Spades
- Objective: Be the first team to reach a set score (e.g., 500 points) by winning at least the number of 'tricks' you bid.
- Setup: 4 players in two fixed partnerships (sitting opposite each other). Each player gets 13 cards.
- The Bid: Each player looks at their hand and 'bids' the number of tricks they think they can win (0 to 13). A 'Nil' (0) bid is a special, high-risk bid. Your bid is added to your partner's to form the team 'contract'.
- Trump Suit: Spades are *always* the trump suit. A Spade beats any card from any other suit.
- Trick-Taking: The player to the dealer's left leads. Players must follow suit. If you have no cards of the led suit, you can play any card (including a Spade).
- Winning a Trick: The highest card of the led suit wins, *unless* a Spade is played, in which case the highest Spade wins.
- Spades Rule: You cannot lead a trick with a Spade until Spades have been 'broken' (played on a previous trick when a player couldn't follow suit).
- Scoring: If your team meets its contract, you score 10 points for each trick bid (e.g., a 7-trick bid scores 70 points).
- Bags: Extra tricks (over your bid) are 'bags' and are worth 1 point each. If your team collects 10 bags, you get a 100-point penalty.
- Penalty: If your team fails to meet its contract ('set'), you lose 10 points for every trick you bid (e.g., a 7-trick bid, failing, loses 70 points).