The term spades also refers to the playing-card suit, which is distinct from the game itself.
Card Games
Spades
Spades is a trick-taking card game where the spade suit always beats other suits. Before each hand, players predict how many tricks they will win, and they score points for hitting that target or lose points for missing it.
Key points
- Spades is always the trump suit; no other suit can be named in the bid.3
- Each player bids the number of tricks they expect to win; points are awarded for meeting the bid and deducted for failing.1
- Overtricks (called 'bags') incur a penalty in many versions, often 10 points per bag after reaching a threshold.1
- The standard game is for four players in fixed partnerships, but two-player and three-player variants exist.2
How a hand of spades is played
- Deal 13 cards to each player from a standard 52-card deck.3
- Each player bids the number of tricks they will take. In partnership spades, partners' bids are combined.3
- The player to the dealer's left leads any card except a spade unless spades have been 'broken' (played earlier).3
- Players must follow suit if possible; otherwise they may play any card, including a trump spade.3
- The highest card of the led suit wins the trick unless a spade is played, in which case the highest spade wins.3
Scoring in spades
| Outcome | Points |
|---|---|
| Make bid exactly | 10 × bid |
| Make bid with overtricks (bags) | 10 × bid + 1 per bag |
| Fail to make bid | −10 × bid |
| Nil bid made | 100 |
| Nil bid failed | −100 |
Common questions
What is spades card game?
Spades is a trick-taking card game for four players in fixed partnerships. The spade suit is always trump, and players bid how many tricks they will take each hand. The first side to reach 500 points wins.1
What are spades in a deck of cards?
Spades is one of the four suits in a standard 52-card deck, marked by a black symbol shaped like an inverted heart with a stem. It is the highest-ranking suit in the game of spades.4
What does the ace of spades mean?
The ace of spades is the highest card in the spades suit and often considered the most valuable card in the deck. In the game of spades, it is the most powerful single card and can win any trick it is played in.5
What are bags in spades?
Bags are overtricks — tricks won above the combined bid. In standard scoring, each bag adds 1 point to the hand's total, but accumulating 10 or more bags typically results in a 100-point penalty.1
Where this term is used
Not the same as
- Ace of spades — a single playing card, not the game itself
- Jack of spades — a face card in the spades suit, not the game
Related terms
Sources
- Spades (card game) en.wikipedia.org Provides the standard rules, scoring, and target score for spades.
- Spades - card game rules pagat.com Offers comprehensive rules for spades and its variants.
- Spades bicyclecards.com Gives the official rules and card ranking for spades.
- Spades (suit) en.wikipedia.org Defines spades as a suit and distinguishes it from the game.
- Ace of spades en.wikipedia.org Explains the ace of spades card and its significance.
Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.