📋 Contents
1 Overview
Spades is an American trick-taking card game played in two partnerships of two. Spades are always trump. Before each hand, every player bids how many tricks they expect to win. Your team must collectively meet its bid to score points. Fall short and you get penalized. Take too many extra tricks and you accumulate "bags" that eventually cost 100 points. The game rewards accurate bidding and sharp trump management.
2 What You Need
- 1 standard 52-card deck (no jokers)
- Score pad and pencil
3 Setup
- 4 players form 2 teams. Partners sit across from each other (North-South vs East-West).
- Shuffle and deal all 52 cards: 13 per player.
- Players sort their hands by suit. Bidding begins to the left of the dealer.
4 Bidding
Each player bids independently (no partner communication), starting left of the dealer. Each player bids the number of tricks (0-13) they believe they will personally win. The team's bid is the sum of both partners' individual bids.
| Bid Type | Description | Scoring |
|---|---|---|
| Standard (1-13) | Normal trick bid | 10x bid if made; -10x bid if set |
| Nil | Bid to take zero tricks | +100 if zero tricks; -100 if any trick taken |
| Blind Nil | Nil bid before seeing your hand | +200 if zero tricks; -200 if any trick taken |
5 How to Play
- The player to the dealer's left leads the first trick. They may lead any card EXCEPT a Spade (Spades cannot be led until they have been "broken" -- a Spade played on a previous trick by someone void in the led suit).
- Players must follow the led suit if they can. If void, they may play any card including a Spade.
- Spades are always trump. If any Spades were played, the highest Spade wins. Otherwise the highest card of the led suit wins.
- The trick winner leads the next trick.
- After all 13 tricks are played, score the hand.
6 Scoring and the Bags Rule
| Outcome | Score |
|---|---|
| Make team bid (bid or better) | 10 points per trick bid |
| Each overtrick (bag) | +1 point per extra trick |
| Every 10 bags accumulated | -100 points; bags reset to 0 |
| Fail to make team bid (set) | -10 points per trick bid |
| Nil success | +100 for the team |
| Nil failure (any trick taken) | -100 for the team |
| Boston (all 13 tricks) | +200 bonus (many variant rules) |
7 Nil Bids in Depth
A Nil bid means you commit to taking ZERO tricks. Your partner still plays to make their own bid. During play, your partner can protect you by winning tricks you are about to lose, leading suits where you can safely discard, and avoiding giving you the lead.
Blind Nil
Blind Nil is bid before seeing your cards. Allowed only when your team is significantly behind (commonly 100+ points). After bidding Blind Nil, you look at your hand and swap 2 cards with your partner. Success: +200. Any trick taken: -200.
8 Variants
Cutthroat Spades (3-Player)
Remove the 2 of Clubs (51 cards, 17 each). Each player bids and scores independently. First to 200 (or 500) wins.
Two-Player Spades
Deal 13 cards each. The remaining 26 are placed face-down. Players alternate drawing one card before playing each trick. Bidding and scoring otherwise identical.
Joker Variants
Many online and casual games add Big Joker and Little Joker as the top two trumps (ranking above the Ace of Spades). Both count as Spades for all rule purposes.
9 Strategy Guide
Bid Accurately
Count your definite winners: Aces, Kings in long suits, high Spades. Bid conservatively on Queens in short suits. Overbidding is the primary cause of losses. A well-made bid of 4 earns 40 points. Being set on a bid of 6 costs 60 points.
Avoid Bags
Ten bags costs 100 points -- equivalent to being set twice on a bid of 5. When at 7-8 bags, deliberately under-play winning cards to avoid taking extra tricks.
Sandbagging vs Aggressive Play
Sandbagging (under-bidding) risks accumulating bags yourself. Aggressive play (bidding your full strength) exposes you to being set. The best players calibrate based on score differential and bag count.
Nil Support
If your partner is playing Nil, your primary job is protecting them. Lead suits where you hold the highest card. Win tricks your partner is about to take. Do not lead Spades if it endangers your Nil bidder.
Trump Preservation
Save the Ace and King of Spades for moments when you absolutely need to win a trick. Do not waste high Spades early in hands where the outcome is not yet decided.
10 Wrong House Rules
- "You can lead Spades any time." Spades cannot be led until broken. Agree on any exceptions before the game.
- "Overtricks add 10 points each." Wrong. Bags add only 1 point each, but 10 bags triggers -100.
- "If set, you just score zero." Being set means you LOSE 10 points per trick bid -- not just score zero.
- "Nil means your team bids zero." Only the Nil bidder commits to zero tricks. Their partner still has their own independent bid.
11 History of Spades
Spades was invented in the United States in the late 1930s, reportedly first played in Cincinnati, Ohio around 1937. The game spread rapidly through American college campuses and military barracks during World War II, where it became one of the most widely played card games among troops.
Spades simplifies Bridge's bidding system and Whist's trick-taking mechanics into an accessible game requiring no dummy hand or auction. The permanent trump suit and fixed partnerships make it immediately learnable while still rewarding skill. Today Spades is one of the top online card games with millions of daily players across mobile and web platforms.
12 Frequently Asked Questions
What are bags in Spades?
Bags are overtricks -- tricks won above your team's bid. Each bag adds 1 point but every 10 bags costs your team 100 points. Managing bags is one of the most important long-term strategies in Spades.
What happens if you are set in Spades?
If your team fails to make its bid, you lose 10 points per trick bid. A bid of 6 that wins only 4 tricks costs 60 points.
Can your partner help you make a Nil bid?
Yes. Your partner can win tricks you are about to take, lead suits that let you safely discard, and generally play to protect your Nil bid.
When can you lead Spades?
You can lead Spades only after they have been broken -- a Spade played on a trick because a player had no cards in the led suit.
What is Blind Nil?
Blind Nil is a Nil bid made before seeing your cards. Worth +200 if successful; -200 if you take any trick. Usually only allowed when your team is 100+ points behind.
What does Boston mean in Spades?
Boston means one team wins all 13 tricks in a hand. Some variants award a bonus of +200 points. It is extremely rare in competitive play.
What is the game target in Spades?
Standard games end when a team reaches 500 points. If both teams hit 500 in the same hand, the higher score wins.
Can you play Spades with 3 players?
Yes, in Cutthroat Spades. Remove the 2 of Clubs, deal 17 cards each, and each player bids and scores independently.
Do jokers count as Spades?
In many modern and online versions, yes. Big Joker and Little Joker rank above the Ace of Spades as the top two trumps. This is not in traditional rules but is common in casual and online play.
What is the minimum bid in Spades?
In most versions you can bid as low as 1. Nil is a special 0-trick bid with its own scoring rules. Some groups require a minimum of 2 or 3; agree before starting.
🎲 House Rules
Play Spades your way?
Save your house rules and share a link or QR code — friends can pull them up at the table.