Setting up
- Four players in two teams. Partners sit opposite each other.
- One 52-card deck, aces high, 13 cards each.
- Spades always beat the other suits.
Bidding
- Starting left of the dealer, each player bids once: how many tricks they expect to win, from 1 to 13.
- A team's two bids add up to its contract.
- Nil: bid zero and try to win no tricks at all.
- Blind Nil (optional): a team behind by 100 or more can bid Nil before looking at the cards, for double the points.
Playing
- The player left of the dealer leads first.
- Follow suit if you can. If you can't, you may play any card, including a spade to trump.
- The highest spade wins the trick. With no spade, the highest card of the suit led wins.
- Spades can't be led until a spade has been played on another suit ("spades are broken"), unless you only have spades.
Scoring
| Result | Points |
|---|---|
| Make the contract | 10 × contract, plus 1 per extra trick (a "bag") |
| Miss the contract | −10 × contract |
| Every 10 bags | −100 |
| Nil made / failed | +100 / −100 |
| Blind Nil made / failed | +200 / −200 |
The first team to 500 wins. A team at −200 or lower loses at once.
Tips
- Count sure tricks: aces, high spades, and kings with backup.
- Avoid too many bags. Ten extra tricks cost 100 points.
- If your partner bids Nil, help them by winning tricks they might be forced to take.
Ready to play?Spades is free on phone, tablet and computer.
Play
