Games - 500

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500 is a trick-taking card game played in many parts of the world.

Geography/History

500 is an extension of Euchre and was originally invented in the United States by the United States Playing Card Company in the early 1900s but now mostly played in Australia and New Zealand.

500 is largely a social game and has not attracted the deep tactical analysis of bridge. Tactics often revolve around using various means to indicate to one's partner information about the hand one possesses, including agreements to make certain bids depending on whether one possesses specific cards (rather than on what the player believes they can realistically win), and surreptitious signals (by the tone of voice, exact words used to indicate bids, and so on).

Setup

There are many variants to 500, but the "standard" deck has 45 playing cards, the 2's, and 3's, being removed, and a Joker being added (In Australia, the Joker can be called 'the bird', as in Australian 500 decks this card may feature a Kookaburra rather than a jester). Alternatively, a 43 card deck can be used. In a 43-card game, the black 4's are also removed, and the widow consists of only 3 cards. Players play in pairs, usually diagonally opposite each other. To begin a hand, 10 cards are dealt to each player, and the remaining five cards (known as the "widow," the "kitty" or the "blind") are placed in the center of the table. Traditionally, the deal is performed by dealing three cards to each player, then placing three cards in the widow, four cards each and two to the widow, and then three.

The standard game described above is the setup and deck for the most common 4 player (Two teams of two) variety of 500. Variations exist, with appropriate additions or deductions to the deck for playing 3, 5 or 6 handed 500. 3 handed uses no teams, 5 handed teams rotate and each player takes a turn without a partner, 6 handed can be played as either 3 teams of two or two teams of 3.

As in Euchre, in non-trump suits, the order is the normal Ace high-King-Queen-Jack-10-9-8-7-6-5-4 low, but in the trump suit, the highest card is the jack of trump, called the right bauer. Bauer, often anglicized to bower, is the German word meaning farmer, peasant, or pawn. This name is often used to refer to the jack of German games. The second highest (even higher than an ace of trump) is the jack in the suit of the same color, called the left bauer. For all intents and purposes, the opposite jack is considered as if it were part of the actual suit. This is important later in the game, and is usually known by newcomers as the hardest part to learn about the game.

Bidding

After the deal, players bid in turn. A bid indicates that the player believes he and his partner together will win a certain number of tricks and that a certain suit will be trump for this hand. For instance, a bid of "seven spades" indicates that the player wants to attempt to win seven or more tricks with spades being the trump suit. In American play, a bid of six is called an "inkle." A player who bids "inkle spades" is indicating to their partner that they have some spades, but not enough to bid seven. Only the first two players may inkle. The player may elect not to bid, called "passing". Bidding proceeds clockwise around the table, and each subsequent bid must be a higher-scoring bid (see the scoring table below) or the player must pass. A player who passes cannot subsequently make a bid in this hand. Eventually, all but one player will pass and the bid is decided. In American play, there is only one round of bidding, with each player getting only one chance, in turn, to either bid or pass. The player making the successful bid then collects the widow. This player sorts through his hand and discards the least-useful five cards (possibly including cards picked up from the widow), and places them face down; the discarded cards playing no further part in the hand.

If nobody makes a bid, there are two variations. Most commonly, the hand is declared dead and a reshuffle and redeal is made, but some games are played where no bids mean the round is played as no trumps, and scoring is 10 points per trick.

Special Bids

No trump means that the joker is the only trump card (there are no bauers when playing no trump).
A Misère (also called Nullo or Nello) bid means the bidding player is trying to lose all ten tricks. If playing with a partner, the partner folds their cards and does not participate in the round. Misère is the French word meaning "poverty".
Open Misère is the same as misere except the player playing this bid must reveal all of their cards to their opponents after the first trick.
Double nullo is an American variant in which both players of the bidding team play and must lose all tricks. This is also called Grand nullo, which is often corrupted to Granola.

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Games - 500

Geography/History

Setup

Bidding

Special Bids

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