The game of 500 is a trick-taking card game where the goal is to be the first to reach the score line of 500 points. This game is a game of concentration, skill and strategy. The first way to improve your game is to practice. When you are playing, it is important to stay focused because being absentminded and not paying attention to what the other players are doing could cost you valuable points and ultimately you could lose the entire game.

It is important to always know how many trump cards are remaining to be played. When the game is dealt, there should be at least 13 trump cards so keep track of when they are played in order to know how many are left in the game.

When you bid, you are bidding to win and when playing with more than just two players, you are working as a team. If you are the first bidder on your team, let your partner know what you have with an “inkle bid”. If the last player on a team to bid wins the bid, they get to change out up to half of their cards with cards that are in the “kitty”.

An “inkle bid” is mostly a strong hint to your partner(s) about what you have in your hand. You can not actually tell them straight out what you have because that is considered “table talk”. Remember that the bid goes up as it goes around the table. You have the option to bid or to pass if you don’t have a strong enough hand to bid higher than the person who bid before you.

If you have a pretty good hand with trump cards, play them as soon as you can, but be careful because if you can’t take at least 3 tricks, your opponent could get 2 points. Leading with trump cards is risky but can also be a huge advantage if done right. If you have a garbage hand with say only one good trump card like an Ace of hearts, play it fast.

By playing your one good card right away, you will force your opponents to relinquish their higher cards in that suit and possibly prevent them from being able to take a trick with some of the lower numbered cards. So whatever you do, don’t pass up an early trumping opportunity. If your partner calls trump, play your bowers right away, unless doing so will cause you to trump your partner!! Remember, oftentimes, you are playing as a team.
There are many variations to 500 and many proven strategies for each.

The most important things to consider when playing 500, or any card game, is to pay attention, stay focused, stay in sync with your partner(s), always remember the highest unplayed card in each suit and play your hand accordingly, Don’t be afraid to call trump early on in the game if you have some really good high cards, and most importantly, have fun!!