Three-player Spades is a cutthroat card game played with 51 cards. Remove the 2 of Clubs, deal 17 cards to each player, and have everyone bid and score independently. There are no partnerships, so each player must win enough tricks to cover their own bid.
Three-Player Spades Rules at a Glance
| Rule | Three-player version |
|---|---|
| Players | 3 |
| Deck | 51 cards |
| Card removed | Usually the 2 of Clubs |
| Cards per player | 17 |
| Partnerships | None |
| Bidding | Each player bids for themselves |
| Tricks per hand | 17 |
| Trump suit | Spades |
| Recommended winning score | 500 points |
1. How Do You Deal Spades With Three Players?
Remove the 2 of Clubs from a standard 52-card deck, then deal 17 cards to each player.
- Choose a dealer.
- Deal clockwise.
- Remove the 2 of Clubs before dealing.
- Give each player 17 cards.
- Have the player to the dealer's left lead the first trick.
You can remove a different card if everyone agrees, but use the same card every hand. The 2 of Clubs is a convenient choice because the remaining 51 cards divide evenly among three players.
2. Bid the Number of Tricks You Expect to Win
Before the first card is played, each player announces how many tricks they expect to take. Players bid for themselves because there are no teams.
For a beginner game, allow bids from 1 through 17. For example:
- Player 1 bids 5
- Player 2 bids 3
- Player 3 bids 6
Each player then tries to win at least their bid.
Optional Nil Bids
A Nil bid means the player expects to win zero tricks. Agree on Nil rules before dealing.
| Nil result | Score |
|---|---|
| Successful Nil | +100 points |
| Failed Nil | -100 points |
Nil is harder with three players because no partner can help cover the bid.
3. How Do You Play Each Trick?
The player to the dealer's left leads the first trick. The winner of each trick leads the next one.
For every trick:
- The leader plays one card.
- Each other player must follow the suit led if possible.
- A player who cannot follow suit may play any card, including a spade.
- If a spade is played, the highest spade wins.
- If no spade is played, the highest card in the suit led wins.
Spades cannot normally be led until a player has used a spade to trump another suit. A player who has only spades left may lead a spade.
Example
If the first card is the 10 of Hearts:
- Players with hearts must play a heart.
- A player without a heart may play a spade or discard another suit.
- The highest spade wins if anyone plays one.
- If no one plays a spade, the highest heart wins.
4. How Do You Score Three-Player Spades?
Score each player separately after every hand.
| Result | Score |
|---|---|
| Meet your bid | 10 points per bid trick |
| Take extra tricks | 1 point for each extra trick |
| Fail to meet your bid | Subtract 10 points per bid trick |
Examples:
- Bid 5 and win 5 tricks: 50 points
- Bid 5 and win 7 tricks: 52 points
- Bid 5 and win 4 tricks: -50 points
- Bid 3 and win 5 tricks: 32 points
Some groups use bags for extra tricks. With that system, every 10 extra tricks costs 100 points. Decide which scoring method to use before the first hand.
5. Choose the Winning Score
A 500-point target gives you the familiar longer version of Spades. Add each player's score to their running total after every hand, and continue until at least one player reaches 500 points.
If two or more players reach 500 during the same hand, the player with the highest total score wins. For a shorter game, use 300 points instead. Groups also play to 400 points.
Three-Player Spades Strategy
Bid Conservatively
Count only the tricks you are reasonably likely to win. An ace is usually strong, but it can lose if another player has no cards in that suit and uses a spade.
Count Your Spades
Several spades can help you control tricks, but low spades are not guaranteed winners. Keep track of the high spades that have already been played.
Watch Your Extra Tricks
If you have already met your bid, avoid taking extra tricks when possible. Extra tricks can create bags if your group uses the 10-bag penalty.
Remember the 17-Trick Hand
Each player has 17 cards, so every hand contains 17 tricks. That gives players more time to use spades and makes each hand longer than a regular 13-card game.
Alternative: Play With a Dummy Hand
To keep traditional partnerships, deal four 13-card hands. Three people receive a hand, and the fourth hand becomes a face-up dummy hand. The player with the highest bid plays with the dummy hand as a partner.
This version takes more work to manage. For exactly three people, cutthroat Spades is usually the clearer format because everyone plays and scores independently.