Spades strategy
Spades is won and lost in the bidding. Count your sure tricks before you bid, know when a nil is safe, and play so your partner always knows where you stand.
These guides walk through real hands from our tables, covering bidding, nil bids, and teamwork. The fastest way to learn is to try things in a real game of Spades, and if you are brand new, the rules and tutorial will get you ready.
Bidding
Count your spades before you bid
Why you should count your sure spade tricks before deciding what to bid.
Look for aces and kings when bidding
Why aces and kings usually take a trick and belong in your bid.
Nil bids
How long low suits let you bid nil safely even when holding aces.
How a void suit and many low cards set up a strong nil bid.
Defending a nil bid with high cards
How to keep the lead with high cards so your partner's nil survives.
What makes a nil bid risky, like bidding first or holding high spades.
Playing as a team
Set your opponents when the bid is high
Why you must try to set opponents when the table bids thirteen or more.
When to take extra tricks so your team still makes its combined bid.
How to read your partner's plays for clues about setting or ducking.
Why leading an unexpected king can backfire when your partner misreads your plan.
More Spades
Plain definitions of Spades terms like bag, cover, duck, set, and roll.
How ranked Spades works and how Elo ratings are computed.
An interactive calculator showing how a game changes each player's rating.