Leading Trumps in Spades - The Roll Call

There are many different spades strategies that you can use when you are playing spades. Leading trumps in spades is one of these. Also known as calling the roll, leading with spades can be a devastating blow to your opponents. Likewise, it can also backfire and hurt your partner.

Trumps in Spades – A Reminder

This discussion requires us to make a brief mention of spades as trumps. Spades are the highest ranking card in the game. This means that they trump all other suits. Spades can only be played according to a specific set of rules.

You cannot play a spade until spades have been broken and you cannot follow suit. The only exception to these two requirements is when you are spade tight, meaning that you hold only spades in your hand. If you play outside of these rules, you have reneged and are subject to penalty.

Spades are ranked from the highest to the lowest card, beginning with the ace of spades and ending with the two of spades. The only exception to this is when the New York Spades rules are used. In these rules the two jokers are added to the deck as the highest ranking spades.

When Can You Lead Spades?

To lead in a game of spades is to play first. This can be a huge advantage for the player. It means that you get to decide which suit everyone else must play. If a spade has already been played, you are allowed to lead with a spade at your discretion.

You may also lead with a spade if spades are all that you have left in your hand. Just because you can do this doesn't mean that it is always a good idea. You should give some thought to the reasons why you would lead a hand with spades before you choose to do so.

Why Would You Lead Spades?

There are a few different reasons that you would choose to lead with spades. Of all of them, one stands out more than others. Leading with spades is often done to cripple your opponents by drawing out the remaining spades in their hand. This leaves you with a chance to keep the lead and “walk” your remaining cards.

Taking the power away from your opponents has two different purposes. First, it can prevent opponents from making their spades bid. This would cause the team to go set and they would lose points in the game. If you cause your opponents to lose points in the game consistently you are more likely to win.

Calling the roll in spades can also help your team to make a bid. If you see that you are close to a large bid, leading your spades to pull the remaining books that you need is often the smart play to make.

Strategies for Calling the Roll in Spades

Like any type of play in the game, leading Trumps in spades is not without risk. Just because you can do it doesn't mean that it is always a good idea. You may wind up doing more harm to your team than good.

In general, calling the roll in spades should always be done from a position of strength. This means that you are in the lead where points are concerned. It also means that you have achieved most of your current bid and are only a few books from completing it. You call the roll to gain the final books and make your bid.

You can also find yourself in a position of strength when your opponents are at risk of being set. To be set means to fail in your bid. You catch less than you bid, causing your team to lose points. Setting your opponents in spades is a reliable way to win. A team cannot beat you when they are regularly losing points.

If you see that you have a chance to set your opponents, drawing out their remaining spades can be a good way to do that. When you lead spades they will have to follow suit. That is costing them a spade that they may have been able to play at a greater advantage.

The Risk of Leading Trumps in Spades

Whenever you begin to lead spades you are taking a risk of hurting your partner's hand. Your opponents are not the only ones that have to follow suit when you play a spade. Your partner also has to do that. You could be draining the spades from your partner's hand.

How do you know if your partner will be effected? You don't. Not for certain. You will have to rely on your playing experience with a partner to decide if a roll call is going to hurt them. You can also sometimes tell by what is being played if leading trumps is a good idea.

Maybe you have been watching the board and know that your partner does not have any more spades. If this is true and you have many high spades, drawing them from your opponents can be a good strategy.

Something that you don't want to do in a hand of spades is lead spades when the ones you have are small. This is pointless. Your spades will only be swallowed up by your opponents and they will claim the books that you were trying to win. The only exception to this is when you are trying to put your teammate in the lead.

Leading Spades to Your Partner

We mentioned before than having the lead in a game of spades can be a big advantage. There may come a point when you can no longer keep the lead, but that doesn't mean you have to surrender it. You have a partner. You may be able to call the roll and lead spades in order to get your partner in the lead.

What does this mean? It means that you will lead a low spade in the hopes that your partner will play a bigger one and take the book. You'll be making an educated guess as to the strength of your partner's hand, but this can be a very powerful spades strategy.