Spades
Card Games · 10 specs
Direct Answer
Spades is a standard 4-player partnership trick-taking card game where Spades are permanently the trump suit. Players simultaneously bid the exact number of tricks they expect to win. Bidding Nil awards a +100 point bonus (or -100 penalty), while taking extra tricks beyond the bid accumulates 'bags', triggering a 100-point penalty for every 10 bags.
Source: Standard Partnership Spades Rules · Last reviewed Aug 28, 2026
Specs
| Total Players | 4 in 2 fixed partnerships |
| Deck Size | 52 cards (13 dealt per player) |
| Permanent Trump Suit | Spades (♠) always trumps other suits |
| Rank of Cards | Ace (High) to 2 (Low) |
| Standard Winning Score | 500 points |
| Contract Trick Points | 10 points per bid trick won |
| Overtrick (Bag) Points | 1 point per extra trick |
| 10-Bag Penalty | -100 points deducted at 10 bags |
| Nil Bid Bonus / Penalty | +100 / -100 points (0 tricks won) |
| Blind Nil Bonus / Penalty | +200 / -200 points (bid before looking) |
Bidding Phase & Partnership Totals
After dealing 13 cards to each player, bidding begins left of the dealer. Each player states how many tricks they will take. The team's bid is the sum of both partners' bids:
- Making the Bid: If a team bids 7 and wins 7 tricks, they score 70 points (7 × 10).
- Failing the Bid (Set): If a team bids 7 and wins only 6 tricks, they lose 70 points (-70).
Overtricks (Sandbagging Penalty)
Tricks won in excess of the contract are called 'bags' (or overtricks) and award 1 point each. However, accumulating 10 bags over the course of a game triggers a 100-point penalty (-100 points), and the bag counter resets to 0. This mechanic prevents teams from deliberately underbidding.
Nil and Blind Nil Rules
- Nil: A player bids to win exactly zero tricks. If successful, the team earns a +100 point bonus. If the Nil bidder takes even 1 trick, the team loses 100 points (-100). The partner's tricks are scored separately.
- Blind Nil: Bid before looking at cards (often only allowed when trailing by 100+ points); awards +200 points on success and -200 on failure.
Leading & Breaking Spades
Players must follow the suit led if able. If void in the led suit, a player may play a Spade (trump) or discard another suit. Spades cannot be led until a player has played a Spade to trump another trick ('breaking Spades') or unless the player holds only Spades.