Card Games 🇺🇸United States20th century

Spades

American 4-player partnership trick-taking card game — spades are always trump; players bid the number of tricks they'll take + score based on hitting bids exactly. Wildly popular in USA (military, college, prisons, online).

📐card table⏱~45 min🌤indoor

What is Spades?

Spades is a 4-player partnership trick-taking card game — one of the most popular card games in USA. Origins: developed in Cincinnati, USA circa 1937-1939; became widely popular during WWII when soldiers played to pass time (still called 'military spades' in some circles); massive growth 1970s-90s in college dorms + African-American communities + prisons + military bases; explosive online growth via AOL, Yahoo, MSN (1990s-2000s), then Microsoft Solitaire Collection + Trickster Games apps. Standard 52-card deck (no jokers in most variants, jokers used as wild in some). 4 players in 2 partnerships sitting opposite each other. Cards dealt evenly (13 each). Card ranking: A high, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 low. SPADES ARE ALWAYS TRUMP. Bidding: each player bids number of tricks they'll take (0-13); partnership bids added together as team goal. Play: highest card of led suit wins trick, unless spade played (trumps win). Must follow suit if able. Scoring: (a) make bid exactly = 10 points per trick bid + 1 point per overtrick ('bag'); (b) miss bid = -10 points per trick bid; (c) 10 bags penalty = -100 points (encourages accurate bidding); (d) NIL bid (bet you'll take ZERO tricks) worth +100 if made, -100 if missed. Games typically to 500 points. Deep partnership strategy: signals, sacrifices, nil-covering, bag management. Numerous variants: Suicide Spades, Cutthroat Spades (3-player), Whiz Spades. Estimated 100+ million recreational players globally, mostly USA.

Quick facts

How it works

Objective

Reach target score (typically 500 points) first as a partnership by accurately bidding + taking tricks.

Match structure

Deal 13 cards to each of 4 players. Bidding: each bids 0-13 tricks. Play 13 tricks — must follow suit if able; spades trump; highest card wins. Score based on bids made vs actual. First partnership to target (500) wins.

Rules

Basic rules

4 players in 2 partnerships
Partners sit opposite (N-S vs E-W); scores combined.
Deal 13 cards each
Full deck dealt evenly; 13 tricks per hand.
Bidding 0-13 tricks
Starting left of dealer, each player bids number of tricks they'll take (0-13). Partnership total = combined bid.
Nil bid = commit to 0 tricks
Special bid: player commits to taking ZERO tricks. Worth +100 points if made; -100 if missed.
Blind Nil = double stakes
Nil bid before looking at cards (some variants); +200/-200 points.
Play: follow suit if able
Must play card of led suit if you have one; if not, may play any card including spade.
Spades always trump
Any spade beats any non-spade card regardless of rank.
Highest card wins trick
Highest card of led suit wins UNLESS spade played; then highest spade wins.
Cannot lead spades until 'broken'
Spades cannot be led until someone plays a spade to trump another suit (spades 'broken').

Advanced rules

Bags accumulate
Each overtrick = 1 'bag'. When partnership accumulates 10 bags = -100 points penalty. Encourages precise bidding.
Nil coverage strategy
If partner bids nil, other partner tries to 'cover' by taking spades + high cards protecting partner from being forced to win tricks.
Set the opposition
'Setting' means causing opponents to miss their bid; -10 per trick they bid = big point swing.
Boston (13-trick sweep)
Some variants award bonus for taking all 13 tricks in single hand.
Blind bidding
Bid before looking at cards; double stakes bonus/penalty.
Suicide Spades variant
Both partners cannot bid nil; if either bids nil, other must bid nil too.
Whiz Spades variant
Must bid number of spades in hand OR nil (no other bid options).
Cutthroat Spades (3-player)
3 players, no partnerships; every player for themselves.
Jokers as trump variant
Some variants use 54 cards with 2 jokers as highest spades (Big Joker > Little Joker > Ace of Spades).
Renege penalty
Failing to follow suit when able = renege; caught renege = -3 tricks or hand forfeit.

Scoring

10 pts per trick bid if made + 1 pt per bag (overtrick); -10 per trick bid if failed. 10 bags = -100. Nil = ±100/±200.

