Spades
American Partnership Trump · 4 players (partnerships) · Ages 8+ · 30–60 min
Spades is an American trick-taking card game, developed in the 1930s, that became a staple of college dormitories, military service, and African American communities. It combines partnership play with bidding, but unlike bridge, spades is always trump—no exceptions—and the game proceeds without the complexity of a bidding language.
Equipment
- Standard 52-card deck
- Score pad
Players and Teams
Four players in two partnerships: players sitting across from each other are partners. Some house rules support 2 or 3-player variants (see below).
Card Rankings
Within spades (trump), cards rank: A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ 9♠ 8♠ 7♠ 6♠ 5♠ 4♠ 3♠ 2♠
Within the other suits, cards rank: A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 (no trumps except spades).
The Deal
One player deals all 52 cards, 13 to each player, dealt clockwise one at a time. The deal rotates clockwise each hand.
Bidding
Before play begins, each player bids the number of tricks they expect to win. Bids proceed clockwise, starting to the left of the dealer. Each player bids a whole number from 0 to 13.
Partnership bid: A team's contract is the sum of both partners' bids. If you bid 3 and your partner bids 4, your team contract is 7.
Nil bid: A player may bid 0, declaring they will take no tricks whatsoever. This is called a nil (or "null"). The partner bids independently of the nil bidder.
Blind Nil: In some house rules, a player may bid nil before looking at their cards. This doubles the nil bonus/penalty. Players who bid blind nil may exchange 1–2 cards with their partner after seeing their hand.
No peeking: Some groups require all four players to bid simultaneously (not seeing others' bids) by placing cards or fingers in fist. More commonly, bidding proceeds clockwise and each player hears prior bids.
The Play
Leading
The player to the dealer's left leads to the first trick. Any card may be led except a spade. Spades may not be led until the suit has been "broken" (a spade has been played on a previous trick). Exception: a player who has only spades in hand may lead them at any time.
Following Suit
Each player must follow the suit led if possible. If unable to follow suit, the player may play any card (including a spade to trump, or a card of another suit as a discard).
Winning Tricks
- The highest card of the led suit wins, unless one or more spades were played.
- If any spades were played, the highest spade wins.
- The winner leads to the next trick.
Scoring
Making Your Bid
If a partnership takes exactly their bid or more, they score 10 points per trick bid.
Overtricks (bags): Every trick taken in excess of the bid scores 1 point (not 10). These are called bags or sandbags.
Bag penalty: When a partnership accumulates 10 bags, they lose 100 points (and the bag counter resets to 0). This rule prevents deliberate underbidding.
Failing to Make Your Bid
If a partnership fails to reach their bid (takes fewer tricks than bid), they lose 10 points per trick bid. Overtricks from a failed contract are irrelevant—the penalty applies to the full bid.
Nil Scoring
| Result | Score |
|---|---|
| Nil succeeds (0 tricks taken) | +100 for that player's team |
| Nil fails (any tricks taken) | −100 for that player's team |
The nil bidder's tricks still count toward their partner's bag total but not toward the partner's bid. If the nil bidder's partner bid 4 and the partner takes 5 (with 1 of those tricks accidentally taken by the nil bidder), the partner still scored their 4-trick bid. However, the nil is failed, costing −100.
Blind nil: +200 on success, −200 on failure.
Winning the Game
Most games end at 500 points (first to reach 500 or above at the end of a hand wins). If both teams reach 500 in the same hand, the higher score wins. A team can also win early if the opponent falls to −200 or another agreed-upon floor.
Nil Bid Strategy
When to Bid Nil
Nil bids are high-risk, high-reward. Consider nil when: - You have no high cards and weak coverage in most suits (e.g., 2, 3, 4, 7 of various suits) - You have a lot of low cards in one suit to play under your partner's high cards - Your team is significantly behind and needs the swing
Protecting the Nil
Partners must actively try to protect the nil bidder from taking tricks: - Lead high cards to "clear" dangerous suits for the nil bidder - Win tricks when the nil bidder is in danger of being high - Avoid leading suits where the nil bidder might be void (forcing them to trump)
Covering Nil
The non-nil partner must also make their individual bid. The balance between covering the nil and making your own tricks requires communication and strategy.
Partnership Strategy
Avoid Underbidding
Overbidding results in bags that slowly drain points. Underbidding allows opponents to bag freely and leaves easy points on the table. Aim for accurate bids.
Communication Through Play
Partners signal information through card play (in informal games this is often acknowledged implicitly). Playing a high card when following may signal strength in that suit.
Bag Management
Track your cumulative bags. At 7–8 bags, consider deliberately underbidding slightly or playing passively to avoid the 100-point penalty on the 10th bag.
Common House Rules
No trump in first trick: Spades may not be played on the first trick regardless of holding (some groups play this rule).
Must break spades: Standard rule—spades cannot be led until broken. Some groups ignore this.
Jokers: Many groups add one or both jokers as the top two trumps (Big Joker > Little Joker > A♠). Adjust deck to 54 cards; sometimes the 2♦ or 2♣ are removed.
Blind bidding: Partners may not communicate bids (simultaneous hidden bidding, often with fists or fingers).
Boston: A bid of 13 (the entire hand). Bonus 100+ points if made; massive penalty if failed.
No bags: All overtricks are discarded; no bag penalty. Simpler but rewards underbidding.
Partnership nil: Both partners bid nil simultaneously—an extreme gambit, bonusing 200+ if both succeed.
Two-Player Spades
Deal 13 cards to each player; place the remaining 26 in a draw pile. After each trick, each player draws one card (trick winner draws first). Play continues until all cards are played. Bidding occurs after the initial deal. Standard scoring applies.
Three-Player Spades
Remove the 2♠ from the deck (51 cards, 17 per player). Players bid and play independently (no partnerships). Each player scores independently. First to 200 wins. A player winning all 17 tricks scores 200 instantly.
See also: Hearts (no-partnership spades variant), Bridge (full partnership bidding game), Cribbage