How to play Spades

Spades is a game for four players in two partnerships. You sit across from your partner, Rose, and play against Lily and Walter. Before each hand, everyone says how many tricks they expect to take. Your side scores when the two of you take at least what you bid together, and loses points when you fall short. The first side to reach 500 points wins.

Bidding

• Everyone gets 13 cards and bids once, starting to the left of the dealer: any number from 1 to 13, or Nil (zero).
• Your bid and your partner's bid are added together. That total is your side's contract.
• To count your tricks: each ace is about one, a king with a second card of its suit is about one, high spades count, and every spade beyond your third is usually a trick.
• Tap a number, then tap Bid. Tap Hint if you want a suggestion.

Playing the tricks

• The player to the left of the dealer leads the first trick.
• You must follow suit if you can. If you cannot, you may play any card, including a spade.
• Spades are always trump: the highest spade takes the trick. With no spade in it, the highest card of the suit that was led wins. Aces are high.
• You cannot lead a spade until spades are broken, which means someone has played a spade on another suit, or you hold nothing but spades.

Scoring

• Made it: 10 points for each trick your side bid, plus 1 point for each extra trick.
• Set: if your side takes fewer tricks than it bid, you lose 10 points for each trick bid.
• Bags: extra tricks are called bags. They add up from hand to hand, and every time a side collects 10 bags it loses 100 points.
• Nil: a player who bids nil and takes no tricks earns 100 points for the side; taking even one trick costs 100. The nil player's tricks do not help the partner's bid; they count as bags.
• A side that falls to minus 200 loses the game. In Settings you can play a shorter game to 300.

Tips

1. Bid honestly. Being set costs more than a couple of bags. When in doubt, count the sure tricks only.
2. Cash your aces early. Before anyone runs out of a suit, your side aces are safe tricks.
3. Trump when you are short. Once you are out of a suit, a small spade can win a trick with high cards in it.
4. Let your partner win. If Rose is already taking the trick, play your lowest card instead of overtaking her.
5. Protect a nil. When your partner bids nil, play high so you take the tricks they would be forced to win.

Today's deal

The Daily Deal is one hand with the same cards and the same computer players for everyone. Bid, play, and see how many points your side scores compared with everyone else today. Your first try of the day is the one that counts.

Questions

Can I undo a card? No. Like at a real table, a card on the table stays there. On a phone, the first tap lifts the card and the second tap plays it, so you can check before you commit.

How strong are the computer players? Easy plays like a beginner. Normal and Sharp bid by counting their cards and think ahead by imagining where the unseen cards could be; Sharp imagines many more possibilities.

Can I play with my family? Playing with friends over a link, each on their own phone, is coming soon. For now Rose is a computer partner.

Do I need an account? No. Your game is saved in this browser, so you can close the page and come back.