5-CARD LOO
5-Card Loo is a Rams card game. The goal of both is to win as many tricks as possible so you can win stakes.
500 CARD GAME
Card & Casual
Poker Game Free
Instant play
Loading game…
Instant play · No download
Game details
- Type
- Card & Casual
- Provider
- Poker Game Free
- RTP
- —
- Rating
- —
- Released
- Sep 2026
- Technology
- HTML5
- Platform
- Desktop & mobile
- Play mode
- Instant play
OBJECTIVE OF 500 CARD GAME:
Reach 500 points first.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS:
2 to 6 players
MATERIALS OF 500 CARD GAME:
Modified 43-card pack
TYPE OF GAME:
Card game
AUDIENCE:
Teens and adults
OVERVIEW OF 500 CARD GAME
Despite 500 being the official national card game of Australia and New Zealand, it was actually developed in the United States and copyrighted there in 1904. The game’s name is a reference to its objective: be the first player or team to reach a score of 500 points. This super fun card game is a variation of Euchre with some changes.
500 is generally a four-player game, but it can technically accommodate anywhere between 3 and 6 players if needed.
In this card game, you earn the points you need to win the game by winning tricks, or rounds. Below, we’ll go over everything you need to know to play and tally up points when playing the 500 card game. With the help of the rules below as well as the strategies we’ll outline, you’ll be winning the 500 card game in no time at all!
Note: We’ll be going over the popular four-player Australian version of this card game below.
SETUP FOR 500 CARD GAME
Before we begin, let’s set up for the 500 card game.
PLAYERS & CARDS
To start, you’ll need four players to play this game. Divide the group into two teams of 2, with teammates sitting across from each other on the table.
To play the 500 card game, you’ll need a modified card deck that consists of:
- A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 in red suits
- A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 in black suits
- One Joker referred to as a bird. (Australian card decks depict a Kookaburra as opposed to a Jester)
In other words, you remove the 2, 3, and 4 of the black suits and 2 and 3 of the red suits, plus one Joker. This should leave you with 43 cards.
CARD RANKINGS
The card rankings in 500 can get confusing, so pay attention! First of all, at the beginning of each game, during the bidding section, you will decide on a trump suit. We’ll go over that more in detail below.
In the trump suit, the highest card is the Joker, then the jack of the trump suit (also called the right bower or RB), then the other jack that is the same color (also called the left bower or LB). The ranking is therefore Joker, RB, LB, A, K, Q, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4. Trump suits outrank the others.
I know, confusing, right? Here’s a visualization to help:
Cards not in the trump suit have a normal ranking: A, K, Q, J, 10… etc.
THE DEAL
Choose the initial dealer randomly. The dealer shuffles and cuts the cards. Then, they must deal each player 10 cards and place 3 face-down cards in the middle. These three cards make up the kitty.
The pattern of dealing is as follows:
- 3 cards to each player
- 1 card to the kitty
- 4 cards to each player
- 1 card to the kitty
- 3 cards to each player
- 1 card to the kitty
And that concludes the deal!
THE BIDDING
Before we dive in, let’s review some vocabulary. A trick refers to a round or unit of play on a hand within a trick-taking game. Tricks are evaluated to determine a winner or taker.
And now for the fun part! Everyone should take a look at their own hand of 10 cards. Bidding starts with the player on the dealer’s left and moves clockwise.
There is an order of seniority when it comes to suits in the 500 card game:
- Spades
- Clovers
- Diamonds
- Hearts You’ll also see this seniority in the score table below.
HOW TO BID IN 500
The potential bids are:
- The number of tricks (minimum of 6) and the trump suit, this bid indicates the total number of tricks they and their partner will take (or win) plus the trump suit for that hand.
- A number (minimum of 6) of “No Trumps,” referred to as “No-ies.” This bid indicates a player and their partner will try to win with that number of tricks without a trump suit.
- Misère (Nullo, Nello, Nula) is a contract to lose all tricks. The player who bids this plays alone, with the partner dropping out. The bid means the player doesn’t plan on winning any tricks. Misère is French for extreme poverty.
- Open Misère is similar to a misère, but the contractor’s hand is displayed face-up after the first trick.
- Blind Misère is the same bid as misère but can only be bid before the player looks at their hand.
- Bids can be made Sans Kitty, meaning the players will fulfill the contract of their bid without the kitty.
Not all players have to bid. If players do not want to, they can also pass at this point of the game.If all players pass, reshuffle and redeal the cards once again.
