Setup:
Spades is a four player card game with fixed partners sitting opposite
each other. Cards rank in each suit from highest to lowest: A, K, Q, J,
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. A dealer is chosen at random, and then
passes on clockwise in subsequent hands. The cards are shuffled, and
every player is dealt 13 cards.
Bidding:
Each hand begins by clockwise bidding starting to the left of the
dealer. Players take turns bidding on how many tricks they believe they can
take during the hand, with the second teammate bidding for the team at
least what his/her teammate bid previously. Bids must be whole numbers,
and a minimum team bid of 4 tricks is required.
Special Bids
Play:
Play begins with every player discarding their lowest club. If a
player is void in clubs, then they must discard either a diamond or a
heart. The player with the highest club wins the trick.
Play proceeds with the winner of the first trick leading the second with
any card except a spade. Players take turns playing cards clockwise from the
leader following suit if able. If a player is void in the suit led, then
he/she may play any card desired. A trick containing a spade is won by
the highest spade; otherwise, the highest card of the suit led wins the
trick.
Play continues with the winner of each trick leading the next. A player
can not lead a spade until either:
Scoring:
Once play for a hand has finished, each team that makes at least their
bid receives 10 times their bid plus 1 point for each overtrick. A team
that falls short of its bid loses ten times the amount of the bid. It is
important to note that the singles digit of the score exists only to record
the number of sandbags, or overtricks. Once 10 sandbags are
accumulated, the team is penalized 100 points, and any extra sandbags are
recorded again in the singles digit. Notice that ten sandbags do not
equate to ten points; likewise, when a team goes negative, the sandbags
digit does not change.
Special Bids:
Other Spades links: