Although Five Hundred is now the national card game of Australia, it was in fact invented in the USA, and promoted by the US Playing Card Company, who copyrighted the rules in 1904. The game is called 500 because the first team (or player) to reach a total score of at least 500 points wins. It is an extension of Euchre, in which the following elements have been added:

• each player is dealt 10 cards instead of 5
• trump is not turned up, but is chosen by whoever is willing to contract for the greatest number of tricks;
• the size of the pack is adjusted, so that all the cards are dealt to the players except for a kitty of three cards, which can be used by the highest bidder.