After a bid, each following bid must be higher. A higher bid is either more tricks or an equal number of tricks but in a higher suit. The suit rankings outlined above apply. The lowest bid is 6 Spades and the highest possible bid is 10 No Trumps.
A Misère is higher than a bid of 7 and lower than a bid of 8. You can only bid a misère after someone bids a 7.
An Open Misère is a bid higher than the 10 of diamonds and lower than the 10 of hearts. You do not need to wait to make this type of bid; it can even be the first bid if you’re feeling super confident!
If you pass, you are not permitted to bid again. The bidding continues until all but one player has passed. The highest bid becomes a contract the bid winner (or contractor) has to fulfill.
Note: There is an American variation to bidding where there is only one round of bidding and whoever bids highest becomes the contractor.
HOW TO PLAY 500 CARD GAME
The contractor (the winner of the bid) starts by picking up the three cards in the kitty and putting them in their hand. They will then discard 3 cards they do not want and place them face down on the table. If the bid was Misère or Open Misère, the contractor’s partner does not participate in gameplay and places their cards face down on the table for this hand.
The suit that the contractor bid is now the trump suit for this hand.
The contractor initiates the first trick and other players follow suit in a clockwise direction. Keep these rules in mind when laying down cards:
- A player without cards in the leading suit may play any card.
- But if a player does have a card in the leading suit, they must play that card.
- The highest trump wins (takes) the trick.
- Remember: the Joker, RB, and LB are all worth more than even the Ace of the trump suit!
- If there are not trumps played, the highest card of the lead suit wins.
- The winner of a trick leads in the next trick and takes the cards they’ve won and keeps them in front of them.
- If the contractor bid Open Misère, after the first trick, they must expose their hand to the rest of the players laying face-up on the table for the rest of the hand.
Continue playing in this manner until all players complete all ten tricks. After all ten tricks are played the hand is scored.
SCORING THE 500 CARD GAME
After playing all ten tricks in a hand, it’s time to score the game! Teams keep cumulative scores which are added to or subtracted from with each hand.
Here, you can find the scores for each bid:
| TRICKS | SPADES | CLUBS | DIAMONDS | HEARTS | NO TRUMPS | MISERE | OPEN MISERE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIX | 40 | 60 | 80 | 100 | 120 | 250 | 500 |
| SEVEN | 140 | 160 | 180 | 200 | 220 | ||
| EIGHT | 240 | 260 | 280 | 300 | 320 | ||
| NINE | 340 | 360 | 380 | 400 | 420 | ||
| TEN | 440 | 460 | 480 | 500 | 520 |
If the bid was a suit or No-ies contract, the bidding team wins if they take at least the number of tricks they bid. Contractors score the corresponding number of points above. There are no additional points if they take more tricks than bid unless they win every trick.
If your team does win every trick, this is called a slam. If a contractor is able to make a slam, they score a flat 250 points if their bid is worth less than that. However, if the points corresponding to the bid are worth more than 250 points, there are no special points. The team simply wins their bid as normal.
If a contractor does not take enough tricks for their bid, they score minus the point value of their contract. The other players score 10 extra points for every trick they win.
If the contract is a Misère and the contractor loses every trick, they accumulate the points for that bid. If they win a trick, they subtract the value of the bid from their points. Other players do not gain or lose extra points.
END OF GAME
The game ends when a team scores 500 or more points, with the first team reaching 500 points the winning team! A team can also win if the opposing team scores negative 500 points and automatically loses.
If you love playing 500, you’ll also love these other trick-taking card games, such as Spades and Bridge!
VARIATIONS AND HOUSE RULES OF 500 CARD GAME
Looking for ways to spice up the 500 card game? We’ve got you covered with this list of variations and house rules you can employ at your discretion. We also include the game rules for how to play 500 with 3, 5, or 6 players.
- Misère bids are not permitted whatsoever.
- Misère may be bid without a 7 bid.
- The Joker may only be led in the first or last trick.
- The Joker loses its power on the first or last trick.
- You may not raise your bid after everyone else has passed.
- If you are at a score of 490 (or 480), you cannot get points for winning a trick against a contractor.
- In the American version of the game, the kitty is called the widow.
- To play 500 with 3 players, deal a pack of 33 cards, with the lowest card of each suit being a 7. The contractor plays alone, with the other two players forming a temporary partnership. Scores are separate.
