Spades

DEAL

A standard deck of 52 cards is used. 13 cards are dealt out to all four players.

BID

Each player bids on how many tricks they will win during play. The maximum bid is 13 tricks. Bidding begins with the player to the left of the dealer. If you don't think you will win any tricks then you can bid Nil. Each player has the choice to bid Blind Nil before looking at their hand which will double the points.

PLAY

The object of the game is to win the number of tricks bid by you and your partner sitting across the table. If you bid Nil you will try to avoid taking tricks. Spades are always trump so they are higher than any other suit. Ace is high and two is low. Play begins with the player to the left of the dealer who can lead any card but spades. Play continues in a clockwise order to the dealer. Each player must follow the lead suit unless they don't have any cards in that suit. In that case the player may play any card. If they play a spade then spades are broken. The player who lays the highest spade or highest card following the lead suit wins the trick and leads a new card. Spades cannot be lead until they are broken.

SCORING

If you and your partner win the total number of tricks you bid then you receive 10 points for each bid trick. Any tricks you win above your bid will count 1 point and give you 1 sandbag. Accumulating 10 sandbags will cost you 100 points. If you don't win the number of tricks you bid you lose 10 points for every trick you bid. If you bid Nil and you take no tricks you win 100 points, but if you take at least 1 trick you lose 100 points. The points are doubled on a Blind Nil. The first team to reach 500 points wins the game.