The short answer
The core terms
Trump
The suit that beats every other suit. Spades are always trump; Joker variants add Jokers (and JJDD adds the 2♦) as trump.
Follow suit
Play a card of the led suit when you have one. You must follow suit if able; otherwise you may play any card, including trump.
Void
Holding no cards of the led suit. When void, you may play any card — including trump to win the trick.
Reneging
Failing to follow suit when you legally could. In this implementation the server blocks it; at a live table it is a penalty.
Bid
The number of tricks you commit to win in a hand. Partners' bids are added to form the team contract.
Contract
The combined bid of a partnership. Make it for points; fall short to lose points.
Nil
A bid of zero tricks. Worth +100 made, −100 failed. Some tables allow Blind Nil (bid before seeing your hand) for +200/−200.
Bags (overtricks)
Tricks won above your bid. Each is +1 point, but 10 bags trigger a −100 penalty.
Set
Failing to make your contract. You lose points equal to 10× your bid.
Boston
Winning all 13 tricks in a hand. Some house rules award a bonus; the default here scores 0 bonus.
Deuce
The 2 of a suit. In JJD the 2♠ is a high trump; in JJDD both the 2♦ and 2♠ outrank the A♠.
Joker
A special trump card added in Joker variants, ranking above every Spade. Big Joker beats Little Joker.
Break trump (break spades)
The first time trump is played on a trick led by another suit. Trump cannot be led until it is broken — unless you hold only trump.
Cover
Playing a high card to protect your partner's Nil, so they do not win a trick.
Pull trump
Leading or forcing out high trump to clear the way for your side-suit winners.
Sandbag
A slang term for bags — winning more tricks than you bid. Some tables play "sandbagging" as deliberately underbidding, which is risky.
Shoot the moon
Not a standard Spades term (it belongs to Hearts), but sometimes misused to mean winning every trick — see Boston.
Partnership
The 2v2 team format. You and the player across from you are a team; you share a bid and score.
Hand
One deal of 13 cards, played through bidding and 13 tricks. A match is a sequence of hands to a target score.
Slang you will hear
- "You're set" — your team fell short of its contract
- "Cover me" — a Nil bidder asking a partner to win tricks on their behalf
- "Pull trump" — lead trump to draw out the opponents' high trump
- "Watch the bags" — a reminder that overtricks add up toward the penalty
Where rules vary by table
Some terms have local meanings. "Blind Nil" is allowed in some houses and banned in others. "Boston" sometimes carries a bonus and sometimes does not. "Sandbagging" can mean deliberate underbidding at some tables. The implementation here documents its defaults on the rules page; when you play with friends, confirm house rules first.
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Frequently asked questions
What does "bags" mean in Spades?
Bags are overtricks — tricks you win above your bid. Each bag is 1 point, but accumulating 10 bags costs a 100-point penalty.
What is a Nil bid?
A bid of zero tricks. Making it scores +100; failing scores −100. It is a high-risk, high-reward declaration.
What does "trump" mean?
The suit that beats all others. Spades are always trump; in Joker variants the Jokers (and in JJDD the 2♦) are also trump.
What is "setting" a bid?
Falling short of your bid. If you bid 5 and win 4, you are "set" and lose points.