Discover the First-Ever Professional Spades League in the World

How to Play Spades

Our Spades is similar to  a classic game.  Starts with four players in partnerships. The game is played with a standard 52-card deck, and the goal is to be the first team to reach a set number of points of 250.

Setup

1. Teams: Divide into two teams of two players each. Partners sit across from each other.
2. Deck: Use a standard 52-card deck. Includes Big & Small Joker, 2 of Diamond, 2 of Spade
3. Deal: they are random and auto. Players will just grab the coin to start deal

Bidding

1. Bid Phase: Starting with the player to the dealer’s left and proceeding clockwise, each player bids the number of tricks they expect to win. Minimum of 2 hand bid per person.   A trick is won by having the highest card of the suit led or the highest spade if spades are played.
2. Nil Bids:  None
3. Team Bids: The bids of each team’s members are combined to form the team’s bid. For example, if one partner bids 3 and the other bids 4, the team’s bid is 7.

Playing the Game

1. Leading: The player to the dealer’s left leads the first trick by playing any card except a spade. Spades cannot be led until they have been “broken” (played in a previous trick).
2. Following Suit: Players must follow the suit led if possible. If a player cannot follow suit, they can play a spade or any other suit.
3. Winning Tricks: The highest card of the suit led wins the trick unless a spade is played. In that case, the highest spade wins. If multiple spades are played, the highest spade wins.
4. Breaking Spades: Spades are “broken” when a player cannot follow suit and plays a spade. After this, spades can be led in subsequent tricks.

Scoring

1. Meeting Bids: If a team meets or exceeds their combined bid, they earn 10 points per trick bid. For example, if the team bid 7 and wins 8 tricks, they score 70 points.
2. Overtricks (Sandbags): Any tricks won beyond the bid count as overtricks or sandbags. Each overtrick adds 1 point to the team’s score. However, accumulating 10 sandbags results in a 100-point penalty.
3. Falling Short: If a team fails to meet their bid, they lose 10 points for each trick they bid.

Winning the Game

The game continues until a team reaches the predetermined score, usually 250 points. The team with the highest score at the end of the game wins.

Tips for Playing Spades

1. Communication: Non-verbal communication and strategy discussions with your partner before the game can help improve your gameplay.
2. Card Counting: Keep track of which cards have been played to make better decisions on which cards to play.
3. Balancing Risk: When bidding, be realistic about the number of tricks you can take. Overbidding can lead to penalties.