There are many variations to the game known as 500. The rules for each game are mostly similar but there are a few differences. The most popular form of 500 is usually played with 4 people playing in partnerships of 2.

When playing in partnerships of 2 with 4 players a 43 card deck is used. There are variations with additions or deductions to the deck when playing with 3, 5 or 6 handed 500.

A 3 handed game uses no teams, everyone plays solo. 5 handed games can be played where each player takes a turn without a partner or with 2 teams of 2 and a dealer sitting out each hand. 6 handed games can be played with either 3 teams of 2 or 2 teams of 3. When playing with 6 players, a special 63 card deck is required.

When just 2 people are playing 500, a deck of 43 cards is used, just as when 4 people are playing. The difference is, instead of having partners; each player will play both the hand that is dealt to them and the one that is dealt to the table which would have been the partners’ hand.

The hand that is dealt to the table is dealt so that they have 5 cards face down, each covered by a face up card, making a total of 10 cards on the table.

With 3 players, a deck of 33 cards is used. Dealing, scoring and game play are the same as in the standard 4 player game. Another variation of 500 is with 5 players. All of the cards in a deck are used with only 1 joker and each player is dealt 10 cards. This variation of the game differs because of the bidding.

It is the same as the standard 4 player game, except that whoever wins the bidding gets to choose a card (other than the joker). Usually one of the bowers is chosen or another high card.

Whoever has that card announces that they have it and then they become the bidder’s partner for that round. Now that the partnership is formed, the remaining 3 players will play against them. Scoring is the same as the standard 4 player game.

There is also a variation called “Walker Ultimate 500”. In this variation the winning team or player has to win exactly 500 points. The game is played just like the standard 4 player game with the addition of the rule that 1000 points loses the game, i.e. negative 500 points.

In this variation “Peggings” or “Scab Points” must be played. There is also a French Canadian variation that plays to a total of 1000 points. If a team fails to reach its “contract” for points, the points are given to the other team’s total. In this variation points are never subtracted.

The game 500 has spanned out with variations in strategies, rules, game objectives and number of players. Other card games that were originally tied to 500 are Rummy 500, Partnership Rummy 500, Euchre and Contract Bridge.