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Spades

Bid smart. Spades are always trump.

👥 4 players (2 teams) · Medium difficulty

Spades is North America's most iconic trick-taking partnership game. Every hand starts with a bidding phase — your team must win exactly the tricks you bid. Too few costs points; too many "sandbags" accumulate into penalties.

🎯 Objective

Be the first team to reach 500 points.

🃏 Setup

  1. Two teams of two sit opposite each other. Deal 13 cards to each player.
  2. Each player bids 0–13 tricks. Team bid = sum of both partners' bids.

▶ How to Play

  1. Spades cannot be led until they have been "broken" (played as a discard in another suit), unless a player has only spades.
  2. Spades beat all other suits. Highest spade wins if any are played; otherwise highest of led suit wins.
  3. Players must follow suit. If void, play any card including a spade.

📊 Scoring

Made bid: 10 × bid. Each overtrick (bag): +1 but every 10 bags = −100. Failed bid: −10 × bid. Nil bid made: +100. Nil bid failed: −100. Blind nil: ±200.