                  500 (BID) Official Team Rules
                  =============================

OBJECT:   To reach a score of 500 before your opponents.

PLAYERS:  Four, two playing as partners.  The partners must sit
          across from each other.

DECK:     One 43-card pack which includes A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8,
          7, 6, 5 of each suit, 4 , 4 , and the Joker.

RANKS:    The Joker is the highest card in the deck.  If a trump
          suit is named, then the trump suit is next in rank,
          ranking J of trump suit, J of the same color suit,
          followed by A, K, Q, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 (and 4 if trump
          is red) of the trump suit.  All other suits follow
          standard ranking from Ace down to 5 or 4.  For example,
          if hearts are trump, then the ranking of trump is the
          Joker, J , J , A , K , Q , 10 , 9 , 8 , 7 , 6
          , 5 , 4 .  If no trump suit is named, then the
          highest card in each suit is the Ace and continues down
          to 5 or 4.  However, the Joker still outranks any other
          card.

DEALING:  The dealer deals a set of three cards face down to each
          player, followed by a set of three in the center for a
          widow.  The dealer then deals a set of four cards to
          each player, followed by a set of three cards. 
          Everyone should have ten cards and the widow should
          contain three.

BIDDING:  Bidding begins with the eldest hand (player to the left
          of the dealer).  Each player has the option to bid or
          pass.  The schedule of bidding is listed below.  If a
          bid is made, it must be of higher value than any
          previous bids made.  Each player has one opportunity to
          bid, with the dealer having the opportunity to make the
          final bid.  If no one bids, then the hand is thrown in
          and the dealer must redeal.

                               6    7    8    9   10
                 Spades       40  140  240  340  440
                 Clubs        60  160  260  360  460
                 Diamonds     80  180  280  380  480
                 Hearts      100  200  300  400  500
               -  No Trump    120  220  320  420  520

          If a player bids nullo, then he or she is trying to
          lose every trick.  A bid of nullo is worth 250, falling
          bewteen 8 spades and 8 clubs.  A bid of double nullo is
          worth 500, as is a bid of bar nullo.  There is no trump
          suit in nullo.  A bid of double nullo may ONLY be made
          if his or her partner bid nullo.

PLAYING:  The suit of the highest bid is named trump.  The
          highest bidder takes the cards in the widow.  This
          player must then discard any three cards.  The bidder
          then leads the first card.  All players must play the
          suit which is led if they have it.  If a player does
          not have a card of the led suit, then he or she may
          play any card.  The highest ranking card of the led
          suit wins the trick unless a card of the trump suit has
          been thrown.  In this case, the highest trump card wins
          the trick.  (In the case of no trump, this is only
          applicable to the Joker.)  If the Joker is led when
          there is no trump, then the person leading the Joker
          names the suit which he or she wants played.  If a bid
          of nullo was made, then the bidder's partner does not
          play the hand; only the bidder and the opposing team
          play their cards.  If a bid of double nullo was made,
          then BOTH the bidder and his or her partner play the
          hand, both trying to LOSE every trick.  If a bid of
          bar nullo was made, then the bidder's partner does not
          play the hand, as in nullo.  However, the bidder MAY NOT
          take the widow; he or she must play with the cards dealt
          to him or her.  The hand is over when all ten tricks
          have been won.

SCORING:  The bidding team must earn the number of tricks which
          they bid, with the named suit being trump.  If this is
          accomplished, then their bid is added to their score.
          If they fail to do so, then their bid is deducted from
          their score.  If the bidding team takes all ten tricks,
          then they score either 250 or the amount of their bid,
          whichever is larger.  The opposing team earns 10 points
          for each trick they take.  If a player bids nullo, double
          nullo, or bar nullo, the object is to lose every trick.
          If this is accomplished, then the bidding team receives
          250 points and the defending team receives no score for
          the hand.  However, if the bidding team takes at least
          one trick, then the bidding team loses 250 points and 
          the defending team receives 10 points for each trick that
          they LOST (or 10 points for each trick that the bidding
          team won).

WINNING:  The first bidding team to reach 500 wins the game.  A
          team wins by exceeding 500 only when taking a bid for
          that hand, i.e. a team cannot win by exceeding 500 when
          playing defense.  If, however, a team reaches -1,000
          during a game, the opposing team automatically wins.

IRREGS:   MISDEAL:  If a "misdeal" occurs, then the hand is
               nullified and the dealer must redeal the hand.

              not everyone receives exactly ten (10) cards, and
               there are not exactly three (3) cards in the widow

              the person to the right of the dealer was not
               given the opportunity to cut the deck

              a card is turned face up during the deal

          RENEGING:  If a player unintentionally fails to play
               the led suit when able but acknowledges the error
               before the card is led for the next trick, then he
               may retract the card and replace it with the
               correct one.  A renege cannot occur when leading a
               card, playing the led suit, or playing another
               suit when out of the led suit.  Once a card is
               played, it CANNOT be retracted except for a renege
               or when playing more than one card.

          PLAYING OUT OF TURN:  If a player plays a card before
               the person to his right plays, then the card must
               remain on the table except for a renege, in which
               case the correct card must be played immediately.

          PLAYING MULTIPLE CARDS:  If a player unintentionally
               plays more than one card in a given turn, then he
               may retract the unintentional card(s), but must
               leave one (1) card remaining on the table, unless
               a renege has occurred.

OPTIONS:  An alternate way of playing is with a five-card widow.
          In this case, a 45-card deck is used implementing all
          of the fours.  After the second round of dealing, two
          additional cards are dealt to the widow.  Bidding then
          usually begins at 7 spades, disallowing any 6 bids.
          
          The original game states that the first team to reach
          500 is the winner, regardless whether they accomplished
          this on offense or defense.  In case both teams exceed
          500 during the same hand, the bidder wins.  However, to
          promote bidding, it is recommended that the only way to
          win the game is to bid during the final hand.  If a team
          exceeds 500 without bidding, the game continues until a
          BIDDING team reaches 500. 
          
          To promote bidding but yet prevent long, drawn-out games,
          a team must bid to win.  However, if a team reaches 750
          points, they win, and if they reach -750, they lose.
          Some players also limit the number of hands in a game to
          prevent 25-hand games.
          
          Some players allow misdeals.  If a player is dealt no
          face cards, aces, or trump, then he or she can throw the
          hand in and call for a misdeal.  To make misdeals less
          common, a rule can be implemented that anyone EXCEPT for
          the bidder can call for a misdeal.

          Some players disallow the nullo bid, or only allow bids
          of single nullo for 250 points.
          