Card Game 101 #9: Spades

Spades is a trick-taking card game primarily played by four players. Score points by making your bid of the number of tricks you'll take during the round! Read on to learn the basics of the card game Spades.

✔ A standard 52-card deck

✔ 4 players

First of all, choose the dealer. The dealer can be selected by the players themselves, or using the following method:

- Each player draws one card from the deck. The player who draws the highest number gets to deal (for this purpose, count aces as 1, jacks as 11, queens as 12, and kings as 13). If two or more players tie for the highest number drawn, have the tying players re-draw from the deck.

Next, the entire deck will be dealt, with each player being dealt 13 cards. Then, players will take turns bidding how many tricks they think they will win during the round. Bidding starts with the player to the left of the dealer.

In Spades, players are organized into two opposing teams, and teammates sit across from each other. The objective is to be the first team to reach 500 points. Points will be awarded if a team's total number of tricks won equals or exceeds the team's combined bid.

The player to the left of the dealer starts play by leading any card to the first trick. A trick is created by each player playing a card into the middle. In each trick, all players must follow the lead suit whenever possible. If a player does not have a card in the lead suit, the player can play any card.

In this game, the cards are ranked as follows: A>K>Q>J>10>9>8>7>6>5>4>3>2. Spades are the trump suit, meaning a spade can beat all other suited cards.

The player who played the highest ranking spade wins the trick. If no spade was played, the player with the highest ranking card in the lead suit will win the trick.

The player who wins the trick leads the next trick. Play continues this way until all cards have been played.

At the end of a round, teams score points as follows:

✔ If a team makes their bid, they will be awarded 10 times the amount bid. If the team won more tricks than they bid, they will get 1 point for each excess trick (known as a "sandbag"). However, once a team has accumulated 10 sandbags, 100 points will be deducted from their score.

- For example, if a team has a combined bid of 4 but ends up winning 5 tricks, they will receive 10 * 4 + 1 = 41 points. The team will also get 1 sandbag.

✔ If a team does not make their bid, they will receive negative 10 times the amount bid.

- For example, if a team has a combined bid of 4 but ends up winning only 3 tricks, they will receive -10 * 4 = -40 points.

The first team to 500 points wins the game.

✔ A spade cannot be led until spades have been broken. Spades are broken when a player cannot follow suit and plays a spade into the middle.

✔ Players must follow the lead suit whenever possible, even if they have a spade in their hand.

✔ A player can choose to bid zero (known as a "nil bid"). This bid is separate from their teammate's bid. If a player makes their nil bid, their team will be awarded 100 points. If the player who bid nil wins any trick, it is negative 100 points plus the number of tricks won. Their team will also receive sandbags for those tricks won.

✔ Also, a player may choose to bid nil without looking at their cards. This is known as a "blind nil bid". A blind nil bid is similar to a regular nil bid, but is worth 200 points.

The next blog in this series will be about the card game Rummy 500. Expect it to come within a week.

Thanks for reading!