How to Play Spades: Bidding, Nil and Scoring Explained
In this guide
Spades is a trick-taking card game for four players in two teams. It is easy to start, because the main idea is that you say how many tricks you will win and then try to do exactly that. It is also deep, because you and your partner have to make that number together.
This guide explains the parts in the order they happen in a round: the teams, the bid, the play, the scoring and the special bids. Where different groups play by different rules, we say so, because Spades is one of those games that has many house variations.
Four players, two teams
Four people sit around the table. You and the player opposite you are partners, and the other two are your opponents. Everyone is dealt a hand from a standard deck, and the round is played out trick by trick until the hand is finished.
On IviGames, Spades takes care of the other three seats for you: your partner and both opponents are controlled by the computer. A full game is always available, with no need to wait for other players.
Spades The four-player trick-taking classic with a computer partner, bidding and blind nil. Play Spades Bidding: say how many tricks you expect to win
Before any card is played, each player looks at their own hand and bids the number of tricks they think they can win. The bids of the two partners are added together to make the team's goal for the round.
A trick is one round of play in which each player puts down one card, and the highest card takes the trick. Your hand tells you what to bid. Count the cards that are likely to win: aces, kings that are well protected by other cards in their suit, and high spades. Bid those, not your hopes.
Playing a trick and following suit
One player leads a card, and the others play in turn. If you have a card of the suit that was led, you must play one. This is called following suit. The highest card of the suit led usually wins the trick.
If you cannot follow suit, you can discard any card, or you can play a spade.
Why spades are the trump suit
The suit that gives the game its name is always trump. A trump card beats any card from another suit. So if clubs are led and you have no clubs, a spade can win the trick even if it is a low one.
That makes spades the most valuable cards in your hand, and it explains the usual advice to hold your high spades until the other suits have been played out. They are at their strongest late in the hand, when opponents have run out of ways to threaten them. Many versions also have a rule about when spades may first be led. This rule differs between games, so check the instructions of the one you are playing.
How scoring works
At the end of the round, your team compares the tricks it actually won with the bid. If you made your bid, you score points based on it. If you fell short, you lose points. That is the central tension of the game: bidding too low wastes your hand, and bidding too high gets you punished.
The details differ from version to version. Games disagree on how many points each trick is worth, and many penalize teams that take far more tricks than they bid, using a system often called bags or overtricks. Do not memorize one set of numbers and assume it applies everywhere. Use the game's own tutorial to see how it scores. The Spades game here includes a built-in tutorial for exactly this reason, and tied scores are settled with bonus rounds.
Nil and blind nil
A nil bid is a promise to win no tricks at all in the round. It is risky, because you must lose every single trick, but it scores well if it works. Your partner still plays for their own bid, and ideally helps you by taking tricks you might have been forced to win.
A blind nil is a nil bid made before you look at your cards. It is much riskier, and the potential reward is larger. Most players only attempt it when they are far behind. The game version here offers blind nil, so you will find it in the bidding if you want to try.
Basic strategy for new players
A few habits will carry you a long way before you need anything advanced.
- Bid honestly. Count your likely winners and stop there.
- Remember that your partner's tricks count too. You do not need to win everything yourself.
- Save high spades for later in the hand, when they are hardest to stop.
- Pay attention to which suits have been played. When a suit has run out, a low spade can win tricks.
- Work with your partner. If they are likely to win a trick, do not waste a high card on it.
Where to go next
Spades is one of many partnership and solo card games you can play for free. Browse the cards category, or read our guide to free card games online. If you want a quiet game for one, Spider Solitaire and Magic Solitaire are good places to go next.
Frequently asked questions
How many tricks are there in a round?
In the standard game with a 52-card deck, each player holds thirteen cards, so a round has thirteen tricks. Each team's two bids are added together to give its target out of those thirteen.
Can I play a spade whenever I like?
If you can follow the suit that was led, you must. If you cannot, you may play a spade to trump the trick. Whether spades can be led at any time varies by version, so check the instructions.
Is Spades hard to learn?
The basics are quick. Bidding takes practice because you have to judge your hand honestly. The built-in tutorial in the game is the fastest way to see how it all fits together.
