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Spades·Card Games
Spades
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Card Games
2 players
deck
10 essential rules
Spades is a partnership trick-taking game for four players in two teams, sitting opposite each other. Spades are always trump, and before each hand every player bids the number of tricks they expect to take.
Each trick above the bid is a bag, worth 1 point but tracked cumulatively. Every 10 bags costs 100 points.
Spades cannot be led until they have been "broken" — played on a trick where the leader could not follow suit. The exception is a player holding nothing but spades.
Meet or beat your team's combined bid: 10 points per trick bid.; Fall short: lose 10 points per trick bid — the whole bid, not the shortfall.
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A player who bid nil is trying to win no tricks at all. Their partner plays the hand normally and may try to cover them.
Play to 500 points, or to an agreed target.
You must follow suit if able. If not, you may play anything, including a spade.; The highest spade wins the trick; if none is played, the highest card of the suit led wins.; The trick's winner leads the next.
One standard 52-card deck, no jokers in the base game.; Cards rank ace (high) down to two.; Spades are permanently trump — there is no trump selection.
Four players in two partnerships, partners seated opposite.; Deal the whole deck — 13 cards each.; Starting left of the dealer, each player bids the number of tricks they expect. The team bid is the sum of both partners'.
Spades cannot be led until they have been "broken" — played on a trick where the leader could not follow suit. The exception is a player holding nothing but spades.
Each trick above the bid is a bag, worth 1 point but tracked cumulatively. Every 10 bags costs 100 points.