To count cards in Spades, track which cards have been played in each suit, who is out of each suit, and how many spades remain. You do not add card values as you would in blackjack.

A standard four-player Spades game uses a 52-card deck. Each player receives 13 cards, and the hand lasts 13 tricks.

The Fastest Way to Count Cards in Spades

Use three counts during the hand:

Count What to track Why it matters
Suit count Cards played in hearts, diamonds, clubs and spades Shows which cards may still be held
Spade count Spades played and spades still unseen Helps you judge trump control
Void count Players who cannot follow a suit Shows who can trump or discard

You do not need to memorize all 52 cards. Start with high cards, spades and players who become void in a suit.

Count Each Suit from High to Low

The card order in each suit is:

Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2

When a suit is played, remember its high cards first:

  • Ace
  • King
  • Queen
  • Jack
  • 10
  • Any card that could affect the trick you plan to win

If you hold the King of Hearts, check whether the Ace of Hearts has been played. If it has, your king may win a heart trick unless another player can trump with a spade.

A Simple Suit Ledger

You can keep a mental record like this:

Suit Important cards played Cards that may still matter
Hearts A♥, Q♥ K♥ may now win
Diamonds A♦, K♦ Q♦ may now win
Clubs A♣ K♣ is still at risk
Spades A♠, J♠, 8♠ Count the remaining trump cards

The aim is not to locate every low card. You need to know which cards can still beat the card you plan to play.

Count Spades Separately

Spades are always trump in standard Spades. A spade beats every card from another suit. If no spade is played, the highest card of the suit that was led wins.

There are 13 spades in the deck. Track:

  1. The spades in your hand.
  2. The spades already played.
  3. The spades that may still be in your opponents' hands.

For example, if you hold four spades and have seen five spades played, nine spades are accounted for. Four spades remain in the other players' hands.

That count helps you decide whether a non-spade lead is safe. If most high spades are gone, a medium spade may win later in the hand.

Watch the High Spades

Pay close attention to:

  • Ace of spades
  • King of spades
  • Queen of spades
  • Jack of spades
  • 10 of spades

Once the ace, king and queen of spades have been played, the jack or 10 may become a winning card. The lower spades still in play determine how safe they are.

How Do You Know When a Player Is Void?

A player is void in a suit when that player has no cards left in it. You know this when the player cannot follow the suit that was led.

In standard Spades, players must follow suit when they can. If they cannot, they may discard another suit or play a spade.

For example:

  1. You lead a heart.
  2. An opponent plays a diamond.
  3. That opponent has no hearts remaining.
  4. The opponent can now use a spade when you lead hearts again.

A void player can:

  • Win a trick with a spade.
  • Discard a losing card from another suit.
  • Interrupt a trick your partner expected to win.
  • Help protect a nil bid, depending on the hand.

Keep a mental record of each void:

  • West: void in hearts
  • North: void in clubs
  • East: void in diamonds

Count How Many Cards Remain in Each Suit

Each suit starts with 13 cards. To estimate what remains, account for:

  • Cards in your hand.
  • Cards already played.
  • Cards you know another player holds.

Suppose you hold five diamonds and have seen four diamonds played. Nine diamonds are accounted for, leaving four diamonds among the other players.

This count helps you judge whether a player can still follow suit. It also shows when a suit is close to running out and a player may be able to trump.

You do not need the exact location of every unknown card. Focus on four questions:

  • Is the suit nearly exhausted?
  • Which player may be void?
  • Is a high card still at risk?
  • Can your partner still follow suit?

Count Tricks as Well as Cards

Card counting tells you what remains. Trick counting tells you when to use it.

After each trick, note:

  • Which team won.
  • Which suit was led.
  • Whether a spade was played.
  • Which high cards were removed.
  • How many tricks each team still needs to meet its bid.

A standard Spades hand has 13 tricks, and each player bids the number of tricks they expect to win.

If your team bid seven tricks and has already won six, you need one more. At that point, you may stop risking high cards and focus on avoiding unnecessary tricks or bags.

A Four-Step Card-Counting Method for Beginners

1. Watch Every Spade

Count the spades as they are played. At first, focus on the high spades rather than trying to remember every low card.

2. Track the Aces and Kings

Remember whether each ace and king has been played. These cards often decide who controls a suit.

3. Mark Every Void

When a player fails to follow suit, remember that player is void in that suit. That information can matter for the rest of the hand.

4. Count Down the Hand

Each player starts with 13 cards. After five tricks, each player has eight cards. After 10 tricks, each player has three.

The number of cards remaining becomes especially useful in the final tricks, when a player's voids and remaining spades are easier to predict.

Example of Counting Cards in Spades

Suppose you hold:

  • A♠, 7♠, J♠, 10♠
  • K♥, 8♥
  • A♦, 4♦, 2♦
  • Q♣, 9♣, 6♣, 3♣

During play, you see:

  • A♥ and Q♥ played
  • A♣ and K♣ played
  • Five spades played, including K♠ and Q♠
  • One opponent fail to follow diamonds

From that information, you can conclude:

  1. The opponent who failed to follow diamonds is void in diamonds.
  2. That opponent can trump a future diamond lead.
  3. The Ace of Hearts is gone, so your King of Hearts may control a heart trick unless someone plays a spade.
  4. The King and Queen of Spades are gone, making your Jack and 10 more valuable.
  5. The clubs are weaker because the Ace and King have been played, although the Jack and 10 may still beat your lower clubs.
  6. Leading diamonds toward the player who is void in diamonds may give that player a chance to trump. Do it only if that is part of your plan.

What Should You Count First?

Count spades first, then voids, aces, kings and the cards that can beat your planned winner. Track the exact locations of low cards only when they affect a late-hand decision.

Use this priority order:

  1. Spades remaining
  2. Players who are void
  3. Aces and kings
  4. Cards that can beat your planned winner
  5. Tricks your team still needs
  6. Low cards and exact card locations

This order gives you the most useful information without forcing you to memorize the entire deck.

Common Card-Counting Mistakes

Trying to Memorize All 52 Cards

Most players gain more from tracking high cards, spades and voids than from remembering every 6, 7 or 8. Too much attention to low cards can make you miss a player's void or an unplayed high spade.

Forgetting That a Player Is Void

A player who is void can trump whenever that suit is led. Record the void as soon as it appears.

Counting Only Your Own Tricks

Track both teams' tricks. The score affects whether you should pursue another trick, protect a nil bid or avoid taking bags.

Ignoring the Lead

The led suit determines who must follow. Each lead gives you information about the cards still held by the other players.

Assuming a High Card Is Safe

An ace can still lose to a spade. A king can lose to an unplayed ace. A medium spade can lose to a higher spade that has not appeared.

The rule to remember: track spades, remember high cards and mark every player who fails to follow suit.