How to win Spades game?

Spades is a trick-taking card game that is enjoyed by people of all ages all over the world. A beginner only needs a good understanding of the rules and gameplay to be able to enjoy the game socially with friends. In as few as two or three games, players can often master the fundamentals of Spades, as explained in the Spades article.

Aside from the fundamentals, there are a plethora of techniques and strategies for the curious or competitively inclined to investigate. Some may concentrate on assisting the player's team in making their bid, while others may concentrate on techniques to force the opponent's bid to fail. Some may even be done purely to frighten and gain a psychological advantage over the opponent. The only limit to such strategies is one's imagination; even seemingly outlandish choices like nilling with an ace of spades are not unheard of! Advanced strategies will help a player's game in the long run, but they may also help a pirate raise their spades standing and even draw out a consistent-yet-profitable flow of Pieces of Eight. This guide presents a number of viable strategies that a player should think about incorporating into their game.

Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution that can transform any player into a master of spades overnight (not even this tutorial can do that). Instead, the player must figure out which strategy to use in which situation. While it is possible that the player is a very talented mathematician or a computer (and thus could be taught to pick a strategy purely based on game theory and statistics), the majority of players will find it much easier (and more fun!) to learn to do this through practice.

Finally, while this guide is primarily aimed at the casual player looking to improve his or her game, it is hoped that it will also be a useful reference for experienced players. Even if the latter's knowledge of Spades online is greater than the former's, each player has the potential to become much better than he or she is now. With enough time, a casual player who is open to new strategies and ideas will invariably outperform an experienced player who claims to know it all.

Advanced strategy

Play for the set

In general, new players are concerned with two things: making their bid and avoiding bags. Both of these are obviously good things to do, but they result in a very passive, defensive style of play.

When the setting team has an advantage, more experienced players will try to set their opponents. The reasoning is straightforward: if your opponents bid even a low 5 tricks, setting them costs them 100 points (the 50 they would have made and the 50 they will be docked for the set). As you can see, almost any number of overtricks, even if they cost 9 points each, will be worth it to complete the set.

Even though a set is worth its weight (and more) in overtricks, attempting a set when the total number of tricks bid on the table is 10 or less is not always a good idea. This is due to the large number of overtricks that a team can accumulate in a short period of time. In that case, an alternative strategy would be to aim to take the bid exactly and give the opponent the remaining overtricks.

It's important to be aware of what the point difference might be in the next round or two. This is to avoid, for example, allowing the opposing team to score just over 100 points (the necessary threshold to obtain a blind nil). This scenario tempts fate in several ways, because the opposing team may be able to score the lead in the next round, or may draw level. In both cases, the overtricks used to set the opponent are now just penalties for the setting team. A better strategy would be to keep the opponents 40-70 points behind.

Avoiding bags

This is a straightforward strategy. Bags cost 9 points each (10 bags = 10 points gained, 100 points lost), so it should go without saying that these should be avoided. However, in most Spades games up to around 300, there will not be enough hands for you to bag, so go for the set in all hands with 11 or more tricks bid! Extra bags generally equal extra points, resulting in one fewer trick required to win the game. Avoiding bags is only a good idea when playing to 500 or more.

Avoiding bags sounds simple, but it is much more difficult in practice. What happens if you don't place your bid? When your partner would win a trick, the general rule is to duck everything and play the highest card possible. It is STILL EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that you place your bid! Bagging would cost you 100 points, but only once in a 500-point game (If you get bagged more, consider bidding tighter). Setting up most hands would cost close to, if not more than, that amount. As a result, if you are unsure whether you will make your bid, get it first and then discard. Experience will teach you a lot more, such as when to discard winners before bidding, and when to play high because your partner will almost certainly have to take the trick anyway.

5 hands may be played in games up to 300, assuming an average point score of 60 per round. As a general rule, one or two overtricks per hand are acceptable. When the bags reach around 5 or 6, the opponents may begin to give away tricks in order to sandbag the team.