Mastering 500: A Comprehensive Guide to Playing and Winning
500, also known as Five Hundred or Bid Euchre, is a trick-taking card game that’s popular worldwide, especially in English-speaking countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. It’s a game of skill, strategy, and a little bit of luck, offering a satisfying blend of bidding, teamwork, and tactical card play. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know to play 500, from the basic rules to advanced strategies that will help you dominate the table.
## What You’ll Need
* **A Deck of Cards:** A standard 52-card deck is used, with the addition of one or two Jokers (usually marked as the ‘Best Bower’).
* **Players:** 500 is typically played with four players in two partnerships, but variations exist for two, three, or even six players. This guide will focus on the standard four-player partnership game.
* **A Score Sheet:** You’ll need a way to keep track of the scores. A simple piece of paper and a pen will suffice.
## Setting Up the Game
1. **Choosing Partners:** Players are divided into two teams of two. Partners sit opposite each other at the table.
2. **Dealing:** One player is chosen as the dealer. The dealer shuffles the deck and deals 10 cards to each player, and also creates a ‘widow’ of three cards, which is placed face down in the center of the table. In some variations, a second joker is added, bringing the widow to four cards and dealing 12 cards each.
## The Objective of the Game
The objective in 500 is to be the first team to reach 500 points. Points are scored by winning tricks and fulfilling bids. The bidding process determines which team will try to make a specific number of tricks, and which suit (or no trump) will be the highest ranking.
## Understanding Card Ranking
The ranking of cards in 500 can be a bit different from other trick-taking games, especially when a trump suit is declared. Here’s the card ranking in ascending order (lowest to highest):
* **Non-Trump Suits:** 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace
* **Trump Suit:** 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Queen, King, Ace, Left Bower (Jack of the same color as the trump suit), Right Bower (Jack of the trump suit), Joker (Best Bower – highest card of all)
**Explanation of Bowers:**
* **Right Bower:** The Jack of the trump suit. It’s always the second-highest trump card.
* **Left Bower:** The Jack of the same *color* as the trump suit. For example, if Hearts is trump, the Jack of Diamonds becomes the Left Bower. It’s the third-highest trump card.
* **Best Bower:** The Joker, when present, is the highest card in the game, regardless of the trump suit.
## The Bidding Process
Bidding is a crucial part of 500. It determines which team will be attempting to make a certain number of tricks, and what the trump suit will be (if any). Here’s how the bidding works:
1. **Starting the Bidding:** The player to the dealer’s left starts the bidding. Bidding proceeds clockwise around the table.
2. **Bidding Options:**
* **Bid:** A bid is a statement that a player’s team believes they can win at least a certain number of tricks with a specific trump suit (or no trump). Bids must be made in increments of ten. The lowest possible bid is ‘6 no trump’ (also known as ’60 no trump’), representing 6 tricks.
* **Pass:** A player can pass if they don’t want to bid or can’t outbid the previous bid.
3. **Valid Bids:** A bid must be higher than the previous bid, either in the number of tricks or in the trump suit. The trump suits are ranked as follows (lowest to highest): Spades, Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, No Trump.
*Example: A bid of “6 Spades” can be outbid by “6 Clubs,” “6 Diamonds,” “6 Hearts,” “6 No Trump,” or any bid of “7” or higher in any suit.*
4. **Bidding Order:** The bidding continues until three players have passed in succession. The remaining player who made the highest bid wins the bid and becomes the ‘declarer.’
5. **The Widow:** After winning the bid, the declarer takes the three cards from the widow and adds them to their hand. They then discard any three cards from their hand (which are set aside and do not count towards scoring). These discarded cards can impact the overall hand strength of the declarer, requiring careful consideration.
6. **Special bidding options**: some variations include the possibility of a misere bid. A misere bid is when a player bids that they will not win any tricks. A team is trying to loose every hand.
**Example Bidding Sequence:**
* Player 1: Passes
* Player 2: “6 Clubs”
* Player 3: “Passes”
* Player 4: “6 Diamonds”
* Player 1: “Passes”
* Player 2: “Passes”
* Player 4: Wins the bid at “6 Diamonds.”
## Playing the Game
Once the bidding is complete, the game play begins. The declarer leads the first trick, and play proceeds clockwise around the table.
1. **Leading a Trick:** The player who leads a trick can play any card from their hand (unless specified otherwise, such as in some house rules).
2. **Following Suit:** Players must follow suit if possible. That is, if the lead card is a Spade, players must play a Spade if they have one. If a player doesn’t have a card of the lead suit, they can play any card, including a trump card (or discard).
3. **Winning a Trick:** The trick is won by the highest-ranking card played of the lead suit, or by the highest-ranking trump card if any trumps were played. The player who wins the trick leads the next trick.
4. **Trump is King (and the Bowler):** Remember that trump cards outrank all cards in the non-trump suits. The Right Bower, Left Bower, and Best Bower (if used) are the highest-ranking trumps.
5. **No Trump Play:** If the winning bid was ‘No Trump’, the rules are similar, but there are no trump cards. The highest card of the lead suit always wins the trick.
## Scoring
Scoring in 500 is based on the bid made and the number of tricks won. It’s important to understand the scoring system to strategize effectively.
