The Goal of 500
The goal is to reach 500 points before the other team.
Each hand is won or lost through a contract.
A contract says how many tricks the bidder’s team must win, and which suit is trump. For example, a bid of 7 Hearts means the bidder’s team must win at least 7 of the 10 tricks, with Hearts as trump.
If the bidding team makes the contract, they score the value of the bid.
If they fail, they lose the value of the bid.
The defending team can also score points for tricks, depending on the rules being used.
How Bidding Works
Bidding decides who becomes the contractor and what the contract will be.
A normal bid has two parts: the number of tricks, and the trump suit or no-trump.
For example: 6 Spades, 7 Diamonds, 8 Hearts, or 9 No-Trump.
The number tells the table how many tricks your team promises to win. The suit tells the table what trump will be.
A higher bid must outrank the previous bid.
For the same number of tricks, the suit order is usually Spades, Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, then No-Trump.
So 6 Clubs beats 6 Spades. 6 Diamonds beats 6 Clubs. 6 Hearts beats 6 Diamonds. 6 No-Trump beats 6 Hearts.
A bid for more tricks beats any lower trick bid. For example, 7 Spades beats 6 No-Trump.
Players may also pass. In common Australian-style play, once you pass, you are usually out of the auction for that hand.
The auction continues until only one bidder remains. That player becomes the contractor.
See How to Bid in 500: A Beginner’s Guide to Choosing the Right Bid for counting tricks and choosing a contract.
How to Play a Trick
The winning bidder leads the first trick.
Play then moves clockwise. Each player plays one card.
You must follow the suit that was led if you can.
For example, if Clubs are led and you have a Club, you must play a Club.
If you cannot follow suit, you may play another suit. You may also play trump.
The trick is won by the highest trump card played. If no trump is played, the trick is won by the highest card in the suit that was led.
The winner of the trick leads the next trick.
A hand has 10 tricks in total.
How Scoring Works
500 uses a scoring table based on the number of tricks bid and the trump suit.
The higher the bid, the more points it is worth.
A 6 Spades contract is worth 40 points. A 6 Clubs contract is worth 60 points. A 6 Diamonds contract is worth 80 points. A 6 Hearts contract is worth 100 points. A 6 No-Trump contract is worth 120 points.
The values increase as the contract gets higher.
If the contractor’s team makes the contract, they score the contract value.
If they fail, they lose the contract value.
For example, if a team bids 8 Diamonds and wins at least 8 tricks, they score 280 points. If they win fewer than 8 tricks, they lose 280 points.
See 500 Card Game Scoring Explained: Bids, Tricks and the 500-Point Target for the full point table, failed bids, and defender scoring.