- To play 500 with 5 players, deal a pack of 53 cards, which is a full deck of cards, plus a Joker. In this version, the contractor forms a temporary partnership with another player by nominating a specific card. The identity of the partner remains a secret until they are revealed during gameplay. The contractor may also choose to play alone. If playing alone, the contractor wins or the full point value, but if playing with a partner, they divide the wins or losses by 2.
- To play 500 with 6 players, deal a pack of 63 cards, which includes 11s and 12s of all suits and 13s of the red suits.
500 CARD GAME STRATEGY
There are many different strategies and tricks you can employ when playing a fun trick-taking card game like 500. You will develop your own strategy in time, but if you’re new to the game or looking for a way to improve your game, here are our top 500 card game strategies you’ve got to know!
- Call Misère when you can: You have a much higher chance of winning a misère bid over a normal bid – especially when you don’t have a strong hand to begin with!
- Don’t call No Trump unless you have the Joker or 3 Aces: If you can, avoid calling No Trump unless you have a VERY strong hand, such as the Joker or 3 Aces as well as other strong supporting cards, such as Kings.
- Don’t fight with your partner over tricks: While your first instinct may be to win all the tricks that you can, support and lean on your partner from time to time. After all, you’re in this together!
- Win contracts to win the game: Of course, you can still win a game of 500 without making a contract, but the fastest way to win is to make contracts. So, don’t be afraid to bid!
- High bids with only 6 or more cards in that suit: Try to avoid making super high bids on your hand unless you have a very strong hand in the suit you’re bidding. Don’t simply rely on the kitty! While the kitty may end up having strong cards, it’s just as likely to have useless cards.
FAQ
Are Euchre and 500 the Same Game?
500 is a game that was born out of Euchre. So, if you enjoy playing Euchre, you’ll love this slightly different variation of a trick-taking card game.
Can You Play 500 with 2 Players?
Unfortunately, no. You can only play the 500 card game with 3 to 6 players.
Is Bridge Similar to 500?
Bridge and the 500 card game are both incredibly similar trick-taking games. If you love playing either game, you’ll enjoy the other, too. You can also use similar strategies in both card games.
5 CARD DRAW RULES
5 Card Draw is an easy game to learn but a hard one to master. Here you will discover the rules to playing Five Card Draw.
4-PLAYER XERI
4-player Xeri is a fishing card game for 4 players. The goal of the game is to score more points than your opponent by matching card ranks.
4-PLAYER NAPOLEON
4-Player Napoleon is a point-trick card game playable by 4 players. The goal of the game is to be the first player to score enough points to win.
3-PLAYER TROEVEN
3-Player Troeven is a trick-taking card game meant for 3 players. The goal of 3-Player Troeven is to decrease your score to 0 first.
2-7 Triple Draw
How to play 2-7 Triple Draw Poker. Here you will discover the complete rules to 2-7 (Deuce to Seven) Triple Draw Lowball Poker.
OBJECT OF 5-CARD LOO: The object of 5-card Loo is to win bids and collect stakes from other players. NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 5 to 10 players. MATERIALS: A standard deck of 52 cards, chips or money for bidding, and a flat surface. TYPE OF GAME: Rams Card Game AUDIENCE: Adult OVERVIEW OF 5-CARD LOO 5-card Loo is a Rams card game. The goal of both is to win as many tricks as possible so you can win stakes.
OBJECTIVE OF 5 CARD DRAW: Form the best hand and win the pot at the showdown. NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2-6 players NUMBER OF CARDS: 52-card deck RANK OF CARDS: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 TYPE OF GAME: Casino AUDIENCE: Adults OVERVIEW OF 5 CARD DRAW RULES Draw Poker, or Five Card Draw, is one of Poker’s simplest and oldest forms! In fact, it was the best-known form of Poker until Texas Hold’Em became popular!
OBJECT OF 4-PLAYER XERI: The object of 4-player Xeri is to have the most points at the end of the game. NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 4 players MATERIALS: A standard deck of 52-cards, a way to keeps score, and a flat surface. TYPE OF GAME: Fishing Card Game AUDIENCE: Teens, Adults OVERVIEW OF 4-PLAYER XERI 4-player Xeri is a fishing card game for 4 players. The goal of the game is to score more points than your opponent by matching card ranks.
OBJECT OF 4-PLAYER NAPOLEON: The object of 4-Player Napoleon is to be the first player to reach a set score. NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 4 players MATERIALS: A standard 52 card deck, a way to keep score, and a flat surface. TYPE OF GAME: Point-Trick Card Game AUDIENCE: Adult OVERVIEW OF 4-PLAYER NAPOLEON 4-Player Napoleon is a point-trick card game playable by 4 players. The goal of the game is to be the first player to score enough points to win.