1. **Base Values:** Each bid has a corresponding point value, as follows:
* 6 Spades: 40 points
* 6 Clubs: 60 points
* 6 Diamonds: 80 points
* 6 Hearts: 100 points
* 6 No Trump: 120 points
* 7 Spades: 140 points
* 7 Clubs: 160 points
* 7 Diamonds: 180 points
* 7 Hearts: 200 points
* 7 No Trump: 220 points
* 8 Spades: 240 points
* 8 Clubs: 260 points
* 8 Diamonds: 280 points
* 8 Hearts: 300 points
* 8 No Trump: 320 points
* 9 Spades: 340 points
* 9 Clubs: 360 points
* 9 Diamonds: 380 points
* 9 Hearts: 400 points
* 9 No Trump: 420 points
* 10 Spades: 440 points
* 10 Clubs: 460 points
* 10 Diamonds: 480 points
* 10 Hearts: 500 points
* 10 No Trump: 520 points
2. **Making the Bid:** If the declarer’s team wins at least the number of tricks they bid, they score the corresponding point value.
3. **Failing to Make the Bid (Set):** If the declarer’s team fails to win the number of tricks they bid, they are ‘set’. In this case, they *lose* the point value of their bid (the points are subtracted from their score). The opposing team does *not* score any points for the set. Only the declaring team is affected.
4. **Defending Team’s Points:** The defending team (the team that did not win the bid) only scores points for the tricks they win. Each trick is worth 10 points, regardless of the trump suit. Therefore, the defending team can score a maximum of 40 points per hand. Some variations do not award points for defense, check your local rules.
5. **Misere Bids:** If the bidder takes a misere bid and doesn’t win any hands, the bidding team gets a large ammount of points, often 250. But if the bidding team takes at least one hand during the misere bid, the bidding team looses 250 points.
6. **Reaching 500:** The first team to reach 500 points (or more) wins the game. If both teams reach 500 or more in the same hand, the team with the higher score wins. If the scores are tied at 500 or more, play continues until one team has a higher score at the end of a hand.
**Example Scoring:**
* Team A bids “7 Hearts” and wins 7 tricks. They score 200 points.
* Team B bids “6 Spades” and only wins 5 tricks. They lose 40 points.
* Team A bids “6 No Trump” and wins all 10 tricks. They score 120 points.
* Team A bids “Misere” and loses every hand. They score 250 points.
## Basic Strategies for Playing 500
* **Bidding Strategy:**
* **Assess Your Hand:** Evaluate your hand carefully before bidding. Consider the number of high cards you have in each suit, the number of trump cards, and any potential combinations.
* **Be Aggressive (But Smart):** Don’t be afraid to bid if you have a strong hand, but don’t overbid. It’s better to bid conservatively and make your bid than to bid high and get set.
* **Consider Your Partner:** Think about the cards your partner might have based on the bidding. If your partner has been silent, they likely have a weak hand and you may need to bid more cautiously.
* **Defensive Bidding:** Sometimes, bidding is about preventing the other team from getting a good contract. If they seem to have a strong hand, you might make a preemptive bid to make it harder for them to bid their preferred suit.
* **Card Play Strategy:**
* **Lead Wisely:** When you lead a trick, think about what cards you want to force out of your opponents’ hands. Leading a high card in a suit where you have multiple cards can force opponents to use their high cards or trump.
* **Protect Your Trump:** Don’t waste your trump cards unnecessarily. Save them for important tricks or to protect your high-value cards.
* **Communicate with Your Partner:** Use subtle signals (within the rules, of course!) to communicate with your partner about your hand. This could involve leading a certain suit to indicate strength or weakness.
* **Counting Cards:** Try to keep track of the cards that have been played, especially the high cards and the trump cards. This can help you make better decisions about which cards to play.
* **Discarding During the Widow:** When picking up the widow, think about what cards to discard carefully. You may want to get rid of low-value cards in suits you’re weak in, or cards that might be vulnerable to being trumped.
* **Pay attention:** Pay attention to the discards of other people. It may help you better judge the next moves.
## Advanced Strategies and Tips
* **Reading Your Opponents:** Pay close attention to your opponents’ bidding and card play. Try to deduce what cards they might be holding and what their overall strategy is.
* **Playing the Odds:** Understand the probability of certain cards being in your opponents’ hands. This can help you make more informed decisions about your plays.
* **Bluffing:** Sometimes, it can be advantageous to bluff. For example, you might lead a card that suggests you have a strong hand in that suit, even if you don’t.
* **Partnership Communication:** Develop a subtle system of communication with your partner (within the rules) to convey information about your hand. This could involve agreeing on specific leads or signals to indicate certain cards or suits.
* **Varying Your Play:** Don’t be predictable. Mix up your bidding and card play to keep your opponents guessing. Sometimes, making an unexpected play can throw them off balance.
## Variations of 500
There are many variations of 500, each with its own set of rules and nuances. Some popular variations include:
* **Three-Player 500:** In this version, one player plays alone against the other two. The widow is typically larger, and the bidding process may be slightly different.
* **Six-Player 500:** This version is usually played with two decks of cards. Players are divided into two teams of three, and the bidding and card play are adapted to accommodate the larger number of players.
* **Canadian 500:** This variation often includes specific bidding conventions and scoring rules that are unique to Canada.
* **Australian 500:** This version has its own regional variations, including different card ranking and bidding rules.
## Conclusion
500 is a challenging and rewarding card game that offers endless opportunities for strategic thinking and skillful play. By mastering the rules, understanding the bidding process, and developing effective strategies, you can become a formidable 500 player. So gather your friends, deal the cards, and prepare for an exciting game of 500!