Spades is a classic trick-taking card game for 4 players in 2 teams. Spades are always trump.
The Deck
Spades uses all 52 cards (no jokers). Each player receives 13 cards. Spades are permanently the trump suit — they beat all other suits.
Bidding
Before play, each player individually bids the number of tricks they expect to take (0–13). There is no trump selection — you simply estimate your hand strength.
Nil bid: A player can bid 0 (nil), wagering they will take zero tricks. If successful, their team earns +100; if they take even one trick, their team loses 100.
Teammates' bids are combined for a team bid (e.g., if you bid 3 and your partner bids 4, your team must take at least 7 tricks).
Trick Play
The player with the 2 of clubs leads the first trick. Players must follow suit if possible. Spades may not be led until they have been "broken" (a spade has been played on a trick where the leader had no cards in the led suit) — unless a player has only spades left.
The highest card of the led suit wins, unless a spade is played — then the highest spade wins.
Scoring
+10 points per trick if your team meets or beats its bid
−10 points per trick if your team misses its bid (set)
+1 point per overtrick (bag) — but beware!
−100 points penalty when bags accumulate to 10
Overbidding is risky! Every trick over your bid counts as a bag, and 10 bags cost you 100 points.
Nil Bids
+100 points for a successful nil (zero tricks taken)
−100 points for a failed nil (any tricks taken)
The nil-bidder's partner still plays normally and must make their own bid. A failed nil does not affect whether the partner makes their bid.
Winning
The first team to reach 500 points wins. A team that drops to −200 points loses.
Strategy Tips for Spades
Spades rewards players who bid accurately, communicate with their partner through the auction, and keep careful count of which high cards have fallen. These tips will sharpen your game quickly.
Bid honestly, not optimistically. The most common mistake in Spades is overbidding. Every trick over your bid counts as a bag, and 10 bags cost you 100 points. Count your likely tricks conservatively — if you think you'll take 4, bid 3 or 4, not 5.
Nil bids are high-risk, high-reward — and require planning. Before going nil, look at your hand for danger cards: Aces, Kings, and high spades. If you have no Aces, no face-card spades, and several low cards in multiple suits, nil is a strong play. If you have any solo Ace with no way to slough it, think twice.
Cover your partner's nil bid aggressively. When your partner bids nil, your entire job changes. Don't just play your own hand — watch every trick carefully and throw high cards on tricks your partner might have to win. Your partner wins a trick they were trying to lose? That's your fault, not theirs.
Break spades early if you're long in spades. If you have five or six spades, break them as soon as the rules allow. Get them in play so they're winning tricks, not sitting in your hand unplayed.
Bag management is a long-game skill. Track how many bags your team has taken. At 7 or 8 bags, you need to deliberately underbid so opponents are forced to win the tricks that would otherwise bag you. Letting opponents take some tricks is better than losing 100 points.
Count the high spades as they fall. If the Ace, King, and Queen of spades have all been played by trick 6, every remaining spade in your hand wins a trick. Update your count as the hand progresses.
Common Mistakes
Bidding on distribution, not tricks. Having 5 spades and 4 diamonds doesn't mean you'll win 9 tricks. You win tricks when you play high cards or trump — count those, not the card count in each suit.
Leading spades too early as a defender. If you lead spades before they're broken and your partner is on nil, you might force them into a winning spade trick. Check whether nil is in play before leading trump.
Ignoring your partner's bid when planning your play. If your partner bid 4, they expect to win 4 tricks. Don't absorb tricks they need — let their high cards win if you can afford it.
Failing to track the nil bidder's danger cards. Before covering a nil, identify your partner's highest cards. Those are the ones to watch — throw high over theirs when the same suit is led.
Not planning for bags early enough. Teams often don't think about bags until they're at 8 or 9. By then it's usually too late to stop a 100-point penalty. Start watching your bag count from the first hand.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "breaking spades" mean?
Spades cannot be led until they have been "broken" — meaning a spade has been played as a discard on a trick where the player couldn't follow the led suit. Once any spade hits the table as a discard, spades are broken and can be led freely. Exception: if you have nothing but spades, you may lead them at any time.
Can you overbid on purpose to block your opponents?
Yes, and sometimes it's the right play — but do it knowing the bag risk. Deliberately taking extra tricks to force opponents to win fewer is a legitimate strategy when bag management isn't your concern. It's a tradeoff.
What happens if both partners bid nil?
Both players are then trying to take zero tricks — which makes covering each other impossible. Double nil is extremely difficult and almost never advisable unless both hands are genuinely clean. If it happens, each nil is evaluated independently.
Do bags carry over between hands?
Yes. Bags accumulate across the entire game. Every bag above your bid adds to your running bag total. When it reaches 10, you lose 100 points and the count resets to 0 (bags above 10 carry forward as the new count).
Can the defending team lose points?
Yes. If your team bids 5 and takes only 4 tricks, you lose 50 points (10 per trick in your bid). The opposing team still scores their tricks. There's no immunity from losing points just because you're not the aggressor in a hand.
What is a "blind nil"?
A blind nil is a nil bid made before looking at your cards. This version isn't in the current implementation, but in some house rule sets it scores double (±200 instead of ±100).
Who goes first in Spades?
The player holding the 2 of clubs leads the first trick. After that, the winner of each trick leads the next.
What happens when a team reaches −200?
The game ends immediately and that team loses. You don't have to wait for someone to reach 500 — a team that digs themselves to −200 is eliminated.