Five Hundred (500)

How to play Five Hundred (500)

Five Hundred — usually just called 500 — is the national card game of Australia and a long-standing favourite across New Zealand, Canada and the United States. It is a four-player partnership trick game, you (with the player across the table) against two bots, and it is famous for its bowers and a single wild Joker that tops every trump. Play against the bots, or head online to fill the table with real people.

Play Five Hundred online with friends

Choose Play online to be matched with other players in real time, or share a private invite link and gather three friends for a full partnership game. It runs right in your browser — no account and no app. The server deals the kitty, runs the bidding, and keeps all four seats in sync.

The cards

A special 43-card deck: A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 in the red suits, A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 in the black suits (no black 4s, no 2s or 3s), plus one Joker. Everyone gets ten cards and three go face-down into the kitty.

Bidding

In turn you bid the number of tricks (6 to 10) you think your side can take and a trump suit, or pass. The values climb a ladder — 6♠ 40, 6♣ 60, 6♦ 80, 6♥ 100, 6 no-trump 120, and 100 more for each extra trick. Each bid must beat the last. The high bidder takes the three kitty cards, discards three, and their suit becomes trump.

Bowers and the Joker

In a suit contract the trump order is: the Joker (highest), then the right bower (Jack of trumps), the left bower (the other Jack of the same colour, which becomes a trump), then A K Q 10 9 … down. In a no-trump contract the Joker is the only trump and the Jacks are ordinary. Follow the led suit if you can; the highest trump, or the highest card of the led suit, wins the trick.

Scoring

Make your bid (take at least that many of the ten tricks) and your side scores its value — or 250 if you sweep all ten with a small bid. Fall short and you lose the value. The other side always scores 10 per trick they win. The first side to 500 wins; drop to −500 and you lose.

Strategy

Count your sure trump tricks before you bid — the Joker and two bowers are three near-certain winners, and side-suit aces add more. Use the kitty to void a weak suit so you can ruff it. As declarer, lead trumps to draw the opponents' and protect your side-suit winners; as a defender, hang on to high trumps to ambush the bid. Tap a card to play it; legal cards are highlighted. N starts a new game. (This is the classic partnership game; Misère and Open Misère are a future addition.)