First played in the US in the 1930s, and also known by names such as Call and Bridge, Spades is a a “trick-taking” card game that is typically played between four players but can also be played with just two. The game is played with a single deck of either 52 or 54 cards and one session can last as long as a couple of hours. This is a game of skill, strategy and a little luck, a combination that makes this a very popular gambling game.

The Basics

Spades is very similar to games like Whist and Hearts, and if you know how to play them then you won’t have much of an issue learning this game. It is so-named because the Spade suit trumps all others, making it the strongest and the most effective suit in the deck. In this sense, it is also closely related to Trumps and Trump Suit, but there are minor differences that make this game unique.

How To Play Spades For Money

Spades is a relatively easy game to learn and is believed to have been invented as a simplified version of Bridge. It is said that if you can play Bridge then you can play Spades, and if you can play Spades then you can play Bridge.

Play Spades for free online against the computer or live opponents!

The Rules

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Most online games of Spades, such as the one available on BetOnline, are played between two players. The first step in such a game is when each player takes turns in choosing their cards, accepting a card or discarding it for the next one. After they have their cards then the game begins with the player placing one card down. It can be any card as long as it is not a spade, and once it is down then the players continue to match the suit by playing more. If they can not, then they can play any card they wish.

The “trick” goes to the player who plays the highest value spade, and if no spade is played then the winner is the person who played the highest card of any other suit. A total score remains on the screen throughout the game so that you can keep track, and once you each a certain score or a certain amount of tricks, then the game is over and you can collect your money. The amount of money you win and the score you need to reach is all specified prior to the start of the game.

Real Money Spades

Spades is a very easy game to play. It was created to be easier than similar games, games that were not particularly difficult to start with. If you have any experience of those similar games, or any other card games for that matter, you should be able to jump right in and play straight away. If not, it won’t take you very long to learn. Read through the rules on this page to get to grips with the basics, and then head for a site like BetOnline, where you can play online Spades for real money. You can bet as little or as much as you want, so don’t feel like you need to go all-in to begin with. In fact, there is also a “fun play” version of the game available, so if you don’t want to lose any money as you learn the game, then you don’t need to. Just be sure to switch to real money play when you have improved your game, otherwise you’ll be wasting good time, good hands and good play on nothing.

Strategy

Remember that a spade can trump all other high cards, which means that a low spade will beat a high heart, club or diamond. This means that how you play your high cards is essential to whether you win the game or not, and if you get them wrong, if you play a single card too early or too late, then you could set yourself on a path to lose the entire game.

The best players typically play from the ace down of all non-spade suits. Always lead with the worst suit and the highest card, and you can go from there. Managing your spades is also essential, because this is the suit and these are the cards that will decide whether you win or lose. Try and save your spades until the end of your hand or use them to cut non-spades if you can. However, if you have any high cards in the spade suit, feel free to use them relatively early in order to win some tricks and to force your opponent to play their spades. After all, they will be looking to hold onto their spades as well, and if you can draw them out and into play, then you can gain an upper hand.

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Play Spades online with your family or with real rivals.

Spades is a trick-taking card game, similar to Hearts, Bridge, and Euchre. It is played with a traditional, 52-card French Deck. The game is most popular in the US, UK, and Canada.

You can play Spades for free in the practice rooms and improve your skills. It is possible to play on any browser and device type.

Find out more about the different game options and custom adjustments. Discover how to play and game terms. You can check our interesting charts and video about Spades card game.

In VIP Spades you have two different opportunities to play for free:

• Practice single-player games in the training room.
• Play with real opponents and receive your daily bonuses.

Become the best player and earn your spot at the top of our weekly leaderboards. Play spades in the professional rooms and show your friends that you are a real master of spades card game.

Below we present some basic tips, which are useful as essential suggestions about how to play Spades. Spades can be played in different variations and modes but the most distinctive part of the game is to suppose and bid an exact amount of tricks.

Read the entire “how to play” section and the complete rules if you are an advanced Spades player.

Pairs

Pairs is the most popular game mode played by four players in two teams. It is Played with 52 cards (2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,J,Q,K,A) where spades are always the trump suit. A trump card can be played only when the player has only spades or until a spade has been used to trump another trick.

Bid and Points Scoring

All players receive thirteen cards each and every one of them must declare a bid – how many tricks will win.

– When a team achieves the bid as announced they score 10 times the bid.

– If they make more tricks – one additional point is scored. This point is called “bag”. When a team has 10 bags, they obtain a penalty of -100 points and the bags are reset again to 0.

– If the team achieves fewer tricks than announced they do not obtain any points.

Additional bid options

– Players can choose to see the cards or not (declare a blind bid). A successful blind bid yields 200 extra points.

– When the player declares to take 0 tricks this bid option is called “Nil bid”. In case of success, the team is awarded 100 points. When the player fails the team loses 100 points. Blind Nil is available only in Pairs mode.

Other game modes

Solo

In Solo mode, each player plays for himself. The maximum number of bags is 5, the reward for a successful bid is 50 points and the penalty for unsuccessful is -50.

