# Spades Rules

Spades is a card game for 4 players, with 2 pairs of opposite partners. The object of the game is to be the first partnership to gain over 500 points. The rules summarized here are the default rules, there are several variations allowed.

### Card Rank

Spades are always trump cards, aces high. The highest spade on the table will take the trick, or if there are no spades, the highest card of the suit lead will take the trick.

### Bidding

Both partners attempt to agree on a bid, meaning the number of tricks they will take each hand. It is important to note that player may NOT specify specific cards in their hands, only a general message such as "I know I could take 3 tricks, I could probably take 5 or 6 tricks total." Once they have agreed on the bid, they attempt to take that number of tricks that hand, no more, no less, to gain the maximum number of points.

Nil: When a player bids nil, its a declaration that they will not be taking any tricks that hand. This scores 50 points if accomplished, in addition to the points scored for his/her partner. It scores -50 if it fails.

Blind Nil: When partners are losing by more than 100 points, they are given the option of bidding blind nil. This means they may bid Nil without seeing their cards. If successful, they gain 100 points, and lose 100 points if unsuccessful.

### Play

The 2 of clubs leads the first trick. Players play cards in clockwise order, following the suit of the card lead. If a player does not have any of that suit, they are allowed to play any other cards they wish. If a spade is played on a trick, the highest spade will win the trick.

The player who wins the trick leads next. Spades are only allowed to be lead if someone has already played a spade on a previous trick, or the leader has nothing but spades left in the hand. Playing the first spade is known as "breaking" spades.

### Scores

A side gets 10 points multiplied by the number of tricks it took below the bid, and gets -10 points multiplied by the number of tricks not taken. If a side takes tricks over the bid, they get 1 point for each overtrick. When these overtricks add up to 10 points, 100 points is deducted from their score. These overtricks are called "sandbags".

See Bidding for additional scoring on bidding Nil and Blind Nil.

### Variations

There are many variations of the rules for spades. Click here to see the ones supported by spades.