The short answer
Guided First Hand
1 / 6Teams
Four players in two teams. You and North are partners against East and West. Partners sit across from each other.
The basics
Four players in two partnerships (you + a partner vs. two opponents) are each dealt 13 cards. Spades are always trump. Each trick, one player leads a card and the others must follow suit if they can; the highest card of the led suit wins — unless someone trumps with a spade, in which case the highest spade wins. The winner leads the next trick.
Bidding
Before play, each player bids NIL or a number from 1 to 13. NIL means the player is attempting to take zero tricks. Your bid plus your partner's bid is your team contract; together you must win at least that many tricks. See the bidding guide for how to count tricks.
Scoring
- Make your contract: 10 points per trick bid
- Overtricks (bags): 1 point each — but 10 bags cost 100 points
- Successful Nil: +100; failed Nil: −100 (Blind Nil +200/−200 is a Private Table option only)
- Missing your contract: −10 per trick bid
Learn by doing
Reading rules is just the start. Internet Spades turns each rule into an interactive lesson — follow suit, trump, break spades, bid, manage bags, and play a full guided game. Open the lessons to learn Spades by playing real situations.
Ready to try it for real?
Common questions
How many cards does each player get in Spades?
Each of the four players is dealt 13 cards from a standard 52-card deck.
What is the trump suit in Spades?
Spades are always trump. A spade beats any card of another suit, and the highest spade played wins the trick.
When can you lead a spade?
Spades cannot be led until they are "broken" — meaning a spade has been played on a trick led by another suit. If you hold only spades, you may lead them.
What are bags in Spades?
Bags are overtricks — tricks you win above your bid. They are worth 1 point each, but accumulating 10 bags costs your team 100 points.