The trick-taking genre of card games is one of the most common varieties, found in every part of the world. The following is a list of trick-taking games by type of pack. Trick Taking Card Games are the most popular card games for groups of players. Bridge, Hearts and other trick taking games have entertained families and friends for decades.

OBJECTIVE OF FIVE HUNDRED: Reach 500 points first.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2-6 players

NUMBER OF CARDS: 43 card pack

Taking

RANK OF CARDS: A (high), K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4

RANK OF SUITS: NT (No Trumps) > Hearts > Diamonds > Clubs > Spades

TYPE OF GAME: Trick-Taking

AUDIENCE: Adult

INTRODUCTION TO FIVE HUNDRED

Despite Five Hundred being the official card game of Australia, 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. It is a variation of Euchrewith these following changes:

  • Players are dealt 10 cards as opposed to 5,
  • trump is not turned up, rather it is chosen by the player willing to contract for the greatest number of tricks,
  • the pack size is adjusted to allow all cards to be dealt to players except three to the kitty, which can be used by the highest bidder.

Add more packs of cards to accommodate games with large groups of players. Below are the rules for the more popular Australian version of the game in addition to variations.

SET UP

Taking

Players & Cards

Most games have four players with teams of 2 sitting across from each other.

a 43 card pack is used that contains:

  • 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 the trump suit the highest card is the joker, then the jack of the trump suit (the right bower or rb), then the other jack that is the same color (the left bower or lb). The ranking is therefore Joker, RB, LB, A, K, Q, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 or 4. Trump suits outrank the others.

The word bower is an Anglicization of the German word Bauer, which means farmer, peasant, or pawn. Bauer is often used to refer to jacks in German card games.

The Deal

The deal, bidding, and play moves clockwise. The initial dealer is chosen randomly. Cards are shuffled, cut, and then 10 are passed to each player and 3 face-down in the middle of the table to create 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.

Game

The Bidding

Bidding begins with the player to the left of the dealer and moves clockwise.

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.

The potential bids are:

  • The number of tricks (minimum of six) and the trumping suit, this bid indicates the total number of tricks them and their partner will take and the trumping suit for that hand.
  • A number, of at least six, 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 trumping suit. No Trumps means the Joker will be the only trump card.
  • Misere (Nullo, Nello, Nula), it is a contract to lose all tricks. Play alone, a partner drops out. The bid means the player is not attempting to win any tricks. Misère is French for extreme poverty.
  • Open Misere is similar to a misere but the contractor’s hand is displayed face-up after the first trick.
  • Blind Misere is the same bid as Misere but occurs before a player looks at their cards.
  • Bids can be made Sans Kitty, meaning they players will fulfill the contract of their bid without the kitty.

A player who does not bid can pass. If all players pass the cards are thrown in and the hand ends.

After a bid, each subsequent bid must be higher. A higher bid is either more tricks or an equal number of tricks 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 Misere is higher than a bid of 7 and lower than a bid of 8. It can only be bid after someone has bid 7.

An Open Misere is a bid higher than the 10 of diamonds and lower than the 10 of hearts. One does not need to wait for any particular level of bid, it can even be the first bid.

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 bidder (or contractor) has to make.

GAMEPLAY

The contractor starts by picking up the three cards in the kitty, without showing them to other players, and discarding three cards in their hand in their place. Cards in the kitty may be included. If the bid was Misere or Open Misere the contractor’s partner does not participate in game play and places their cards face-down on the table.

The contractor initiates the first trick and other players follow suit if possible. A player without cards in the leading suit may play any card. The highest trump wins (takes) the trick. If there are not trumps played, the highest card of the leading suit wins. The winner of a trick leads in the next. After all 10 tricks are played the hand is scored.

If the contractor bid Open Misere after the first trick their hand must be exposed on the table. The rest of the hand is played in this fashion.

Play of Joker

The joker is the highest trump if there is a trump suit.

If the bid is No Trumps, Misere, Open Misere, or Blind Misere the joker can be used either:

  • The contractor who holds the joker nominates the suit it belongs to. This must be done before gameplay. Joker is then high card of that suit, OR
  • In the even the contractor does not hold the joker, or holds it and does not nominate a suit for it, it does not belong to a suit. It acts as the highest card as the pack and beats the trick it is played in. However, there are restrictions on when it may be played:
    • If the trick was led by another player you can only play the joker if you have no cards in that suit.
    • If the contract is any Misere you must play the joker if you have no cards of the leading suit. However, in No Trump this is not necessary, you may discard any card of any suit and play the joker in a later trick.
    • Lead with a joker and nominate the suit. The suit must have not been previously led in a trick.
    • If all four suits have been led the joker can only be played in the last trick.
Trick Taking Card Game

If you are a contractor in Misere you may nominate the Joker as belonging to any suit. The Joker may then be played in a trick led by a suit not in hand. If you forget to nominate the suit the misere automatically fails, that is because the Joker wins the trick when you play it.

SCORING

Teams keep cumulative scores which are added to or subtracted from with each hand.

The scores for the various bids are as follows:

TRICKS SPADES CLUBS DIAMONDS HEARTS NO TRUMPS MISERE

SIX 40 60 80 100 120

SEVEN 140 160 180 200 220

MISERE 250

EIGHT 240 260 280 300 320

NINE 340 360 380 400 420

TEN 440 460 480

OPEN/BLIND MISERE 500

TEN 500 520

If the bid was a suit or no trump contract, the contractors win if they take at least the number of tricks the 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, this is called a slam. If a contractor is able to make a slam they score 250 points if their bid was worth less than that. If the points corresponding to bid is worth more than 250 points there are no special points, they win 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 Misere 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 extra points.

