How to Play Competitive Spades

The games of Spades was created in Cincinnati, OH during the late 1930s. Spades, Whist and Bridge are in the same family of card games. Although Spades has been around for 70 years, it did not gain its current popularity until the Internet and home computers made it so accessible. Easy to learn, and difficult to master, Spades can provide many hours of enjoyment. It is the ideal game for high-level competition, and the perfect "stepping stone" to the game of Bridge. Warning: Spades can be very addictive and habit forming! Read on to learn more.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A well-lighted room with good ventilation
• One standard card-sized table
• Two pens or pencils
• A score sheet or piece of paper
• Two standard decks of cards
• Four enthusiastic players
• (Alternative) A good internet site, featuring Spades

Spades strategy and technique for advanced players

1. Bidding--This is the most important part of the game. No matter how well you can play hands, the wrong bid will hurt your chances of success. Your bid is influenced by the score, "bag count," partner's bid, and the opponents' bids. Accurate bidding is an integral part of the game.

2. Bidding--Gauge the strength of your hand accordingly. A long spade suit with high cards is a premium. Do not overvalue side (heart, diamond, and club suits which are long (5 + cards), as their high cards may get trumped. Aces are usually winners; however, unsupported Kings or Queens may not take tricks as easily.

3. Bidding--Do not bid Nil if you have a singleton face card in any suit. Middle cards (with accompanying low cards) are often fatal. Most four card tump suits should not be the part of any Nil. Of course, a high bid by your partner prior to your call, may offset some of these weaknesses.

4. Bidding--Remember, your bid and your partner' bid are combined to make a "contract". The combined number of tricks becomes your objective.
   Note - A Nil bid is always a separate entity from a numerical bid by partner. The trick taken by a "set" Nil does not count toward
   the cover hand's bid.

5. Play of the hand--Do not try to win your partner's trick by trumping it or overtaking it--unless, of course, you have a good reason for doing so. It is also vital that you remember which cards have been played, especially the honor cards (AKQJ10) of each suit. Counting spades is very helpful.

6. Play of the hand--If your partner has bid Nil, it is absolutely essential that you make every effort to "cover" him. Save your high cards for winning tricks at the end of the hand. Losing your bid to insure a successful Nil by your Team is quite acceptable. Of course, you want to make your bid, as well.

7. Play of the hand--"Second hand low" is generally good advice, as it gives your partner the chance to win a trick. "third hand high" is also proper, as it prevents the last player from winning a trick too cheaply (The exception to these rules is a "bagging" situation).

8. Play of the hand--If your partner leads trump after spades have been "broken", and you obtain the lead, you must play a spade immediately! Your partner probably has the classic "5-5" hand (five trump and a five card side suit); and he wants to bleed the spades and cash his side winners.

9. Defense--A safe lead is the top from a high card sequence (King from King - Queen; Queen from Queen - Jack, or Ace from Ace - King.) Do not lead from broken combinations (called "tenaces") like A Q 10, K J x, or A J 10. It is best to let these suits begin with someone else. At times, neutral leads of small cards may be the only possible alternative.

10. Defense--Carefully observe your partner's discards and plays. If he tosses a high card under your lead, he likes that suit. A low card discard discourages future plays of a suit.

11. Defense--Never lead a suit in which both opponents are void. This is called a "ruff-sluff." It's a very poor technique.

12. Defense--The best attack against an opponent's Nil is the repeated of low cards in one or more of the off suits. Sometimes keying on a particular suit can be effective. Another good technique is to strip away the spades in the cover hand. However, this may backfire if the Nil bidder has a high spade of his own. Once again, your partner may guide you with his discards or leads.

13. Defense--Watch the bags! You must be aware of the score at all times, and measure the feasibility of taken bags to set lower level bids.

Tips & Warnings

• Be nice to your partner. He is there to work with and to help you.
• The longer you play with a regular partner, the stronger your game will become, and the same is true of your confidence.
• Obtain a copy of "The Complete Win At Spades" by yours truly. A must read!
• Practice your game on the Internet. It will prepare you for "live" events.
• Familiarize yourself with all of the variations ("Cut", "Suicide", "Double Nil", "Mirrors") of Spades.
• Never chastise or berate your partner. It will end your partnership pronto!
• When playing on line, be leery of opponents who "lag" or overly hesitate.

[jimdris]

on 1/18/2008 We love to play Spades online at Sierra.com against computer bots or with a couple we know. Our computers are back to back, and they (the couple) trust us not to cheat!