500

Play two-handed 500 online

500 is the trick game of New Zealand and Australia. Most tables need four. This one is cut for two: you bid against the person across the table, not a partner. 43-card pack, three in the kitty, bowers and the joker.

Free, no ads, no download. Two seats: a friend on another device, or the computer.

How two people play

1. Open a table. Tap “Play a friend”. You get a five-letter code.
2. Send the code. The other person types it at Two Player Cards, on their own phone or computer.
3. Play. Each of you only sees what you should. The deck stays on the server.

House rules at this table

Deal

New Zealand and Australian 500, cut for two. 43-card pack (joker in, twos and threes out, black fours out). Ten cards each, three in the kitty. No partner: you bid against the person across the table.

Bidding

Pone speaks first. Bids run from 6 to 10 in spades, clubs, diamonds, hearts, then no trumps (spades cheapest). Misère (250, take none) sits above 7 NT; open misère (500, hand face-up) sits above 9 NT. Pass and the other bid stands. Both pass and the hand is dealt again.

Kitty and play

The bidder picks up the kitty and throws three (misère leaves the kitty unused). Bidder leads. Follow suit if you can. The joker is the highest trump. Jack of trump is the right bower; the other jack of the same colour is the left bower and is a trump, not its printed suit. In no trumps the joker is the highest card; led, you name a suit for the others to follow, and you may only dump it when you cannot follow.

Scoring

Make your bid: you score its value. Go down: that value comes off. The other player always scores 10 a trick. First to 500 wins. Hit -500 and you lose.

Questions