Standard four-player Spades is played with the complete 52-card deck. No cards are removed, and each player receives 13 cards.
| Number of Players | Cards Removed |
|---|---|
| 4 players | None |
| 3 players | Commonly the 2 of clubs, leaving 51 cards and 17 cards per player |
| 2 players | Use a separate two-player variant with different dealing rules |
The 2 of clubs is usually the lowest card in standard Spades, but it remains in the deck in a normal four-player game.