 each plus 1, then 3 each plus 1. Everyone holds 10 cards and the kitty has 3 face-down cards.
- Bid clockwise from the dealer's left. A bid names 6 to 10 tricks and a trump suit or No Trumps, and must beat the last bid in tricks or, at the same number, in suit rank: spades, clubs, diamonds, hearts, No Trumps. Passing is final, and bidding ends when three players have passed.
- Misère (250, lose every trick, no trump) is only allowed after someone has bid 7. Open Misère (500) is the same but the contractor's hand goes face-up after the first trick. In both, the contractor's partner sits out.
- The contractor privately picks up the kitty and discards any 3 cards face-down, then leads the first trick.
- Play tricks: follow suit if you can, otherwise play anything. In a trump contract the order is Joker, Right Bower (Jack of trump), Left Bower (other Jack of the same colour, which counts as trump), then A, K, Q, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, and 4 in red trumps. The winner leads next.
- Score: if the contractor's side makes its bid it scores the bid value, and if not it loses that value. The defenders score 10 points per trick they win in every contract except Misère. Winning all 10 tricks pays at least 250.
- Win by reaching 500 or more on a deal where your side makes its own contract. A side at minus 500 or worse loses at once, which is called going out backwards.
Five Hundred bid values (Misère 250, Open Misère 500)
| Tricks | Spades | Clubs | Diamonds | Hearts | No Trumps |
|---|
| 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 |
|---|
Examples
Strategy tips
- Count the Joker and both bowers as your top three trump. Holding two of them plus two or three more trump is the core of a good suit bid.
- Do not stretch for a high bid you cannot make. A failed 8 hearts costs 300, and the defenders still collect 10 points per trick on top.
- Use the kitty to void a side suit. Discarding all your cards in a short suit lets you trump it later.
- Lead trump early as contractor when you hold the Joker or Right Bower, so the defenders cannot ruff your side-suit winners.
- Save Misère for hands full of low cards in several suits. A single unprotected high card can force you to win a trick and lose 250.
- Near 500, remember defence alone cannot win the game. You still need to bid and make a contract on the deal that crosses the line.
Example: scoring a hand
North-South bid 7 hearts (worth 200). They win only 6 tricks, so they score minus 200, and East-West score 4 tricks times 10 = 40. On the next deal East-West bid 6 spades (40) and take all 10 tricks, so the slam rule pays them 250 instead of 40.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 500 bidding and scoring chart?
A bid of 6 spades is worth 40. Each step up in suit (spades, clubs, diamonds, hearts, No Trumps) adds 20 and each extra trick adds 100, so the chart runs from 40 up to 520 for 10 No Trumps. Misère is worth 250 and Open Misère 500. The full chart is in the table on this page and on the printable sheet.
What deck do you use for Five Hundred?
The standard game uses 43 cards: hearts and diamonds from Ace down to 4, spades and clubs from Ace down to 5, and one joker. Make it from a regular pack by removing the 2s, 3s and black 4s and adding a joker. The American variant keeps all four 4s for a 45-card deck with a 5-card kitty.
What is the order of trumps in Five Hundred?
Joker, then the Right Bower (Jack of trump), then the Left Bower (the other Jack of the same colour), then Ace, King, Queen, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, plus the 4 when trump is red. The Left Bower counts as trump for the hand, not as its printed suit.
How does the Joker work in No Trumps?
In No Trumps and Misère, a contractor holding the Joker may name its suit before the first lead. Otherwise it belongs to no suit and wins any trick it is played to, but you cannot play it to a trick whose led suit you could follow.
When can you bid Misère?
Only after someone has already bid at least 7 tricks. Misère ranks above any 7 bid and below any 8 bid, while Open Misère ranks between 10 diamonds and 10 hearts, so 10 hearts or 10 No Trumps can still overcall it.
Can you win Five Hundred on defence?
No. Points from defensive tricks count toward your score, but you can only win by reaching 500 on a deal where your side made its own contract. A team sitting at 480 still has to bid and make a contract to finish.
What happens if all four players pass?
The hand is thrown in and the next dealer deals a new hand.
Can Five Hundred be played with 3 players?
The rules on this page are for exactly 4 players in two partnerships. Some players also play a 3-handed version where each player is on their own, but it changes the deck and deal and is not covered here.
Can I get these 500 rules as a PDF?
Yes. Press Print Rules and choose Save as PDF as the printer in your browser's print window. Pick full color for a table reference, or ink-saver black and white for a cheaper handout.
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