How 500 (Five Hundred) scoring works
500 is a trick-taking game for four players in two partnerships, played with a 43-card deck, where the high bidder names a contract and the Avondale table sets what it is worth.
The deck and the deal
Four-handed 500 uses 43 cards: the fives up to the aces in every suit, the two red fours and a joker. Each player gets ten cards and three go face down to the kitty, which the high bidder picks up before discarding three. The joker is the highest trump, then the jack of trump (the right bower) and the other jack of the same color (the left bower).
Bidding
Each bid names a number of tricks, from six to ten, and a trump suit or no trump; the lowest is six spades. Bids rank by their value in the scoring table. Misère, a bid to lose every trick, is worth 250, so it outranks eight spades (240) but not eight clubs (260), and many tables only allow it once someone has bid seven. Open misère is worth 500, and its place in the bidding varies by table.
The Avondale table
Six spades is worth 40, and each suit above adds 20: clubs 60, diamonds 80, hearts 100, no trump 120. Every extra trick adds 100, so seven hearts is 200, eight clubs 260, nine diamonds 380 and ten no trump 520.
Making the contract or going set
If the bidders take at least the tricks they bid, they score the contract's value; if they fall short, they lose that value. Either way the defenders score 10 for each trick they took. Bidders who take all ten tricks on a contract worth less than 250 score 250 instead. In misère the bidder plays alone and must lose every trick, and the defenders score nothing for it.
Winning and losing
The game is played to 500, and in the Australian game you can only win by reaching it on a contract you made: points from defending never win it, and some tables stop a side at 490 until it wins a bid. A side that falls to -500 or below has gone out the back door and loses.
American rules
In the American game the defenders' 10 a trick can carry a side over 500, and if the bidders and a defender both reach it on the same hand, the bidders win. Misère is called nullo there, and when it fails the defenders score 10 for each trick the bidder took.
Three, five and six players
Three-handed 500 uses a 33-card deck; the bidder plays alone against the other two, and every player keeps their own score. Five-handed uses the full 52 cards and a joker; the bidder may call a partner by naming a card, and the two share the contract, half each. Six-handed is played by two teams of three with a 63-card deck and scores like the four-handed game.
What Score All does with these rules
Contract and tricks
Pick who won the bid, then the contract: six to ten tricks and the trump suit or no trump. Enter the tricks the bidders took. The value comes from the Avondale table, so nobody has to look it up: six spades is 40, each suit up adds 20 (clubs, diamonds, hearts, no trump), and each extra trick adds 100. If everyone passes, pick Everyone passed and the deal moves on.
Made or set
If the bidders take at least the tricks they bid, they score the contract; if not, they lose it. The defenders score 10 for every trick they took either way. Taking all ten tricks on a contract worth less than 250 scores 250.
Misère and open misère
Switch on Misère when the bidder has bid to lose every trick, playing alone, and enter the tricks they took: none means it was made. Misère is worth 250 and open misère, played with the cards face up, 500. Either can be switched off or given another value.
Out at 500, or out the back door
A side wins by reaching 500 on a contract it made; points from defending never win the game in the standard rules. A side that falls to -500 loses. American rules, where defending points can win and the bidders win a tie, are a preset, and so is the house rule that holds a side at 490 until it wins a contract.
Three and five players
In three-handed 500 the bidder plays alone against the other two, and each player scores their own tricks. In five-handed 500 the bidder may call a partner, and the two share the contract, half each. Enter each player's tricks and the sheet checks they add up to 10.
500 scoring FAQ
How do you score 500?
The bidders score the value of their contract from the Avondale table if they make it, and lose it if they do not. The defenders score 10 for every trick they win.
What is the scoring table for the 500 card game?
The Avondale table: six spades 40, clubs 60, diamonds 80, hearts 100, no trump 120, and 100 more for each extra trick, up to 520 for ten no trump. Misère is 250 and open misère 500.
What is a slam in 500?
Taking all ten tricks. If the contract was worth less than 250, the bidders score 250 instead of the contract.
What happens at -500 in 500?
That side loses the game. It is called going out backwards, or out the back door.
Which versions does Score All score?
Partnerships, two players, three-handed and five-handed with a called partner. Six-handed 500, with two teams of three, is not offered.
Is there a free 500 card game score keeper?
Yes. Score All keeps 500 score for free on any phone, with the Avondale values built in, misère and slams handled, and a live link for everyone at the table.
How much is each bid worth in 500?
Six spades is 40, six clubs 60, six diamonds 80, six hearts 100 and six no trump 120. Each extra trick adds 100, so ten no trump is 520. Misère is 250 and open misère 500.
Can you win 500 on defending tricks?
Not in the standard (Australian) rules: you have to reach 500 by making a contract. Under American rules you can. Pick the one your table plays when you start the game.