How to play Spades

1 player vs computer, or 4 online

Bid the number of tricks your side will take, then take at least that many. A made contract scores ten points a trick bid plus one a trick over; a missed one loses ten a trick bid, and the higher-scoring side wins the deal.

The rules, step by step

1. 1

   The whole deck is dealt, thirteen cards each, to four players in two partnerships — you and the player opposite are one side.

2. 2

   Starting left of the dealer, each player bids in turn: the number of tricks they expect to take, from one to thirteen — or nil, a bid to take none at all.

3. 3

   Your side's contract is your bid plus your partner's. Bid on aces, kings and long spades; the auction is public, so everyone hears everything.

4. 4

   The player left of the dealer leads first. Follow the suit led if you can; when you are void, anything goes — including a spade, which trumps the trick.

5. 5

   Spades may not be led until one has been played on another suit's trick, or the leader has nothing else. The highest spade in a trick wins it; with no spade, the highest card of the suit led.

6. 6

   After thirteen tricks, score both sides: made contracts earn ten a trick bid plus overtricks, failed ones lose ten a trick bid, and a made nil adds a hundred — a failed one takes it away.

Three tips that change how you play

• Underbid rather than overbid. A trick over the contract costs one point of nothing; a contract missed by one trick costs the whole thing. Count sure winners — aces, guarded kings, long spades — and stop there.
• Keep count of your partner's progress. If they bid four and have three, their contract needs one more trick — win it for them with a trump if you must, because a set contract hurts both of you.
• Cover a nil like it is your own bid. When your partner bids nil, your one job is to win every trick they might otherwise be forced to take — overtake them, climb over their high cards, and keep the lead away from their weak suits.

Counting a bid that will not fold

You pick up the ace of hearts, the king and queen of diamonds together, five spades to the queen, and small cards everywhere else. Count the certainties: the ace of hearts is one trick nobody can take from you. The king of diamonds is close to one — it loses only to the ace, and holding the queen behind it means the suit is worth one trick and probably two. Five spades is length: after three rounds of trumps the other hands are usually empty, so your fourth and fifth spades are tricks no matter how small they are. That is one plus one plus two, call it four. The queen of spades and the second diamond honour might each win too — those are your bags, not your bid. Say four; take six; score forty-two. Say six and take five, and the same cards score minus sixty.

Three mistakes that cost beginners the game

Bidding your hopes instead of your hand.

Queens that are not guarded, kings behind an unplayed ace and short suits full of middle cards all look like tricks and mostly are not. Bid the tricks that cannot be taken away from you and treat everything else as a bonus bag.

Trumping a trick your partner is already winning.

Look at who holds the trick before you spend a spade. If the best card on the table is your partner's, the trick already belongs to your side — trumping it wastes a spade and buys nothing. Save the trump for a trick the opponents hold.

Leading spades early to feel powerful.

Every round of spades you lead pulls two trumps from the other three hands — including your partner's. Lead them only when your side holds the length and wants the rest cleared out; otherwise let your trumps sit and take tricks one by one when you are void.

Common questions about Spades