OBJECT OF 3-PLAYER TROEVEN: The object of 3-Player Troeven is to be the first team to reach a score of 0 to win. NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 3 players MATERIALS: A modified 52-card deck, a way to keep score, and a flat surface. TYPE OF GAME: Trick-Taking Card Game AUDIENCE: Adult OVERVIEW OF 3-PLAYER TROEVEN 3-Player Troeven is a trick-taking card game meant for 3 players. The goal of 3-Player Troeven is to decrease your score to 0 first. You do this by winning rounds. To win a round your team must score more points than your opponents.
OBJECTIVE OF 2-7 TRIPLE DRAW: Win the pot! NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2+ players NUMBER OF CARDS: standard 52-card RANK OF CARDS: A (high), K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 TYPE OF GAME: Casino AUDIENCE: Adult INTRODUCTION TO 2-7 TRIPLE DRAW 2-7 Triple Draw or Deuce to Seven Triple Draw is a lowball variant of Draw poker. In lowball poker, the lowest hand wins. There are numerous ways to rank hands in lowball poker, to learn the details of deuce to seven rankings click here and find out more on poker hand rankings.
OBJECT OF 3-CARD LOO: The object of 3-card Loo is to win bids and collect stakes from other players. NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 5 to 16 players. MATERIALS: A standard deck of 52 cards, chips or money for bidding, and a flat surface. TYPE OF GAME: Rams Card Game AUDIENCE: Adult OVERVIEW OF 3-CARD LOO 3-Card Loo is a Rams card game. The goal is to win as many tricks as possible so you can win stakes.
3D HEARTS (Double Deck Domino Hearts)
OBJECTIVE OF 3D HEARTS: Be the player with the lowest score at the end of the game NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 3-8 players NUMBER OF CARDS: 104 cards RANK OF CARDS: (low) 2 – Ace (high) TYPE OF GAME: Hand Shedding, Trick Taking AUDIENCE: Adults INTRODUCTION OF 3D HEARTS 3D Hearts is a party game style variation of Hearts intended for larger groups of people. What separates this game from classic Hearts is the use of two decks, a six card hand, drawing when unable to follow suit, and the ability for up to eight people to play.
OBJECTIVE OF 200: The objective of 200 is to score 200 points to win the game. NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 4 players MATERIALS: A modified 52-card deck, a way to keep score, and a flat surface. TYPE OF GAME: Point-Trick Card Game AUDIENCE: 13+ OVERVIEW OF 200 (Two Hundred) 200 is a point-trick game where 4 players play in two partnerships. These partnerships compete to be the first to earn 200 or more points and they complete this goal by making bids and winning tricks with card value.
OBJECT OF 2-PLAYER TROEVEN: The object of 2-Player Troeven is to be the first team to reach a score of 0 to win. NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 players MATERIALS: A modified 52-card deck, a way to keep score, and a flat surface. TYPE OF GAME: Trick-Taking Card Game AUDIENCE: Kids, Teens, Adults OVERVIEW OF 2-PLAYER TROEVEN 2-Player Troeven is a trick-taking card game meant for 2 players. The goal of 2-Player Troeven is to decrease your score to 0 first. You do this by winning rounds. To win a round you must score more points than your opponent.
OBJECT OF 2-PLAYER MANILLEN: The objective of 2-Player Manillen is to be the first team to score 101 points to win. NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 players MATERIALS: A modified deck of 52 cards, a way to keep score, and a flat surface. TYPE OF GAME: Trick-Taking Card Game AUDIENCE: Adult OVERVIEW OF 2-PLAYER MANILLEN 2-Player Manillen is a trick-taking card game for 2 players. The goal of the game is to achieve 101 points to win before your opponents.
2 PLAYER HEARTS CARD GAME RULES
OBJECTIVE OF 2 PLAYER HEARTS: The player with the lowest score at the end of the game wins! NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 players NUMBER OF CARDS: 28 card deck RANK OF CARDS: 2 (low) – Ace (high), hearts are always trump TYPE OF GAME: Trick-Taking game AUDIENCE: Adult INTRODUCTION OF 2 PLAYER HEARTS Hearts is a fun card game traditionally played with four players, but don’t worry! If you only have 2 players, you can still play this fun card game! Each player is trying to score as few points as possible. In this game, taking tricks is a bad thing unless you can all of them. Although it is played with a heavily modified deck, 2 Player Hearts still captures the overall strategy and enjoyment of traditional card games. Sometimes it is difficult to find four players. This two-player version makes the game a little more accessible.
