Spades Rules

Spades is a popular American trick-taking card game that is typically played by four players in partnerships. Originating in the United States in the 1930s, this game has become increasingly popular internationally since the mid-1990s due to its availability in online card rooms on the internet.

Game Overview

Spades is played with a standard deck of 52 cards, and spades are always trumps. The objective is to win at least as many tricks as your partnership bid during the bidding phase — bidding accurately matters more than simply taking tricks, because unwanted extra tricks eventually cost your team points.

Objective

The primary goal in Spades is to win a number of tricks equal to or greater than the number you bid during the bidding phase, while also aiming to take additional tricks (overtricks) to earn extra points.

Setup

1. Players: Four players are organized into fixed partnerships, with partners sitting opposite each other.
2. Deal and play proceed clockwise.
3. A standard deck of 52 cards is used, with the cards in each suit ranking from highest to lowest: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
4. The first dealer is chosen at random, and the turn to deal rotates clockwise.
5. The cards are shuffled and then dealt singly, in clockwise order beginning with the player on dealer's left, until all 52 cards have been dealt, and everyone has 13 cards.

How to Play

1. Bidding: Each player, starting with the player to the left of the dealer and moving clockwise, bids a number of tricks they hope to take. The bids are added together for each partnership, and the total number of tricks each team must try to win is the objective for the hand. It is possible to bid a Nil, which is a declaration that the player who bid Nil will not win any tricks during the play. There is an extra bonus for a successful Nil bid and a penalty for a failed Nil bid. Blind nil, a nil bid declared before a player looks at their cards, is also allowed under certain conditions.
2. Playing the Hand: The player to the left of the dealer leads any card except a spade to the first trick. Each player, in turn, must follow suit if able; if unable to follow suit, the player may play any card. A trick containing a spade is won by the highest spade played; if no spade is played, the trick is won by the highest card of the suit led. The winner of each trick leads to the next. Spades may not be led until either some player has played a spade (on the lead of another suit, of course), or the leader has nothing but spades left in hand.
3. Scoring: A side that takes at least as many tricks as its bid calls for receives a score equal to 10 times its bid. Additional tricks (overtricks) are worth an extra one point each. A side that does not make its bid loses 10 points for each trick it bid. Overtricks are known as bags, and under the sandbagging rule a side that accumulates ten or more bags has 100 points deducted, any bags beyond ten carrying over to the next cycle. A successful nil is worth 100 points to the bidder's side and a failed one loses 100; a blind nil scores twice as much, 200 either way. The side which reaches 500 points first wins the game; if both sides reach 500 in the same deal, the side with the higher score wins.

Common Variants

1. Dennis J Barmore's rules: In this variation, the game is played with a standard deck with two distinct jokers, and the twos of clubs and hearts are removed from the pack. The two jokers are the highest trumps, and if one is colorful and the other is plain, the colorful one is higher. The third highest trump is the two of spades.
2. New York City rules: a variation popular in New York, in which two jokers are included and two of the twos are removed from the deck, again changing the rank of the trump suit.

In Barmore's rules the trump suit therefore ranks: big joker, small joker, 2 of spades, A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and the jokers count as spades for the purpose of following suit. There is no nil or blind nil there, but a partnership may bid a blind seven if neither partner has looked at their cards, which doubles the score to 140 if successful and -140 if not.

Why This Game Is So Popular

Spades is a highly addictive game due to its strategic depth, combined with the thrill of bidding accurately and outsmarting your opponents. A memorable moment in play often occurs when a player successfully bids Nil and manages to win no tricks, earning a significant bonus for their team.

Where to Get the Game

52-card deck on Amazon

Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

1. Bidding too high: New players often overestimate their abilities and bid too many tricks, which can lead to penalties if they fail to take the bidded number of tricks.
2. Not paying attention to partner's bid: It is essential to work together with your partner during the bidding phase, as the partnership's total bid determines the objective for the hand.

FAQ

1. Can I bid Nil during the bidding phase? Yes, bidding Nil allows you to win no tricks during the hand, earning a bonus if successful.
2. Do bids have to be higher than the previous one? No. Everyone must bid a number and nobody may pass, but unlike other auction games a bid does not have to beat the last one, there is no second round of bidding, and a bid once made cannot be altered. What counts is the total of the two partners' bids.
3. Can I lead spades? Not until spades have been broken — that is, until some player has played a spade on the lead of another suit — unless the leader has nothing but spades left in hand. In addition, the very first trick may never be led with a spade.
4. How many points do I need to win the game? The game is won by the first side to reach 500 points. If both sides pass 500 in the same deal, the side with the higher score wins.
5. What is a bag? A bag is an overtrick — a trick taken beyond your bid. Each one is worth 1 extra point, but a side that accumulates ten or more bags has 100 points deducted from its score.

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