How to play Spades
Bid a partnership contract, use spades as trump, and manage overtrick bags.
- Players
- 4 in partnerships
- Trump
- Always spades
- Win threshold
- 500
- Bag penalty
- −100 per 10 bags
Bidding
Each player bids 0–13 tricks, beginning left of the dealer. A bid of 0 is nil. Partners' non-nil bids combine into one team contract. Double nil is optional for eligible players when their partnership trails by more than 200; it is chosen before seeing the cards and has no exchange.
Playing tricks
The player left of the dealer leads. Follow suit when possible. Spades are trump but may not be led until broken by a previously played spade unless the leader holds only spades. Highest trump wins; otherwise highest card of the led suit wins.
Scoring
Making the team contract scores 10 per bid trick plus 1 per overtrick. Missing loses 10 per bid trick. Overtricks are bags; every 10 bags costs 100 and removes 10 bags. Nil scores +100 when successful and −100 when failed; its tricks still count toward the regular partnership contract. Double nil scores ±200.
Winning
After a hand, the game ends when a team has at least 500 or at most −200 and the totals are not tied. The higher score wins. Tied threshold scores continue to another hand.
Beginner strategy
- Bid likely winners, not merely high cards.
- Treat both ordinary bids as one partnership target.
- Bid nil only with low cards, few spades, and escape cards.
- Protect a partner's nil by taking dangerous tricks; pressure an opponent's nil.
- Once the contract is safe, avoid needless tricks near a bag penalty.
- Track spent spades and high cards.