American Five Hundred

Preliminaries
Four play in fixed partnerships with a 45-card pack (4 ×
AKQJT987654, plus Joker). Agree in advance whether or not to
admit nullo (misere) bids.

The first to draw a Jack deals first.

Deal ten each and a five-card hand called the ‘middle’ as

follows: 3-(3)-2-(2)-3-2, the figures in brackets being those
of the middle.

Ace – no face
A player dealt exactly one Ace but no courts or Joker may call
for the deal to be annulled by claiming ‘Ace – no face’. If
the partner agrees, the deal is annulled without reference to
the opponents.

If not, play ensues, but the claimant’s partnership may not

then bid nullo.

Bidding
Only one of the first two players may bid six (announced as
‘Inkle’ – e.g. ‘Inkle spades’). If both pass, the minimum bid
is seven, otherwise the deal is abandoned.

The first two players who make a bid may, if bidding no trump,
announce it in either of two ways in order to convey
information to their partner. The standard announcement is
‘Seven [or whatever] no trump’. The special announcement
‘Seven, No’ means that the bidder holds either the Joker or
‘split Bowers’ (two Jacks of opposite colour). ‘Inkle no’ is
an acceptable bid from the first or second player.

Nullo bids If admitted, a simple nullo counts 250 and a grand

nullo, or granola, 510. In a simple nullo the bidder’s partner
lays his hand face down and the bidder plays alone against two
opponents. Granola may be bid only by the partner of a player
who bid nullo. If established, this player takes the middle
into hand and makes any five discards face down. The original
nullo bidder then takes these into hand and does likewise.
Both must play, and both lose if either takes a trick.
Play and score
As for Australian Five Hundred.