Omaha daily bee., 1909-05-30
IN FIVE HUNDRED
Pointers on the Standard Game as it
is Now Played.
THE GAME IN IT'S BEST FORM
Conflicting Laws Made 60 Agree
where the Game IS played with
Three and -Four Players
Methods of Scoring.

very few games have attained the same
popularity in a short time az five hundred
It's favor is probably due to the tact that
h 10 a game which is peculiarly suited to
nlayers ~ widely differing powers, and
then IL is one Of the very few good games
for three persons.
Since its first Introduction to the cara
playing world five or six years ago tive
hundred has undergone q number or
changes for the better. BY degrees the
conflicting laws which have appeared IN
various text books have been changed IN
succeeding editions until now the books
are All in accord but one, and the publish
ers Of that one are promising TO fall into
line with their next issue, which will be In
the early fall. The standard game, as u
"a now PLAYED in all first-class clubs ana
wherever tournan ents are held, viii prob
ably remain without any further change
for many years.
Although five hundred Is essentially a
game for three players. four NAV take
part: either two against two as partners
or nv the arrangement which demands that
the DEALER shall take no cards.
The standard pack for three players Is
thirty-two cards and the Joker. In PLAIN
suits the cards rank from the ace down to
the seven. In the trump suit the joker is
ALWAYS the best trump, the jack OF the
trump suit is the second best or right
hover. the lack OF the same color IL the
third best or left bower, and then come the
ace. king. queen and ten, so that there are
always ten trunps.
Joker suit by Itself.
when there is no trump suit the joker
becomes a suit by itself and there are four
plain suits Of eight cards each. In this
respect the joker very Glossy resembles
the four lacks In a grando in Ne game OF
skat: In fact. It would avoid a great deal OF
MISUNDERSTANDING II a no trumper were
called a grando In 500. as 1t seems absurd
To call IL a no trumper when there Is a
trumn suit. even II that suit be only one
card.
The holder OF the joker is not allowed
IN trump with II as long as he can follow
suit. II he leads the joker he may name
the suit which shall be played to the lead
but he cannot name any particular card
OF that suit.
When four play ten cards are added to
the pack. These cards are the skies, fives
and two OF the fours. usually the black
ones, so that they may be the more easily
recollected. In cutting for the first deal
and for partners, when four play, low WINS
Aces are high and the Joker Is the owes'
card in the pack in cutting.
No matter how many play, the cards are
always dealt in the same way. three at q
time for the first round and then three laid
out face down for the widow. then -four
each, so thai the full pack is dealt out
There are always three cards In the widow
and ten cards in eac playing hand. II Is g
misdeal to give a different number OF cardf
IN the same round, or TO deal for the widow
at the wrong time.
bidder Names Trump.
The interesting part of five hundred IL
the bidding for the privilege OF naming
the trump and playing against the two
other persons at the table. Each player
in turn, beginning with the one on the
dealers left. has a right TO make a bib
There are no second bids. and II the player
does not wish to bid at all he can pass
II all pass without bidding, IL is a grando
or ne trumper each man for himself.
The bidder must name the number Of
tricks he will undertake TO win, playing
single handed against the two others, and
he must name the suit that he will make
the trump, or say that he will play with.
out q trump. No bid of less than siS