Play the Spades card game for free
Spades is a classic trick-taking card game for four players in two teams, where Spades are always trumps. You bid how many tricks you think you can win, then you and your partner try to make it. Here on Kitchen Table Cards you can play the Spades card game free in your browser, with a computer partner against two computer players. There are big cards, a Hint button and no time pressure, so you can play Spades at your own pace.
How to play · Bidding · Scoring · Tips · Questions
How to play the Spades card game
Spades is played with a standard 52-card deck. Partners sit across from each other: on this site you play with Walter against Rosa and June. Each player is dealt 13 cards. Aces are high, and Spades are trumps: any Spade beats any card of another suit.
- Bidding: before playing, every player bids how many tricks they expect to win.
- Starting: the player to the left of the dealer leads the first trick. The deal moves to the left every hand.
- Following suit: each player in turn plays one card. You must play a card of the suit that was led if you have one.
- If you can't follow suit: you can play any card. A Spade wins the trick (this is called trumping); any other card can't win.
- Winning a trick: the highest Spade wins. If no Spade was played, the highest card of the suit that was led wins. The winner leads the next trick.
- Spades must be broken: you can't lead a Spade until a Spade has been played on an earlier trick, unless you only have Spades left.
Bidding
Starting with the player to the dealer's left, everyone bids once. A bid is a number from 1 to 13, or Nil, which means you will try to win no tricks at all. Your bid and your partner's bid are added together: that is the number of tricks your team must win in the hand. A good rule of thumb is to count one trick for every Ace and high Spade, and a little extra for a King with a few cards of the same suit beside it.
Scoring in Spades
| What happened | Points |
|---|---|
| Your team wins at least as many tricks as it bid | 10 points for every trick bid |
| Each extra trick above the bid (a "bag") | 1 point |
| Your team wins fewer tricks than it bid | Minus 10 points for every trick bid |
| Nil bid made (no tricks won) | 100 points |
| Nil bid failed | Minus 100 points |
| Every 10 bags collected | Minus 100 points |
For example, if you bid 3 and Walter bids 2, your team needs 5 tricks. Winning 6 scores 51 points: 50 for the bid and 1 for the bag. Winning only 4 costs your team 50 points. When a player bids Nil, the tricks they win don't count towards their partner's bid. The first team to reach 500 points wins the game.
How to play Spades on this site
| Bid | When it's your turn to bid, buttons appear on the table. Click the number of tricks you think you will win, or Nil. |
|---|---|
| Play a card | Click or tap it when it's your turn, or drag it up onto the table. Cards you can't play are shown darker. |
| Bids and tricks | Each player's name shows their bid and the tricks they have won so far. Walter, your partner, sits at the top. |
| Hint | Suggests a bid or a good card to play, and explains why. |
| Pause | Stops the other players until you are ready to carry on. |
| Scores | Shows each team's bid, tricks and points for every hand so far, and how many bags you have. |
| Settings | Choose a shorter game, how fast the other players play, and the table colour. |
Tips for winning at Spades
- Bid carefully. Missing your bid costs a lot, but bidding too low collects bags. Count your Aces, Kings and high Spades.
- Help your partner. If Walter is already winning a trick, play a low card instead of taking it from him.
- Get rid of a short suit. Once you have no cards left in a suit, you can win tricks of that suit with a small Spade.
- Save your high Spades. The Ace and King of Spades will win tricks later; there is no hurry to play them.
- Stop when you have made it. Once your team has its tricks, play low cards to avoid collecting bags.
- Try Nil with a weak hand. With no high cards and only a few low Spades, a Nil bid is worth 100 points.
Spades questions and answers
Is this Spades game free?
Yes. Spades on Kitchen Table Cards is completely free to play in your browser. There is no download, no sign-up and nothing to buy.
How do I play the Spades card game online?
Just start playing on this page: the cards are dealt as soon as it opens. Bid how many tricks you think you will win, then click or tap a card to play it, or drag it onto the table. Hint suggests a bid or a card if you are unsure.
Who am I playing with?
Walter, a computer player, is your partner and sits across the table from you. You play against Rosa and June, two more computer players. You never have to wait for other people to join.
How does bidding work in Spades?
After the cards are dealt, each player says how many tricks they think they will win, from 1 to 13, or Nil for none at all. You and your partner add your bids together, and your team tries to win at least that many tricks.
What does Nil mean in Spades?
Bidding Nil means you promise to win no tricks at all in that hand. If you manage it, your team gets 100 extra points. If you win even one trick, your team loses 100 points. Your partner still plays for their own bid.
What are bags in Spades?
Bags are the extra tricks your team wins above its bid. Each bag is worth 1 point, but when a team collects 10 bags, it loses 100 points and the bag count starts again. So it pays to bid accurately.
When can you lead a Spade?
You can't lead a Spade until Spades have been "broken", which means a Spade has been played on an earlier trick because a player had none of the suit that was led. If you only have Spades left, you may lead one anyway.
How many points do you need to win Spades?
The first team to reach 500 points wins. In the Settings you can choose a shorter game to 300 points instead. If both teams pass the target in the same hand, the team with more points wins.
Can I play Spades on a tablet or phone?
Yes. Tap a card to play it, or drag it up onto the table with your finger. Cards you are not allowed to play are shown darker, and the game tells you why if you tap one.
Does the game save my progress?
Yes. The game is saved on your device after every card, so you can close the page and carry on later.
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