Spades is a trick-taking card game that combines betting and teamwork in a unique way. Born in the American Midwest, it quickly spread worldwide due to its similar gameplay to Bridge and Euchre but with simplified rules.
This made it accessible to players of all ages, who could now get together and enjoy a highly strategic card game played in teams. Our online Spades game features a multiplayer option precisely to bring together players from all over the world who are looking for partners as keen on winning as they are.
How to play Spades online
Spades uses a standard 52-card deck, with each player receiving 13 cards. After checking their hands and before the game starts, the players must place their bids. The goal is for them to bet on the exact number of tricks they believe they will be taking in the course of the game.
Once that number is set, the player must play smartly to try to reach their goal and avoid taking fewer or more tricks than what they bid on.
The game itself follows the classic trick-taking gameplay. The players must follow suit. In this game, Spades are trumps and can take over the tricks. In case a trick contains more than one Spades card, the highest-ranking one wins.
Spades can only enter the game when a player cannot follow suit. After that, they can be used to open the tricks.
If the trick contains no Spades, then the highest-ranking card of the opening suit wins.
Scoring: bags and bids
Bags and bids are the core of Spades and what makes it different from other similar card games.
Bids are placed before each round starts, with each player stating how many tricks they believe they can get after seeing their own cards. The bid is what will ultimately determine the score of each round.
Matching the bid: when players fulfill their bid, they will receive 10 points for each trick. For example, if a player bids and collects 4 tricks, he or she will receive 40 points at the end of the round.
Underbid: when players bid more tricks than they get, they are penalized with -10 points per failed trick. For instance, if a player bids 4 but only collects 3 tricks, he or she will have 10 points deducted from their total score.
Overbid: this happens when players collect more tricks than what they bid. In this case, the player receives 10 points for each trick they bid on plus 1 point for every extra trick. For example, a player that bids 3 and collects 5 tricks will receive 30+1+1 points: 32 points in total.
Overbidding can be tempting, but there is a catch. Each “extra trick” is turned into a bag and noted down next to the team score. When a team reaches 10 bags, they will have 100 points deducted from their score as a penalty.
The first team to reach 500 points wins the game.
Teamwork
Spades is a teamwork game through and through because the scores are jointly noted down. This means that, even if you match your bid, if your partner fails to do the same, you are both penalized.
The first step in a good teamwork dynamic starts at the bidding stage. There are only 13 tricks to be taken on each round, which means you must balance your bid with that of your partner. Even if you are both extremely confident in your hands, bidding 10 and 9 each is simply not feasible and will surely end up in a penalty for both.
The second step is to keep tabs on each other throughout the game. For example, imagine that a round is ending and your partner is currently underbidding. If you have been keeping an eye on the cards he or she has been playing, you might have a good idea of their cards. If so, you can try to play your own cards in such a way that you set your partner to win the trick.
The third way you and your partner can show off your teamwork skills is by sabotaging your opponents. If both are safe when it comes to matching bids, you can try to make one or both of your opponents over or underbid. Even if you are set to lose, you can try to override your losses by making your opponents fail more spectacularly than you.
Tips and tricks to win at Spades online
1. Don’t overbid. It may be tempting to do it, but 10 bags are easier to reach than it seems, especially because there are two of you (you and your partner) collecting them. Reaching 10 bags equals -100 points and an almost sure defeat.
2. Check other players’ bids. For example, if a player bids 0, it means that he or she will actively try to avoid picking any tricks. In other words, you will have a higher chance of catching more tricks than you are anticipating.
3. The higher your Spades, the higher your bid. Spades are trump and highly likely to win you tricks. This probability increases if you have Spades higher than 10. Even if the trick is led by Spades, if you have the highest cards of the suit, you are more likely to win it.
4. Keep close to the leading card if you are second to play. When you are second, you cannot predict if the following players are going to play very high to take the trick or very low to avoid it. Instead of wasting potentially good cards, play safe and keep your card close to the ranking of the leading one.
5. Go for the tricks early on. At the beginning of the game, everyone is more likely to have all the suits in their hands. It is the perfect time to play your highest-value cards and try to match your bid. Later on, the players may not be able to follow suit anymore and Spades will start to take over the tricks.
