Spades is a trick-taking game for four players in two partnerships. Each player bids how many tricks they'll take. Spades are always trump.
Your side scores for making its bid, and loses points for missing it. Extra tricks, called bags, add up and cost you later.
At a glance
- Players: 4, in two pairs. It also works for 2, 3 or 5.
- Deck: One standard 52-card deck, no jokers
- Time: 30 to 60 minutes for a game to 500
- Goal: The first side to 500 points wins
The cards above are from The Cowboy Edition.
Setup
Partners sit across the table from each other.
Deal the whole deck, one card at a time, clockwise from the dealer's left. Everyone gets 13. The deal moves one seat to the left each hand.
Aces are high, then king, queen, jack and 10 down to 2.
Bidding
Starting on the dealer's left, each player bids once. A bid is the number of tricks you expect to take, from 0 to 13.
There's no passing, and you don't have to bid higher than anyone else. Partners add their bids together. That total is your side's contract.
A bid of 0 is called nil. It has its own scoring, below.
How to play
The player on the dealer's left leads the first trick. It can be any card but a spade.
Play goes clockwise. You must follow the suit that was led if you can. If you can't, play any card, a spade included.
The highest spade wins the trick. If no spade was played, the highest card of the suit led wins. The winner leads the next trick.
Breaking spades
You can't lead a spade until spades are broken. That happens the first time someone plays a spade on another suit's lead.
If you have nothing but spades, you may lead one anyway.
Scoring
| Result | Points |
|---|---|
| Make your contract | 10 for each trick bid |
| Each extra trick, or bag | 1 |
| Every 10 bags | Minus 100 |
| Miss your contract | Minus 10 for each trick bid |
| Nil, made | 100 |
| Nil, missed | Minus 100 |
Say you bid 4 and your partner bids 3. Your side has bid 7. Take 9 tricks, and you score 72: 70 for the bid and 2 bags.
Bags carry over from hand to hand. When your side reaches 10, take off 100 and start counting again.
Nil
Bid nil when you think you can take no tricks at all. Your partner's bid is scored on its own.
If the nil bidder takes a trick, the nil is missed. Their tricks count as bags, not toward their partner's bid.
How to win
Keep a running score for each side. The first side to reach 500 wins.
If both sides pass 500 on the same hand, the higher score wins.
Tips
- Count the spades as they fall. Knowing what's left wins the late tricks.
- A lone king or queen of spades often gets caught. Bid it as half a trick.
- Don't overbid to be safe. Bags add up, and ten of them cost 100.
- If your partner bids nil, play high to cover them. Take the tricks they can't afford.
- Run out of a short suit early. Then you can trump it with a small spade.
Variations
- Blind nil. Bid nil before you look at your cards. It scores 200 if made and loses 200 if missed. Many tables allow it only when your side is 100 or more behind.
- Each for yourself. No partners. Make your bid and score 10 a trick, plus 1 for each extra trick. Miss it and you score 0 for the hand.
- Two players. Don't deal. Take turns drawing from the stock. Keep a card and discard the next one, or discard it and keep the next. Stop when each has 13. Play to 500.
- Three players. Play each for yourself. Add both jokers and deal 18 each. The big joker is the top spade, then the little joker, then the ace.
- Five players. Play each for yourself. Add both jokers, take out all four 2s, and deal 10 each.
- Jokers. With four players, take out the 2 of clubs and the 2 of diamonds. Add both jokers as the two top spades.
- Suicide. One partner on each side must bid nil. The other must bid 4 or more.
- Lowest club leads. Whoever holds the lowest club leads it to the first trick.
- A shorter game. Play to 200 instead of 500. Some tables also end the game when a side falls to minus 200.
Where these rules come from
Bicycle's Spades is played each for yourself, with no nil. Most people play in partnerships, so these rules follow cardgames.io's Spades. Bicycle's game is under Variations. The joker, three-player and five-player rules come from Bicycle's Spades with Jokers. Two players follows GameRules.com.
Common questions
Can you lead a spade on the first trick?
No. The first lead can be any card but a spade. After that, spades can be led once they're broken.
What does breaking spades mean?
It's the first time someone plays a spade on another suit's lead. From then on, anyone may lead spades.
Do I have to play a spade if I can't follow suit?
No. You may play any card. A spade is the only way to win that trick, though.
What are bags?
Tricks taken beyond your side's bid. Each scores 1 point. Every 10 bags cost your side 100.
What is a nil bid?
A bid of no tricks at all. Make it for 100 points. Take even one trick and you lose 100.
Can you bid 0 without going nil?
No. A bid of 0 is always nil. Bid at least 1 if you don't want the risk.
What if both sides reach 500?
The side with the higher score wins.
Can two or three people play Spades?
Yes. Two players build their hands by drawing, and three play each for themselves with jokers. See Variations.
More games
Hearts is a trick-taking game where you avoid points. War is a game of pure luck for two. Six-Card Golf is a draw-and-discard game for two to four.
Cheat sheet
Download the Spades cheat sheet, a one-page PDF to print.