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How to Play Spades

The goal

Four players in two teams of partners, sitting across from each other. Each hand, your team bids how many tricks it will take, then tries to take exactly that many. The first team to reach the target score wins: 500 points is standard, and a shorter game (250 or 300) can be chosen when you create one. If both teams pass the target on the same hand, the higher score wins; an exact tie plays one more hand.

Bidding

After the deal, each player bids, starting with the player to the dealer's left. Bid how many tricks you expect to win (1 to 13), or bid Nil if you think you can avoid winning any. Your bid and your partner's are added together as your team's contract. The deal moves one seat to the left each hand.

Playing a trick

The player to the dealer's left leads the first trick. You must follow the suit that was led if you can; if you can't, you may play anything, including a spade. Spades are always trump: the highest spade wins the trick, and if no spade was played, the highest card of the led suit wins. Spades can't be led until one has been played on another suit ("spades broken"), unless you hold nothing but spades.

Scoring

Make your contract and your team scores 10 points per trick bid, plus 1 point for each extra trick. Fall short and you lose 10 points per trick bid. A successful Nil scores 100 points; a failed Nil loses 100. Tricks won by a Nil bidder don't count toward their partner's bid.

Bags

Every extra trick beyond your contract is a "bag." When your team collects 10 bags, you lose 100 points and the count starts again.

Playing with bots

Pick how many human players you want (1–4). Any remaining seats are filled with bots, so there's always a full table. Choosing 1 player starts a practice game right away.

Choosing partners

The person who creates a game is its host. As others join, they wait while the host chooses a partner: one of the people who has joined, or one of the bots. Your partner sits across from you, and everyone else plays against you. Anyone who joins after teams are set takes an open seat on the other team. After a game, the host can start a rematch with the same partner or pick a new one.

Between hands

After each hand, everyone sees the scores. Click Continue when you're done reading; the next hand is dealt once everyone has. The host can also deal without waiting.

Signing in

Signing in is optional; everything works the same without it. Spades uses your GameShack account, the same one for every game on gameshack.org: use "Sign in" at the top of the page or "Sign in to sync games & stats" here, enter your email, then the 6-digit code sent there. There's no password. Signed in, the games you're seated in show up under Rejoin Games on any device, your name and emoji are filled in for you, and your games count toward your own record.

Inviting others

When you create a game with more than 1 player, you'll get a short join code and link. Share it however you like, or fill in an email box and it'll be sent automatically. Anyone with the code or link can join.