Spades: Tips, Tricks, Cheats

Spades

Relive the Classic: Spades – The Ultimate Trick-Taking Card Game!

Spades, the iconic trick-taking card game, gained massive popularity after its inclusion in Microsoft Windows in 1992, but its roots trace back to 1930s America. Our version aims to faithfully recreate all the fun of the original in a compact package, offering a refreshing experience for both long-time fans and newcomers.

Objective & Gameplay:

Spades is a descendant of the Whist family of card games (which also includes Bridge, Hearts, and Oh, Hell), distinguished by the Spade suit always being trump. Typically played by four players in two fixed partnerships, with partners sitting opposite each other, the core objective is for each partnership to take at least the number of tricks they collectively bid before play begins.

A standard 52-card pack is used, with cards ranking from highest to lowest: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. The turn to deal rotates clockwise. All four players bid a number of tricks; passing is not allowed, and bids cannot be altered. A bid of 0 tricks is known as "Nil," a declaration that the player will win no tricks. A successful Nil earns a bonus, but a failed Nil incurs a penalty.

The player to the dealer's left leads any card (except a spade, unless spades have already been broken). Players must follow suit if able; if unable, they may play any card. A trick containing a spade is won by the highest spade played; otherwise, the highest card of the led suit wins. The winner of each trick leads the next. Spades may not be led until a spade has been played ("broken") or the leader has only spades left.

Scoring & Winning:

A partnership that meets its bid scores 10 points for each trick bid. Additional tricks (known as "bags") are worth one point each. Accumulating 10 or more bags results in a 100-point deduction. If a side fails to make its bid, they lose 10 points for each trick bid. A successful Nil bid grants 100 points, while a failed Nil incurs a 100-point penalty. The first team to reach 500 points wins the game.

Download Spades today and enjoy a faithful recreation of this classic strategic card game, perfect for hours of challenging entertainment!