Action	Points
Make bid exactly	10 × (bid) = e.g. bid 4, make 4 = 40 pts
Make bid + overtricks	10 × (bid) + 1 × (overtricks/bags) = e.g. bid 4, take 6 = 42 pts + 2 bags
Miss bid (fewer tricks than bid)	-10 × (bid) = e.g. bid 4, take 3 = -40 pts
Accumulate 10 bags	-100 points penalty + reset bag counter
Nil bid made (0 tricks)	+100 points
Nil bid missed (took any tricks)	-100 points
Blind Nil made / missed	+200 / -200 points

Win condition · First partnership to reach target (typically 500 points). Some variants play to 250, 300, or 1000 points.

Playing area

Called

card table

Dimensions

Standard card table with 4 seats; partners sit opposite (North-South vs East-West).

Rectangular or round card table. 52-card deck (some variants use 54 with 2 jokers as wild). Score kept on paper or app.

Equipment

Standard 52-card deck
Standard playing cards. Some variants add 2 jokers as highest trumps.
Card table + 4 seats
Partners sit opposite each other. Home game any table works.
Scorepad
For tracking bids + made + bags per hand + running totals.
Digital versions
Countless apps: Trickster Spades, MSN Spades, Solitaire Collection, Spades Plus. Online multiplayer common.

Officiating

Self-officiated; honor system for renege calls + accurate bid reporting. Online + app versions enforce rules automatically.

Strategies

Count high cards + trumps in bidding
Aces = ~1 trick each. Kings = ~0.7 trick. Long side suit + trumps = extra tricks from short suits opponents.
Bid conservative early game, aggressive when trailing
Early: hit bids to avoid setbacks. Late: might overbid to catch up + take risks.
Cover partner's nil
If partner bids nil, take tricks with spades + high cards to prevent partner being forced to win.
Sacrifice bag management
Sometimes intentionally take fewer overtricks in late hands to avoid 10-bag penalty.
Lead low from long side suit
Force opponents to use trumps or high cards; establishes suit for later tricks.
Save spades for controlling trump
Don't waste high spades early; use to cut off opponents' long suits or protect nil partner.
Set opponents whenever possible
Attacking bids: force opponents to take extra tricks or miss theirs — huge point swings.
Signal partner
Discards + bids convey information: high card discard signals 'I have that suit', low signals 'help here'.

Terminology

Trick: One round of 4 cards played (one from each player).
Trump: Card that beats any non-trump; in Spades, always the spade suit.
Bid: Number of tricks player commits to taking (0-13).
Nil / Nil bid: Commitment to take ZERO tricks; worth ±100 points.
Blind Nil: Nil bid made before looking at cards; ±200 points.
Bag / Overtrick: Trick taken beyond bid; each = 1 point but 10 bags = -100 penalty.
Set: Failing to make bid; -10 × bid penalty.
Setting opponents: Causing opponents to fail their bid.
Trump / Cut: Playing a spade on non-spade suit to win trick.
Follow suit: Play card of led suit if you have one (mandatory).
Renege: Failing to follow suit when able — penalty if caught.
Break / Broken spades: First time a spade is played (trumping); spades can now be led.
Boston: Taking all 13 tricks in a single hand (rare).
Long suit: Suit where you hold 5+ cards; useful for taking tricks late in hand.
Short suit / Void: Suit where you hold 0-2 cards; opportunity to trump early.
Cover: Take a trick to prevent partner from being forced to take it (protecting nil).
Cutthroat Spades: 3-player variant with no partnerships.
Big / Little Joker: In joker variants: Big Joker highest spade, Little Joker second-highest.

Major competitions

No official world championship — casual game
n/a · n/a
US Nationals + Regional Spades Tournaments (informal circuit)
annual + ongoing · USA · since 1990
Online tournaments (Trickster Games, Spades Plus, MSN)
continuous · worldwide online · since 2000
College + Military Spades leagues (informal)
semester/deployment · USA colleges + military bases · since 1950

Where it is played

Governing bodies

No formal governing body — folk / casual game
n/a
ACBL (American Contract Bridge League) — sometimes affiliated for tournament Spades
Founded 1937 · Horn Lake, MS, USA
Spades tournaments (informal, various USA locations)
Founded 1990 · USA regional

Famous names & records

Famous athletes

No professional Spades players — casual game only
Various online Spades champions on Trickster Games + MSN Zone (informal rankings)
Barack Obama — known publicly to play + enjoy Spades regularly during presidency

Records

Estimated USA active players
USA population — 50+ million casual players (2020)
Perfect Nil rate
Statistical — Successful Nil bid ~40-50% of attempts by skilled players (2020)
Highest scoring hand
Boston (13-trick sweep) — 130 points (some variants bonus) (2020)