END GAME

The game ends when a team scores 500 or more points or with a winning a contract. It can also win if a team scores negative 500 points and loses. This is called “going out backward.”

Reaching 500 points alone is not sufficient to win the game if the opponents are stilly playing their contract. If this happens hands are played until a team wins under the stipulations described above.

VARIATIONS

  • Misere bids are not permitted whatsoever.
  • Misere may be bid without a 7 bid.
  • The Joker may only be led in the last trick.
  • You may not raise your bid after everyone else has passed.
  • If you are at a score of 490 (or 480) you can not get points for winning a trick against a contractor.

REFERENCES:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/500_(card_game)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trick-taking_game

http://www.newtsgames.com/how-to-play-five-hundred.html

https://www.fgbradleys.com/rules/rules4/Five%20Hundred%20-%20rules.pdf

https://www.pagat.com/euchre/500.html

Our guides

What are Trick-Taking Games?

Trick-taking games are played using cards (sometimes tiles) and revolve around winning tricks, which are a finite number or rounds where each player plays a card, aiming to win the trick. Trick-taking card games have been around since the beginning of card games, and have survived centuries of development.

How to Play Trick-Taking Games

Since trick-taking was, and still is, popular in Europe, variations using the Spanish deck are found, but all can be adapted to use the standard Anglo-American 52-card deck. Trick-taking games revolve around winning tricks to earn points. Almost all trick-taking games follow a similar ruleset.

Dealing

Each round has a dealer, which is decided via deck-splitting. The dealer shuffles the deck and deals the cards to the other players. Depending on the game-type, players are dealt a certain number of cards, and the remaining cards are either set aside or form the discard pile.

Gameplay

The goal of the game is to win by scoring high or other similar conditions. Scores are awarded by winning individual tricks, and the key to winning rounds is to manage your cards and taking control of the tricks and trumps.

Tricks and Trumps

The individual tricks are split across multiple rounds. The dealer begins the first trick by playing a card, therefore leading the trick. Other players then attempt to win the trick by playing cards, with some players requiring to follow suit. A player can win by playing a card of a higher value, with the same suit. If a player does not have a card from the same suit, they must still play a card of their choosing, but forfeit the round.

Certain games introduce the trump suits, which are determined either by a draw from the remaining cards, or through bidding. The trump suit becomes a winning suit during the game, and adds a layer of strategy to the game, since these mitigate the advantage of the players leading the trick.

The winner of one trick will lead the next trick. This process continues until all hands are emptied.

Winning

In general, the player who wins the most tricks wins the game by score.

Rules

Trick-taking card games have certain rules to smoothen gameplay.

Following Suit

If the leading player plays a card of a certain suit, the other players will be required to play cards of the same suit in order to win. Even if a player has no cards of the correct suit, they are still required to play a card.

Taking

Trump Suits

If the game involves trump suits, then these suits will become the highest ranked suit for the duration of that game, winning even against the leading suit.

Summary

The trick-taking game rules are:

  • Dealer is determined.
  • Each player is dealt cards based on game-type.
  • Dealer leads the first trick, determining the lead suit.
  • Players play cards to win the trick, while requiring following suit.
  • Even if a player does not have a card from the same suit, they are still required to play 1 card.
  • The winner of the trick leads the next trick.
  • The player winning more tricks overall becomes the winner.
  • If trump suits are included, the trump suit overrides the leading suit.

Trick Taking Card Game Crossword Answer

Strategy

  • Forfeit rounds you know you can’t win. If your opponent plays a card of a suit you have, but not of a high value, it might be worth keeping that card to play later on a more likely win.
  • Play out higher valued cards when you can, since it increases the chances you have to win.
  • Be careful even when forfeiting rounds. The obvious choice is to discard a card of another suit, but it can be worth playing cards of the same suit but of a bad value instead.
  • One of the most common strategies for trick-taking card games is to predict. The dealer will generally play high-valued cards early on to gain the advantage, allowing you to gauge their hands.

Variants

Point-trick Games

Point-trick games are focused on gathering points, which are awarded based on conditions and winning tricks. Winning a trick obviously awards points, but in games such as Piquet, leading a trick awards points as well. Speaking of Piquet, which is one of the classic trick-taking games, achieving conditions, such as starting with a hand of no face cards, will also award points. Some games such as Sheng Ji award different scores for different cards.

Trick Taking Card Game Codycross

Plain-trick Games

Plain-trick games, such as the popular Bridge, are scored completely based on the number of tricks won. There are no special rules or point counting, hence resulting in a game completely revolving around resource management. Other examples include Whist and Tippen, both games popular in European countries.

Trick-Avoidance Games

Trick-avoidance games such as Hearts is about avoiding tricks. Unlike other games, the goal is different, and lower-valued cards are more valuable, making it a game of deceit and deception. Other games include Polignac ad Slobberhannes, where the goal is to avoid tricks ad certain cards (Jacks in the former and the Queen of Clubs in the latter).

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most populartrick-taking games?

The most popular trick-taking games are Skat and Hearts, which was popularized by bundling in older versions of Windows.

Are there solo trick-taking games?

Trick-taking games tend to be multiplayer affairs, since there is an element of deception and resource management.

How do I play gamesrequiring the 40-card Spanish deck?

Since Spanish decks are similar to the modern Anglo-American 52-card deck, you can adapt it by removing the 8, 9 and 10 cards, forming a 40-card deck.

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