How to Play Spades
The deck for partner games
Neutral Deck — $14.99
Clean, minimal design with bold, easy-read suits, so nobody misplays a spade at 11pm.
Shop the deck or the 3-Deck Game Night Gift Set →Players: 4, in two partnerships sitting across from each other · Deck: standard 52 cards, aces high · Goal: be the first team to 500 points.
The deal
Deal all 52 cards, one at a time, so everyone holds 13. The deal passes left each hand.
Bidding
Starting left of the dealer, each player bids how many tricks they expect to win (0–13). Partners add their bids together; that total is the team's contract.
A bid of nil (zero) is a bet that you'll win no tricks at all. Make it and your team gets +100; take even one trick and it's −100. Your partner's bid is scored separately.
Playing tricks
- The player left of the dealer leads the first trick.
- You must follow the suit led if you can. If you can't, play any card, including a spade.
- Spades are always trump. The highest spade wins the trick; if no spade was played, the highest card of the suit led wins.
- You can't lead spades until they've been broken (played on another suit's trick), unless you hold nothing but spades.
- The trick winner leads next.
Scoring
- Make your contract: 10 points per trick bid, plus 1 point for each extra trick (called a bag).
- Miss your contract: lose 10 points per trick bid.
- Bags add up: every 10 bags costs your team 100 points, so overshooting is risky.
First team to 500 wins. If both pass 500 on the same hand, the higher score wins.
Tips
- Count an ace or a well-protected king as a likely trick; count long spades generously.
- Watch your partner's bid and play to protect a nil.
- When you've made your contract, try to duck tricks to avoid bags.