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Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to the most common questions about playing Spades, from basic rules clarifications to advanced game situations.
Basic Rules
How many players do you need for Spades?
Standard Spades is played with exactly four players in two fixed partnerships. Partners sit across from each other. There are variants for 2, 3, 5, or 6 players, but the classic game requires four.
How many cards does each player get?
Each player receives 13 cards. The full 52-card deck is dealt out evenly, one card at a time, starting with the player to the dealer's left.
Do you have to follow suit in Spades?
Yes. If you have a card of the suit that was led, you must play it. You can only play a different suit (including spades) if you have no cards of the led suit.
Can you lead with spades on the first trick?
No. Spades cannot be led until they are "broken." Spades are broken when a player is unable to follow suit and plays a spade on another suit's trick. The exception is if a player holds only spades in their hand.
Who goes first in Spades?
The player to the dealer's left both bids first and leads the first trick. After each trick, the winner of that trick leads the next one.
Bidding
What is a Nil bid?
A Nil bid means you are declaring you will win zero tricks during the hand. If successful, your team earns 100 bonus points. If you win even one trick, your team loses 100 points. Your partner still bids and plays normally.
What is a Blind Nil?
A Blind Nil is a Nil bid made before looking at your cards. It is worth 200 points if successful and costs 200 points if it fails. Most house rules only allow Blind Nil when your team is behind by 100 or more points.
Can both partners bid Nil?
While technically allowed under standard rules, having both partners bid Nil is extremely risky. The team would need to lose all 13 tricks, which is nearly impossible since you must follow suit. This is sometimes called "Double Nil" and is rarely attempted.
Can you bid zero without bidding Nil?
No. In standard Spades, a bid of zero is always a Nil bid with its special scoring rules. You cannot simply bid zero tricks as a regular bid. Your minimum regular bid is 1.
Scoring
What are bags in Spades?
Bags are overtricks, meaning tricks won beyond your team's bid. Each bag is worth 1 point. However, when your team accumulates 10 bags, you lose 100 points and the bag count resets to zero. Managing bags is a key part of Spades strategy.
How does scoring work if you fail your bid?
If your team wins fewer tricks than your combined bid, you lose 10 points for each trick you bid. For example, if your team bid 8 and only won 6 tricks, you lose 80 points. You do not receive any points for the tricks you did win.
What score do you play to in Spades?
The standard game plays to 500 points. When a team reaches or exceeds 500, they win. If both teams pass 500 in the same round, the higher score wins. Some players use shorter games of 300 or 200 points.
Can you have a negative score in Spades?
Yes. Failed bids and bag penalties can push a team into negative points. The game continues until one team reaches the target score, regardless of how low the other team falls.
Gameplay Situations
What happens if I have no cards of the suit led?
If you cannot follow suit, you may play any card from your hand. You can trump with a spade to win the trick, or discard an unwanted card from another suit. If you play a spade, you are "trumping in."
Do I have to trump if I cannot follow suit?
No. If you cannot follow suit, you may choose to play any card, including discarding from a non-trump suit. There is no obligation to play a spade.
What if two spades are played on the same trick?
The highest spade wins the trick. For example, if one player plays the 7 of spades and another plays the Jack of spades, the Jack wins. Standard card ranking applies within the trump suit.
What is "shooting the moon" in Spades?
Shooting the moon is not a standard part of Spades (it comes from Hearts). However, some house rules include a "Boston" variant where winning all 13 tricks earns a large bonus. This is not part of the official rules.
Still Have Questions?
Check out our complete rules guide for a thorough walkthrough, or explore our glossary to learn key Spades terminology. Ready to put your knowledge to the test? Jump into a game and start playing!
Spades Quick Facts
- Spades is a partnership trick-taking card game for 4 players (2 teams of 2) where the spade suit is always the trump suit, outranking all other suits.
- Spades was invented in the United States in the 1930s, likely originating in Cincinnati, Ohio. It became popular among American college students and military personnel during World War II.
- In Spades, each team must bid the number of tricks they expect to win. Teams earn 10 points per bid trick, but overbidding results in a penalty of 10 points per bid trick.
- A "nil" bid in Spades means a player bids zero tricks. A successful nil bid earns 100 bonus points, but failing to take zero tricks incurs a 100-point penalty.
- Collecting overtricks (called "bags") in Spades is risky: every 10 accumulated bags penalizes a team by 100 points, a rule designed to discourage sandbagging.
- Spades uses a standard 52-card deck dealt evenly to 4 players (13 cards each). Unlike Hearts, there is no passing phase before play begins.
- A 'blind nil' bid in Spades means a player commits to taking zero tricks before looking at their hand. This high-risk bid typically earns 200 bonus points if successful.