Tips And Tricks On How To Play Spades

Spades is a popular card game where players try to win tricks or rounds. The players check the cards in their hands and play accordingly. While Spades have simple scoring and gameplay, you must learn strategies to win the game.

Luckily, the internet has now made it possible for us to play Spades online free on computers with friends. By playing Spades online, you can get together with people worldwide and hone your Spades skills.

By using simple strategies or following basic rules, you can easily enhance your performance in Spades.

Tips and Tricks to Win Spades

#1 Take A Bet On Higher Spades

If you have any Spade 10 or higher, you can win the round. The thumb rule of this game is that if you have Ace of Spades, you will automatically win. Similarly, a King of Spades and Aces can also offer you a guaranteed win.

But if you have 2 or fewer cards of any suit, you can bet on Spades from 7-9. Lower Spades can be used as trumps if you can’t follow suit.

#2 Win Tricks By Betting Kings and Aces

Before the game starts, count and add all the Kings and Aces you have. It will give you a rough estimation of the total tricks you could win. You can then bid on this number. The advantage here is that the Kings and Aces will always make you win a trick unless trumped by a Spade.

During the game, you need to remember that if you have a King but no other card of that suit, you must avoid betting the King. That’s because the chances of other players winning the trick by playing a Spade or an Ace of the same suit is pretty high.

#3 Remember The Card That’s Played

You must always try to keep an eye on the cards, especially high cards that have been played in the game by other players. This way, you will know when a certain card in your hand will help you win the trick.

Let’s assume that you have a Queen of Diamonds and someone has already played Ace and King of Diamond. In such a case, if you choose to play your Queen, the chances of you winning the trick will be high.

#4 Let Your Partner Win

If your partner has made a high bid, try not to come in their way. Your partner will make a higher bid only when they have a strong hand. So, you must let them win for your team. But if your partner has made a low bid as they have a weak hand, you must try to win the trick by doing your best.

#5 Avoid Playing Low-Value Cards If You Are Second On A Turn

If you are second on the run, do not play a Spade or any higher card. As you are second on the turn, players after you might easily beat you. When you are on the second seat for the round, eliminate low-value cards that cannot make you win.

Imagine the player leading the round has played 8 of Hearts. If you have 9 and King of Diamonds, play 9. But if you play the King, the player next to you can trump your King by paying any Spade.

#6 Tricks on Queens Can Be Risky

If you have a Queen and less than two other cards of the same suit, other players might likely beat the Queen with a King or an Ace. Similarly, if you have a Queen and more than two cards of the same suit, someone might trump the Queen if they fail to follow suit.

Let’s assume you have a Queen of Diamonds and a 2 of Diamonds, then your chances of winning the round with Queen are very low. So, if you play the Queen, you can lose it to someone who has King, Ace, or trump.

#7 Win Tricks Early

You can win several tricks by playing Spades and high cards early in the game. By doing this, you can win more tricks and score more points.

Bidding and Gameplay

Once each player gets the card, they must arrange cards according to the suits. After analyzing the suits, players bid tricks that they can win.

The bidding process starts with the person sitting to the dealer’s left. Then in the clockwise direction, each player tells their bidding. As per the rule, every player must take at least one bid.

If players are playing in a team, they have to bid separately. After that, the bids of each player of a team are combined. Another thing to keep in mind is that while bidding, none of the players have to say a trump as Spades is always the trump.

Certain types of Spades partnership games allow players to take a bid from 0 to 13. If a player does not bid any trick, it’s known as bidding nil. Whereas, if a player chooses to bid without seeing the dealt cards, it’s called bidding blind.

Conclusion

You can follow the tips of this post to play Spades online or offline. As you play more and more, you will understand the ins and outs of the game better.

Photo by Kieran Wood on Unsplash