OBJECTIVE OF 2 PLAYER DURAK: Be the first player to empty their hand NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 players NUMBER OF CARDS: 36 card deck RANK OF CARDS: (low) 6’s – Aces, Trump suit (high) TYPE OF GAME: Trick taking AUDIENCE: Adults INTRODUCTION OF 2 PLAYER DURAK Durak is an extremely popular trick taking card game in Russia. Durak literally means idiot, and it denotes the loser of the game. The game can be played with 2 – 5 players individually or in teams. The rules for a 2 player game are included below.
OBJECTIVE OF 14 POINT TUNKHANNOCK PITCH: The objective of 14 Point Tunkhannock Pitch is to reach a score of 52. NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 4 Players MATERIALS: A Standard 52-card deck, 2 distinguishable jokers, a way to keep score, and a flat surface. TYPE OF GAME: Trick-Taking Card Game AUDIENCE: Adult OVERVIEW OF 14 POINT TUNKHANNOCK PITCH 14 Point Tunkhannock Pitch is a trick-taking card game for 4 players. The goal is for your team to reach a score of 52 before your opponents.
OBJECTIVE OF ACCORDION SOLITAIRE: Stack all 52 cards into one pile by moving them if the suit or number matches. NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 1 player MATERIALS: Standard 52 card deck TYPE OF GAME: Soliatire Card game AUDIENCE: 10+ OVERVIEW OF ACCORDION SOLITAIRE Just like standard solitaire, Accordion solitaire is a deceptively tricky game that is incredibly hard to beat. Although the concept is simple, actually winning a game of accordion solitaire requires a lot of thought, strategy, and practice.
10 POINT PITCH CARD GAME RULES
OBJECTIVE OF 10 POINT PITCH: The objective of 10 Point Pitch is to reach a score of 52. NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 4 Players MATERIALS: A Standard 52-card deck, 2 distinguishable jokers, a way to keep score, and a flat surface. TYPE OF GAME: Trick-Taking Card Game AUDIENCE: Adult OVERVIEW OF 10 POINT PITCH 10 Point Pitch, also known as Auction Pitch, is a trick-taking card game for 4 players. The goal is for your team to reach a score of 52 before your opponents.
OBJECTIVE OF 10 OP EN NEER PAGE: The object of the game is to have the most points at the end of the game. NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 4 players MATERIALS: A Standard 52-card deck, a way to keep score, and a flat surface. RANK OF CARDS: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 TYPE OF GAME: Trick-Taking Card Game AUDIENCE: Adult OVERVIEW OF 10 OP EN NEER PAGE 10 Op En Neer Page is a trick-taking game for 4 players. The goal is to make bids and win that exact number of tricks each round. This awards you with points. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins.
OBJECTIVE OFWISH SOLITAIRE: Successfully remove all of the cards from the tableau NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 1 NUMBER OF CARDS: 32 card deck RANK OF CARDS: 7 (Low) – Ace (High) TYPE OF GAME: Solitaire AUDIENCE: Kids to adults INTRODUCTION OF WISH SOLITAIRE Wish Solitaire is a fun little way to pass the time. This game is entirely based on luck. It is believed that if you make a wish and win the game on the first try, your wish could come true! So make a wish, shuffle the cards, and give Wish Solitaire a try.
OBJECTIVE OF ELEVENS: The objective of this game is to use all of the cards in the deck to create pairs that add up to 11 in total.NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 1 or 2 PlayersNUMBER OF CARDS: A standard 52-card deck.RANK OF CARDS: Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, All royals are removed together as a trio to create their “pair”.TYPE OF GAME: PuzzleAUDIENCE: Solo players, family, friends HOW TO PLAY ELEVENS The Deal Shuffle your playing cards and deal three rows of three cards each. All 9 of these cards should be facing upwards so that they are visible. The remaining cards become the Deck for the duration of the game.
OBJECTIVE OF 5000 RUMMY: The objective of 5000 Rummy is to score a total of 5000 points to win the game. NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 3 or 8 players MATERIALS: One to Two 52-card decks, a way to keep score, and a flat surface. TYPE OF GAME: Draw and Discard Card Game AUDIENCE: 13+ OVERVIEW OF 5000 RUMMY 5000 Rummy is a Rummy style card gamer where the goal is to score 5000 points to win. Players do this by melding cards from their hands and potentially scoring points for cards left in other player’s hands as well.