Spades Card Game

Spades is a very good game for families and for groups of all ages and playing abilities. Spades games are easy to learn. Spades is an excellent choice when you want to play an action-packed, high-scoring game with some of the exciting features of Bridge and Pinochle. In fact, Spades is one of the best introductions to these games: as it includes bidding and strategic play. In all suits Aces are high, followed by K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. Spades are always the trump suit. Trump cards outrank cards of the same or higher rank in non-trump suits.
The cards are dealt clockwise, beginning with the player nearest the dealer's left. All play is clockwise. All the cards are dealt. The draw of cards for Two-Hand Spades is very different from a standard deal and will be explained in the rules for that game.

The player on the dealer's left begins the bidding. Each player looks at their cards and decides how many tricks they will be able to take. For example: A player who holds three high spades: K, Q, 10 and two Aces in other suits might make a bid of four, the sum of all tricks available in the game when playing according to the general rules. The amount of your bid is called a contract. There is only one round of bidding, and no player may pass.

The object of play is to win the number of tricks you have bid. The player to the dealer's left will play the first card. Players must follow the suit led. If a player does not have any cards in the suit led, any other card may be played. However, players do not have to play a trump if they have one.

A trick is won by the player who has played the highest card in the suit led or who plays the highest trump. Spades are always trump. The player who wins a trick leads the next card to the table. The play of the hand continues until all tricks are taken.
The point counts below are for the basic Spades game. There are different point counts, which will be described in the game variations.
After the cards are shuffled, they are placed face down on the table and are called the stock. The first player begins by picking up the top card from the stock. The player may look at this card. If the player does not want the first card, it is discarded, face down, next to the stock.
Then the player draws without looking at the face another card from the stock. This card must be kept. If a player wants to keep the first card drawn, the player picks up a second card from the stock, looks at the card and discards it face down next to the stock.
Players will take turns choosing and discarding until the entire stock of cards is used. Each hand will have thirteen cards. The discards are not used in play. The game is then played according to the general Rules of Spades.
Thirteen tricks are available in play.

Follow the general rules for play, using any variations agreed upon by the players. Because players are dealt seventeen cards, there is one card extra. Therefore, before the deck is shuffled, the 2 of Clubs is removed.
There are seventeen tricks available in three handed play.
Follow the general rules for play, using any variations agreed upon by the players. Each player is dealt thirteen cards. There are thirteen tricks available in play. The Four-Hand rules are followed with minor variations. Partners are chosen as agreed upon by the players. Partners' bids are added together to make a team bid.
For example: If you bid 4 and your partner bids 6, your bid is 10 tricks. There would be no penalty if you and your partner each took 5 tricks apiece, as long as your combined score was at least 10 tricks won.
The partner who wins a trick must lead the next card.

The rule variations for Spades create even more opportunities for skillful maneuvers, high scoring and ruthless cut-throat strategies. The variations you choose can speed up or slow down play. Spades is a game that you can change to fit any group of players. Unless noted, all the variations given may be combined in a single game and used with all number of players.
Blind Bids-If you are behind 100 points in a game, you may bid before you look at your cards. Making contract gives you 20 points per trick bid. You receive no points for over tricks.

When bidding is used in partnership play, one, (or both), members of the partnership may bid blind. When both bid blind, each scores 100 points. If one partner bids blind, the hands are scored separately and the totals combined.

Nil Bid-When a player makes a nil bid, the player is making a contract to win zero tricks. This is much more difficult than it sounds. If the player makes the contract, 100 points are won. If the contract is broken, 100 points are lost. Players could have a negative score at the end of a hand.

In partnership play, one member of a team may bid nil and the other may bid for any number of tricks available. In this case, both hands are scored separately and the totals are combined.

Blind Nil Bid-If you are behind 100 points or more in a game, you may make a blind nil bid, contract to take zero tricks without looking at your cards.

If you make this bid you score 200 points. If you fail to make the contract, you lose 200 points.

Minimum Bid-Each player must make a minimum bid of 3 tricks if this variation is selected.

Over Trick Scoring-Instead of a reward for winning more tricks than bid, players or partnerships are penalized. 10 points are subtracted from their score for each over trick taken. Ther are also options to subract 50 points per 5 tricks and 100 points per 10 tricks.

Breaking Contract Scoring-If a player does not make their contract, instead of receiving zero points, there would be a penalty of 1 point for each trick less than bid, 10 points for each trick less than bid, or 10 points for each trick bid. Negative scores are possible when using these scoring variations.

Breaking Trump-The following example illustrates breaking the trump:.

You are playing a four-hand game. The three cards played for the first trick were hearts. You have the Ace of hearts in your hand, nine of spades and three of clubs. You follow suit, winning the trick. You then must lead a club to the next trick. One of your opponents plays a spade, breaking trump. From this point in play, spades may be led.

To play a winning game in any Spades variation, develop your concentration and memory. Pay attention to the suits which your opponent(s) are leading. Combined with knowledge of your own hand, being able to remember which cards have been played in a trick should help you estimate which high cards are left in play.
In partnership play, make note of your partner's leads. You do not want to over-trump your partner's cards. Try to lead to your partner's strengths. For example: If your partner has not played any hearts and you suspect that his or her hand holds high clubs or few trumps, consider leading clubs if you have any or play a low heart, thus allowing your partner to play trump.

When playing three handed games it is especially important to be aware of what cards are being played. Because of the shifting allegiances developed between players who are behind or against the player, or players who are ahead, you must be able to leap on each play opportunity. In games which feature cutthroat action, use some of the same strategies which apply in the partnership game.

When you hold seven or eight low trumps and high cards in other suits, consider the strategy of flushing your opponent's trump cards. When you play your low trump, your opponent will have to follow suit, possibly wasting trump cards. You can set up an opportunity to take tricks with your non-trump high cards. This works especially well if your high cards are in a suit which your opponent lacks cards in.

When you can't follow suit, it is not always in your best interest to play a trump. If you have what is known as a short suit (a suit in which you have few cards), it can be helpful to use these cards up. This give your partner an opportunity to lead cards in your void suit, which you could then trump.


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