Spades is a partnership trick-taking game for four players. You and the partner across the table bid how many tricks you will take together, then try to take at least that many without collecting too many extra tricks. Here you play with a computer partner against two computer opponents.
The deal and the bid
Each player gets 13 cards. Starting with the player to the dealer’s left, everyone bids how many tricks they expect to win, from 1 to 13. Your bid and your partner’s are added together to make your team’s contract.
You can also bid Nil, a promise to take no tricks at all. The game highlights a suggested bid based on your high cards, your spades and your short suits.
Playing the tricks
The player to the dealer’s left leads first, and play goes clockwise.
You must follow the suit that was led if you can. If you can’t, you may play any card, including a spade.
Spades are trumps: the highest spade wins the trick. Without a spade, the highest card of the suit led wins. Aces are high.
Spades can’t be led until one has been played on another suit, unless you hold nothing but spades.
Whoever wins a trick leads the next one.
Scoring a hand
Make your contract: 10 points for each trick bid, plus 1 point for each extra trick.
Fall short: lose 10 points for each trick bid.
Extra tricks are bags. Every 10 bags your team collects costs 100 points.
Nil: +100 if the nil bidder takes no tricks, −100 if they take any. A nil bidder’s tricks don’t help the partner’s bid, but they count as bags.
Winning the game
After each hand a score sheet shows how both teams scored. The first team to reach 500 points (or 300 in a shorter game) wins, and if both teams are tied another hand is played. A team that falls to −200 loses straight away.
Tips and difficulty levels
Count sure tricks when you bid: high spades, side-suit aces and kings, and a short suit when you have spades to trump with.
Once your contract is made, play low cards to avoid collecting bags.
If your partner bids Nil, play high so they can play under you.
Easy opponents bid loosely and make mistakes. Normal players count tricks and play sound cards. Hard players track who is out of each suit and play each option out against many possible deals.