How Teams Communicate in Spades
Spades is a team card game where two players work together to defeat their opponents. To be effective in Spades for money, a team has to be able to communicate, but how teams communicate in Spades is dictated by the rules. Some forms of communication are allowed while others are illegal. This brief guide will help you learn how to read your partner and accomplish successful bids.
How Spades Partners Are Allowed to Share Information
The rules of Spades set forth specific circumstances and the manner in which team members are allowed to communicate. This begins with the pre-round bidding that both teams must conduct. Bids are made by each team after a discussion among partners about how many books each can catch.
In the pre-round bidding, a player may tell their partner how many books they believe they have in their own hand. They may also state if any of the said books are a possibility as opposed to a sure thing. There are actually no sure things when it comes to bidding a spades hand, but cards like the Ace of Diamonds and Ace of Hearts usually catch a book.
Beyond this, any discussion of hand strength is prohibited. Players are obligated to make their bid and play out the hand without revealing any information to one another. Violations of this strict rule are referred to as “talking the board” and can cause a team to lose the game.
Communicating As a Spades Round Is In Play
Even though direct communication between team members during a Spades round is not allowed, players still have options. The best Spades players are able to share volumes of information about their hand without saying a word. Before we get into how this is done, let's begin by getting something straight.
Eye winks, hand gestures, body movements, and other physical communications are not permitted. This is not how teams communicate in Spades. This is how teams cheat. If you want to gain the respect of the teams that you play, or avoid an ugly argument with family and friends, don't cheat.
Non-verbal communication in Spades is established by the cards that you play. To share information in this manner you will need to watch what your partner is doing. Note every card that they play. In doing so your partner can give you vast details about the very contents of their hand.
This is best explained in the form of an example. Let's say that you have led a Ace of Hearts. When it comes time for you partner to play, they lay down a 3 of Clubs. What are the messages that are being sent by this play?
Your partner is communicating that:
- They have no Hearts to play
- They know you have the book and are getting rid of an “off” card
- The card they choose to throw off can give you information
The first two things are plays that you probably understand. Your partner threw off because they believed you would catch the book. You now know that you can play a low Heart card, and your partner can probably cut that Heart with a Spade and take the book.
But what about that 3 of Clubs? Why did your partner choose that card to throw off? There can be many reasons, but the most common are:
- Your team member wants you to lead back with a Club
- Your team member has few Clubs and is getting rid of them so they can play Spades
In the first situation, your partner may hold the Ace of Clubs. Leading a Club will result in your partner catching the book and securing the lead. This can help your team maintain control of play.
In the second, you may be able to lead a Club so that your partner can trump with a Spade. Or, you will know that you do not have to trump a Club because your partner will do so. In this way you will not interfere with each other's play.
Team Chemistry and Communication in Spades Take Time to Develop
The final word on how teams communicate in Spades is that learning your partner's way of sharing takes time. It doesn't happen over a single game or two. The more that you play with one another, the better off you will be when it comes to communication.
There is no rule in Spades that says you cannot get together with your partner outside of playing and discuss communication strategies. Just remember that this should be left to the manner in which cards are played. Avoid the discussions of physical language. After all, you want to be a skilled player that does not have to rely on cheating.
