Spades is a four-player partnership card game. Partners sit across from each other, each player receives 13 cards, and spades are always the trump suit. Before play begins, each player bids the number of tricks they expect to win. Players must follow the suit led when possible, and the first team to reach the agreed score wins.
This guide uses the common version with nil bids, bags, a 100-point bag penalty, and a winning score of 500. Spades has many house rules, so agree on the scoring before dealing.
Rules version: ****
Spades Rules at a Glance
| Rule | Standard game |
|---|---|
| Players | 4 |
| Teams | 2 partnerships |
| Partners sit | Opposite each other |
| Deck | Standard 52-card deck |
| Cards per player | 13 |
| Trump suit | Spades |
| Card ranking | Ace high, 2 low |
| Bidding | One bid per player |
| Common winning score | 500 points |
| Nil bid | Bid to win zero tricks |
| Bag penalty | Usually -100 points for every 10 bags |
1. Set Up the Game
Use a standard 52-card deck. Choose a dealer, shuffle the cards, and deal them one at a time clockwise. Each player receives 13 cards.
The player across from you is your partner. Your team combines both bids and tries to win at least that many tricks. The deal passes clockwise after each hand.
Cards rank from highest to lowest:
Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2
Spades beat every card in the other three suits.
2. Bid How Many Tricks You Expect to Win
A trick contains one card from each of the four players.
Starting with the player to the dealer's left, each player announces a number from 1 to 13. In games that allow nil, a player can bid nil, which means they expect to win zero tricks. Each player bids once. There is no auction in which players pass or raise one another's bids.
The partners add their bids together to create the team contract.
Example of Bidding
- You bid 3.
- Your partner bids 4.
- Your team contract is 7.
Your team needs to win at least seven tricks to avoid being set.
How Beginners Should Estimate a Bid
Count cards that are likely to win tricks:
- Aces are usually strong winners.
- Kings are safer when you also hold the ace or several cards in that suit.
- High spades are valuable because spades beat every non-spade.
- A long suit can help you control that suit later.
- A short suit can let you play a spade when that suit is led.
Do not count every high card as a guaranteed trick. An unsupported queen or king may lose to an ace, another spade, or a player who is void in that suit.
3. Play the Tricks
The player to the dealer's left leads the first trick.
Each player plays one card clockwise. Players must follow suit if they can. If a player cannot follow suit, they may play any card, including a spade.
The trick goes to:
- The highest spade played, if a spade was played.
- Otherwise, the highest card in the suit that was led.
The player who wins the trick collects the four cards and leads the next one.
Example
Suppose the first player leads the 9 of hearts:
- Player 2 plays the king of hearts.
- Player 3 has no hearts and plays the 3 of spades.
- Player 4 plays the ace of hearts.
The 3 of spades wins because spades are trump. Player 3 leads the next trick.
4. Understand When Spades Can Be Led
You normally cannot lead a spade until spades have been broken. Spades are broken when a player plays a spade on a trick led with another suit.
There is one common exception. A player may lead a spade if that player has only spades left in their hand.
A player may still play a spade when unable to follow suit, even if spades have not been broken. That play breaks spades for the rest of the hand.
5. Score the Hand
At the end of the hand, each team compares its total tricks with its combined bid.
Standard Scoring
| Result | Score |
|---|---|
| Make the exact bid | 10 points per bid trick |
| Win extra tricks | 1 point per extra trick |
| Fail to make the bid | Usually -10 points per bid trick |
| Successful nil | +100 points |
| Failed nil | -100 points |
| Every 10 bags | -100 points |
If a team bids 6 and wins 6 tricks, it scores 60 points.
If the team bids 6 and wins 8 tricks, it scores 62 points. The two extra tricks are called bags or overtricks.
If the team bids 6 but wins only 5 tricks, it usually loses 60 points.
Some rule sets award zero when a team fails its bid instead of subtracting the bid value. Tables may also change the nil or bag rules, so confirm the scoring before the first hand.
What Is a Nil Bid?
A nil bid means the bidder promises to win no tricks.
- A successful nil gives the team 100 points.
- A failed nil costs the team 100 points.
- The partner must still make the partner's separate bid.
- Tricks taken by a failed nil bidder commonly count as bags, but table rules can differ.
Nil Example
You bid nil and your partner bids 4.
- You win zero tricks.
- Your partner wins four tricks.
Your team scores 140 points: 100 for the successful nil and 40 for the partner's bid.
A blind nil is a variation in which a player bids nil before looking at their cards. It commonly scores 200 points if successful and loses 200 points if it fails. Use it only when everyone agrees to the rule before the hand begins.
6. What Are Bags?
A bag is an extra trick won beyond the team's bid.
For example, a team that bids 5 and wins 7 scores 52 points and receives two bags. When the team reaches 10 bags, it usually loses 100 points. Any bags left over carry into the next total after the penalty.
The penalty discourages teams from underbidding every hand to collect extra tricks.
7. How to Improve as a Beginner
Bid Conservatively
A missed bid is usually more damaging than taking one extra trick. Start by counting only your strongest winners.
Treat Spades as a Separate Resource
High spades can win tricks, but low spades can also become winners after other players run out of a suit. Do not spend every spade early unless your bid requires it.
Watch Which Suits Players Lack
When a player cannot follow suit, that player is void in that suit. They may be able to trump future tricks with a spade.
Help Your Partner's Bid
If your partner still needs tricks, avoid taking winners your partner could use. If your partner bids nil, try to win dangerous tricks yourself when your partner plays a vulnerable card.
Avoid Unnecessary Bags
Once your team has made its bid, do not automatically win extra tricks. Extra points help, but 10 bags cost 100 points.
Track the Important Cards
Remember:
- Which aces have already been played.
- Which high spades remain.
- Who is void in each suit.
- How many tricks each team still needs.
- Whether an opponent has bid nil.
8. When Does the Game End?
The game usually ends when a team reaches 500 points. Some groups play shorter games to 200 or 250 points. If both teams pass the winning score during the same hand, use the rule agreed upon before play. Options include awarding the win to the higher score or playing another hand.
The Simplest Way to Start
For a first game, use these settings:
- Four players in two partnerships.
- Deal 13 cards to each player.
- Allow nil bids.
- Require players to follow suit.
- Make spades trump.
- Score bids at 10 points per trick plus one point per bag.
- Subtract 100 points for every 10 bags.
- Play to 500 points.
Once everyone understands bidding and trick-taking, add variations such as blind nil or a different winning score.