How to Play Spades: Complete Rules and Beginner Guide

Spades is a trick-taking card game for four players in two partnerships. Players sitting across from each other are on the same team. The goal is to be the first team to reach 500 points.

Spades uses a standard 52-card deck. Each player is dealt 13 cards per round. The spade suit is always trump — it beats every other suit.

Before play begins each round, every player bids— they declare how many tricks they expect to win. Your team's bids are added together to form your contract. For example, if you bid 3 and your partner bids 4, your team's contract is 7 tricks.

Bidding is about reading your hand honestly. Count your high cards (Aces, Kings), your spades (which can trump other suits), and any voids (empty suits where you can play a spade to win). A reasonable bid for a beginner: count your Aces and Kings, add one for every 3+ spades you hold, and adjust from there.

The player to the left of the dealer leads the first trick. Each player must follow the led suit if they can. If you cannot follow suit, you may play any card — including a spade (which trumps).

The highest card of the led suit wins — unless a spade was played. If spades were played, the highest spade wins the trick regardless of the led suit. The winner leads the next trick.

You cannot lead with a spade until spades have been broken. Spades are broken when a player has no cards in the led suit and plays a spade to trump the trick. After that, spades can be led freely.

Making your contract: If your team takes at least as many tricks as your combined bid, you earn 10 points per bid trick. Example: a bid of 7, taking 8 tricks = 70 points + 1 bag.

Bags: Every trick you take over your bid is called a bag. Each bag is worth 1 point, but they accumulate. When you reach 10 bags, you lose 100 points and the bag counter resets. Overbidding is punished this way.

Missing your contract: If your team takes fewer tricks than your bid, you lose 10 points per bid trick. A bid of 5 with only 4 tricks taken = −50 points.

A nil bid means you predict you will take zero tricks. If you succeed, your team earns a 100-point bonus. If you fail (take even one trick), your team loses 100 points instead. Your partner's bid and tricks are scored separately.

Nil is a powerful tool when your hand is genuinely weak — all low cards, no Aces or Kings, no long spade runs. It is a gamble on strong hands and should be avoided unless your hand clearly supports it.

• Bid honestly. Overbidding leads to set penalties; underbidding collects bags that eventually cost you 100 points.
• Communicate through play. You cannot talk strategy with your partner. Lead with your strong suit to signal where your power lies.
• Protect your partner's nil. If they bid nil, lead with high cards in your suits to win tricks before your partner is forced to take one.
• Count spades. There are 13 spades in the deck. Track which have been played so you know when yours are the highest remaining.
• Do not fear bags early. In the first few rounds, making your bid matters more than avoiding an extra trick. Bag management becomes critical in the later game.