Reneging in Spades is failing to follow the suit that was led when you still have a card in that suit. It is also called a revoke.
Example of a Renege
Suppose a player leads with a heart:
- The lead card is the 9 of Hearts.
- You hold the 3 of Hearts and the King of Spades.
- You play the King of Spades instead of playing a heart.
That is a renege because you had a heart and were required to follow hearts.
When Can You Play Another Suit?
You can play another suit when you have no cards in the suit that was led.
For example:
- A diamond is led.
- You have no diamonds.
- You play a club or a spade.
That play is legal. Spades are the trump suit, so you can use a spade to trump the trick when you cannot follow suit.
What Happens If Someone Reneges?
The penalty depends on the rules agreed before the game. Common penalties include:
- The offending team loses the hand or its bid.
- The opposing team receives the points for the round.
- The offending team receives an added trick penalty.
- A tournament applies its own penalty rules.
Spades has many house-rule variations, so agree on the penalty before dealing.
Reneging and Breaking Spades Are Different
Reneging means failing to follow the led suit when you could have followed it.
Breaking spades means playing a spade because you cannot follow the led suit. In many versions of Spades, players cannot lead spades until someone has played a spade to trump another suit. Playing a spade when you cannot follow suit is normally legal, and that play breaks spades.
Quick Rule
If you have the suit that was led, you must play that suit. If you do not have it, you may play another card, including a spade.
Check your hand for the led suit before playing each card. That simple habit helps prevent an accidental renege.