How to play Spades
Spades is America's favorite partnership card game: you and Kári team up against Helga and Björn, bid how many tricks your side will take, then try to deliver exactly that. Spades are always trump — the humblest 2♠ beats any Ace of another suit.
- Bidding — each player bids 1–13 tricks, or nil (zero). Your bid and your partner's combine into a team contract.
- Play — the player left of the dealer leads. You must follow the led suit if you can; when you can't, any card goes — including a trump.
- Winning tricks — highest spade wins; if nobody trumped, the highest card of the led suit takes it. The winner leads next.
- Breaking spades — spades can't be led until someone has played one on another suit's trick.
- Scoring — make the contract for 10 points per bid trick; miss and lose the same. Overtricks score 1 each but add bags — collect 10 bags and lose 100. First team to 500 wins.
Strategy tips that win partnerships
- Bid what you can see, not what you hope. Aces are tricks; Kings are probably tricks; Queens are wishes. Long spades are the most reliable winners in the game.
- Respect the bags. Ten bags cost 100 points — a whole hand's work. When your contract is safe, duck tricks you don't need instead of hoarding them.
- Set the opponents first. Points from breaking the other team's contract swing the game twice as hard as making your own overtricks.
- Cover your partner's nil. When Kári bids nil, your job is to win tricks over them — play high early, take the lead, and keep dangerous suits away from their hand.
- Lead low to sniff out voids. Early low leads force opponents to show which suits they can't follow — priceless information before you cash your honors.
- Count spades relentlessly. Thirteen are out there. Knowing when the last trump has fallen tells you exactly when your side-suit winners become untouchable.
Frequently asked questions
What are the basic rules of Spades?
Four players in two partnerships each bid how many tricks they will win. Spades are always trump: the highest spade wins the trick, otherwise the highest card of the suit led. Make your team's combined bid and score 10 points per trick bid; fall short and you lose 10 per trick bid. First team to 500 wins.
What does bidding nil mean in Spades?
A nil bid is a promise to win zero tricks. Succeed and your team gains 100 points; win even a single trick and you lose 100 instead. Your partner's bid is scored separately, so a covered nil is one of the strongest plays in the game.
What are bags (sandbags) in Spades?
Every trick you win beyond your bid is a "bag", worth 1 point each. Collect 10 bags across hands and your team is penalized 100 points. Bags punish chronic underbidding — winning tricks you did not bid for is not free.
When can spades be played?
You may not LEAD spades until they are "broken" — until someone has trumped in with a spade because they could not follow suit (or has nothing but spades to lead). Once broken, spades can be led like any suit.
How should I bid my hand in Spades?
Count your sure tricks: Aces, protected Kings, and long spades. A rough rule — one trick per Ace and King in side suits, one per spade honor, and one for every spade beyond the third. When in doubt, bid one less than your count: bags are cheaper than a set, but only just.
Can I play Spades online for free against the computer?
Yes — this version runs entirely in your browser with a computer partner (Kári) and two computer opponents, nothing to download and no account needed. Your game saves automatically so you can resume any time.
More free card games
Enjoy trick-taking? Try Hearts, where taking tricks is the danger. Prefer solo play? There's Klondike Solitaire, Spider Solitaire and FreeCell.