How to Play Spades
Spades is a partnership trick-taking game for four. Partners sit opposite each other. Spades are always trump. Before playing, each player bids how many tricks they'll take, and your team scores by making its combined bid.
The deal
A standard 52-card deck; each player gets 13 cards. Aces are high. The deal passes to the left after each hand.
Bidding
Starting with the player to the dealer's left, each player bids a number of tricks from 1 to 13, or nil (0). Your bid and your partner's bid add up to your team's contract.
See the bidding guide for how to count a hand.
Playing
- The player to the dealer's left leads the first trick.
- Going clockwise, everyone plays a card. You must follow suit if you can; if not, you may play any card, including a spade.
- The highest spade wins the trick; if no spades were played, the highest card of the suit led wins. The winner leads next.
- Breaking spades: you can't lead a spade until a spade has been played on an earlier trick, unless your hand is all spades.
Scoring
| Result | Points |
|---|---|
| Team makes its contract | 10 × contract |
| Each extra trick (a bag) | +1 |
| Team falls short | −10 × contract |
| Nil made | +100 |
| Nil failed | −100 |
| Every 10 bags | −100 |
- A nil bidder's tricks don't count toward the partner's bid; they count as bags.
Winning
The first team to reach 500 at the end of a hand wins. If both teams pass 500 in the same hand, the higher score wins; a tie plays on.
Playing on kawu
- Choose your bid from the buttons (Nil, 1 to 13). Then click a card to play; cards you can't play are dimmed.
- Your partner is a computer player who bids and plays to make the team's contract.
Ready? Play Spades, or read the strategy guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can you lead spades on the first trick?
No. Spades can't be led until a spade has been played on an earlier trick (spades are "broken"), unless you hold nothing but spades.
What is a bag in Spades?
Each trick your team takes beyond its bid is a bag, worth 1 point. When a team collects 10 bags, it loses 100 points.
What does it mean to bid nil?
Bidding nil (zero) means you promise not to take a single trick. Succeed and your team gets 100 points; take any trick and it loses 100.
Do a nil bidder's tricks count toward the partner's bid?
Not on kawu. They count as bags. House rules vary.
Last updated 2026-10-18