The short answer
Score a Hand
The contract
Your team's bid is its contract. If you win at least that many tricks, you score 10 points per bid trick. Tricks above your bid are overtricks (bags), worth 1 point each.
Missing the contract
If your team wins fewer tricks than you bid, you score zero for the contract and lose 10 times your bid. No bags are added on a missed contract.
Bags and the 10-bag penalty
Each overtrick is a bag. When your team's bags reach 10, you lose 100 points and the count resets. A few extra tricks can quietly turn into a big loss — see Bags in Spades.
Nil and blind Nil
- Nil made: +100 · Nil failed: −100
- Blind Nil made: +200 · Blind Nil failed: −200 (Private Table option only)
A Nil bid is separate from the team contract: a Nil bidder contributes 0 to the contract and scores the Nil bonus or penalty independently. See Nil in Spades.
Ending the game
The first team to reach the target score (commonly 500) wins. Some groups require winning by a margin or play to a fixed number of hands — confirm the house rules before you start.
| Outcome | Score |
|---|---|
| Make contract (bid N) | +10 × N |
| Each overtrick (bag) | +1 |
| Miss contract (bid N) | −10 × N |
| 10 bags accumulated | −100 (reset) |
| Nil made / failed | +100 / −100 |
| Blind Nil made / failed (Private Table only) | +200 / −200 |
Try it yourself with the Spades score calculator, or read the full rules.
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Frequently asked questions
How many points is a made contract in Spades?
You score 10 points per bid trick when your team wins at least its bid. Extra tricks are 1 point each (bags).
What happens if you miss your bid?
You lose 10 times your bid and score zero for the hand. No bags are added.
How much is Nil worth?
A successful Nil is +100; a failed Nil is −100. Blind Nil (+200 / −200) is a Private Table option only.
What is the bag penalty?
When a team accumulates 10 bags, they lose 100 points and the bag count resets.