Spades

How to play Spades

Goal

Four players in two partnerships, partners sitting across from each other. Bid the tricks your side will take, make your bid, and be the first side to 500 points.

Bidding

• Everyone is dealt 13 cards. Starting left of the dealer, each player bids how many tricks they expect to take. Partners’ bids add up to their side’s contract.
• A bid of nil promises to take no tricks at all. It stands on its own and doesn’t count toward the side’s contract.

Playing a hand

• The player left of the dealer leads the first trick.
• Follow the suit that was led if you can. If you can’t, play anything, including a spade.
• Spades are always trump: the highest spade wins the trick, or the highest card of the suit led if no spade was played. The winner leads next.
• Spades can’t be led until one has been played on another suit, unless you hold only spades.

Scoring

• Make your contract and your side scores 10 points for each trick bid, plus 1 for each extra trick (a bag). Miss it and your side loses 10 for each trick bid.
• A nil bid that takes no tricks scores 100. One that takes any loses 100, whatever the partner does.
• Every 10 bags a side collects over the game costs it 100 points.
• The first side to 500 wins. If both get there on the same hand, the higher score wins.

Variations

Picked in the lobby before the game starts.

• Game to: 500 points. The host can also choose 200 or 300.
• Nil bids: On. A player may bid to take no tricks, for 100 points, or lose 100 if they take one. Off, every bid is at least 1.
• Bag penalty: On. Every 10 extra tricks a side takes costs it 100 points. Off, extra tricks are just worth 1 point each.