Suicide

The Suicide variant is for four players played in teams. The difference with the most popular mode Pairs is that one member of the team must bid Nil while the other has to bid at least 4 tricks.

Whiz

In Whiz mode it is obligatory to announce bid Nil or the exact number of spades possessed. Whiz is a variant played in a team.

Mirror

Each player of the team announces the tricks equal to the spades they have. It is possible to bid Nil if they don’t have any spades.

Other important tips and “how-to” for Spades:

How to bid on Spades, Card Odds, Popular questions, Point of view about Variations, Mastering Spades

• Different game modes available – Pairs, Solo, Mirror, Whiz and Suicide. Watch the video introduction.
• Play on every device – send gifts, chat with friends or meet new people online
• Invite your Facebook friends to join a live game with you
• Different tables for every skill level

Online Spades For Real Money

• Enjoy daily bonuses and collect all kinds of rewards
• Reconnect to a live game if there have been any problems with your connection
• Play spades against the computer in training sessions.
• Leaving a game is not tolerated and can result in getting you punished.

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Game Terms

Vocabulary cheat sheet, synonyms and variations of Spades

For beginner spades players, the jargon alone can send you into a tailspin. Not to fear. The language of spades is easy to pick up, and before you know it, the craziest phrases will become second nature. Until then, our handy guide will steer you in the right direction.

Vocab cheat sheet

• Bags

  penalties for taking in more tricks than you bid at the beginning of the round.

• Bare

  having just one card of any given suit.

• Bidding

  the number of tricks you predict or contact that you will take.

• Blind Nil

  bidding zero tricks without looking at your hand.

• Breaking Spades

  the first spade played in the game. When a player is out of the suit lead, that player may play a spade, trump the suit, and spades are officially broken. Spades can then be lead.

• Card Counting

  keeping mental track of the cards used in each suit.

• Flush Out

  to try to bring out a high card of a certain suit by playing a lower card of that suit.

• Long Suit

  four or more cards of any given suit in your hand.

• Nil

  a bid of zero tricks after looking at your hand.

• Overbid

  any tricks you win over the initial amount you bid.

• Renege

  using a spade, or card of another suit, when you have the ability to follow suit.

• Round

  all four players put down a card and a trick is taken.

• Set

  this refers to a team who isn’t making their bid or their nil, or who is bagging over the limit.

• Short Suit

  fewer than three cards of any given suit.

• Signal

  playing a card to subtly let your partner know what is left in your hand and how they should lead. This is especially handy when you and your partner both understand the science behind the game.

• Slough

  playing a card to intentionally avoid taking a trick.

• Straight

  cards of the same suit in a sequential pattern.

• Throwing Off

  playing a card (not a spade) when you have the ability to follow suit.

• Trick

  the four discarded cards of the round.

• Trump

  generally refers to a spade played when a non-spade was lead, but can refer to any spade.

• Underbid

  this refers to when you bid less than the amount of tricks you won.

• Void

  being dealt zero cards of any given suit.

Synonyms in spades

Solo spades is often called “cutthroat”
Tricks are often called “books”
Bidding is sometimes referred to as “betting”
Slough is often called “dump”
Breaking Spades is sometimes called “cutting” or “ruffing”
Bags are sometimes called “sandbags”
Blind Nil is often called “double nil”
A bare is also sometimes called a “singleton”

Variations of spades

Over the years, many variations of spades have sprung up where players have added extra rules or unexpected trump cards to enhance the fun. Few of these variations are available in online play, but they’re crazy enough to be worthy of mention. Here are just some of them…

• Bauer Trumps

  this is a special variation where the two highest trumps in the game are the jack of spades and the jack of clubs. They are referred to as the “right bauer” and “left bauer” respectively. The Bauer “I’m more honest and my women are more beautiful” “All of the women on The Apprentice flirted with me” Donald “All of the women on The Apprentice flirted with me” Trump variation is borrowed heavily from Euchre.

• Boston

  this variation of spades allows a team to win outright if they “shoot the moon.” This means all 13 tricks are taken by one player or team.

• Deuces High

  in this variation, the deuces of each suit are worth more than spades, making them trumps.

• Jokers High

  in this variation, the two jokers in the deck become the main trumps of the game.

• Mirrors (also sometimes called Whiz)

  in this variation, you bid only the exact number of spades you have been dealt. If you have no spades, you must automatically bid nil.

• Spades for Three

  to accommodate a game of spades for just three players, you simply remove the two of clubs, and each player is dealt seventeen cards. Obviously, this variation must be played as singles.

• Suicide

  this variation can only be played with pairs, and one player out of each pair must bid nil, no matter what cards they have.

So whether you’re tempted by playing free spades online.

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Check for updates in the VIP Spades Youtube channel where we are producing training videos, highlighting strategy guides and tutorials. For funny situations, news, quizzes and about our official spades tournament rules – visit the official blog.

Can You Play Spades For Money

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