Learn this sport

beginner

1
Learn basic trick-taking rules
Follow suit if able; spades trump; highest card wins. Play a few hands with family/friends learning mechanics.
2
Understand bidding
Count aces + kings for likely tricks; add long-suit potential; underbid slightly to avoid negatives.
3
Play with apps first
Trickster Spades + Spades Plus have AI opponents at various levels for practice.

intermediate

1
Nil bidding + covering
Learn when to bid nil (few high cards, some voids) + how to cover partner's nil.
2
Bag management
Track bags; sometimes sandbag tricks or aggressive plays to reset counter near 10.
3
Read partner's bids + play
Partnership Spades — trust partner's bid, play to their strengths, cover their weaknesses.

advanced

1
Card counting
Track spades played; know exactly which trumps remain in each hand.
2
Set-attack bidding
Aggressive bids designed to force opponents into bad positions.
3
Online competitive play
Trickster Spades has ranked leaderboards; MSN Zone had classic competitive scene 2000s.
4
Study variants (Suicide, Whiz, Blind)
Different variants require different strategies; learning all deepens spades intuition.

Frequently asked

How do you play Spades?+

4 players in 2 partnerships (partners sit opposite). Deal 13 cards each from 52-card deck. BIDDING: each player bids number of tricks (0-13) they'll take. PLAY: 13 tricks, must follow suit if able. Spades are ALWAYS trump — any spade beats any non-spade. Highest card of led suit wins UNLESS spade played (trumps win). Cannot LEAD spades until 'broken' (someone plays spade to trump). SCORING: 10 pts × tricks bid if made exactly; +1 point per overtrick (bag); -10 × bid if missed; 10 bags = -100 penalty; Nil bid (0 tricks) = ±100. First partnership to 500 points wins.

What's a Nil bid?+

Special bid where you commit to taking ZERO tricks in the hand. If successful (take 0 tricks): +100 points. If failed (take any tricks): -100 points. Blind Nil = bid without looking at cards; ±200 points (double stakes). Nil requires: (a) few high cards especially in spades, (b) some short suits/voids for early throw-aways, (c) partner able to 'cover' by taking tricks that would fall to you. High-risk/high-reward — successful Nil often decides the game.

Where did Spades come from?+

Developed in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA in late 1930s (~1937-1939) — origins somewhat unclear but likely evolved from Whist + Bridge family games. Massive growth during WWII when soldiers played to pass time (still called 'military spades' sometimes). Post-war grew in colleges, prisons, African-American communities. Online boom 1990s-2000s via AOL, Yahoo Games, MSN Zone. Now one of most-played card games in USA — 50+ million estimated players. Not popular outside USA (bridge more popular internationally).

Why are 'bags' important?+

Bags = overtricks (tricks taken beyond your bid). Each bag = +1 point but 10 accumulated bags = -100 point penalty. This mechanism forces PRECISE bidding — you can't just bid low + take extras without cost. Bag management is key strategy: sometimes intentionally undertake tricks in late hands to avoid hitting 10 bags; sometimes take extras strategically. Skilled players track bags carefully throughout game.

What's the difference between Spades and Bridge?+

Both trick-taking partnership games with bidding but very different: SPADES simpler + faster (~45 min game); trump always spades; bidding is trick-count commitment; casual/social. BRIDGE more complex + longer (2-3+ hours per rubber); trump determined by bidding (bidding = auction for contract); requires learning conventional bidding systems (Standard American, 2/1, Precision); highly technical + tournament-focused (ACBL). Spades is 'poor man's Bridge' — simpler entry but shares partnership skills + card-counting depth. Both use 52-card deck + 4 players + partnerships.

What are popular Spades variants?+

SUICIDE SPADES — if either partner bids nil, other must bid nil too (both nil or neither); wild high-scoring games. WHIZ SPADES — must bid number of spades in hand OR nil (no other options); math-focused. CUTTHROAT SPADES — 3 players, no partnerships (every player for themselves). MIRROR SPADES — bid exact number of spades in hand. BLIND SPADES — bid before looking at cards (double stakes). JOKERS WILD — 54-card deck with 2 jokers as highest spades (Big > Little > Ace of Spades). BOSTON — bonus for taking all 13 tricks. Each variant popular in different regions/communities.

Sources & provenance

Wikipedia — Spades (card game)— Wikipedia
Bicycle Cards — Spades rules— US Playing Card Co.

Last verified 2026-08-25.community