Here is a simple guide on how to play Spades:
- Setup:
- Spades is usually played with 4 players in 2 teams of 2.
- Use a standard 52-card deck.
- The dealer shuffles and deals 13 cards to each player.
- Players do not show their cards to others.
- Bidding:
- Each player estimates how many tricks (rounds) they think they can win in that hand.
- Starting from the player to the dealer's left, each player makes a bid.
- The bids represent how many tricks their team aims to win collectively.
- Gameplay:
- The player to the dealer's left leads by playing any card except spades on the first trick.
- Players must follow the suit led if possible.
- If a player doesn't have a card in the led suit, they can play any card, including spades.
- Spades are the trump suit, meaning any spade can beat cards of other suits.
- The highest card of the suit led wins the trick, unless a spade is played, then the highest spade wins.
- The winner of the trick leads the next trick.
- Special rules:
- Spades cannot be led until they have been "broken," meaning a spade has already been played in a previous trick.
- Players continue playing tricks until all 13 cards are played.
- Scoring:
- Teams score points if they meet or exceed their bid number of tricks.
- The game is typically played until one team reaches a set point goal, like 500 points.
The goal is to accurately predict and win the number of tricks you bid while using spades strategically as trump cards to win critical rounds.
