Spades for Beginners

Spades is a game that can be enjoyed for hours. It is also a game that can take a lifetime to master. There are some shortcuts that make Spades for beginners more fun. Here is a list of ten simple tips that you can use right away when you start playing spades. They will make it appear that you have command of the game and are an experienced player.

1 – Choose Your Partner Wisely

Playing Spades for money is mostly a team game. It is rarely played among two individuals. You should take care in choosing the person that will be your partner at the game of Spades. The two of you need to get along, especially when things at the table are not going very well.

You will have ups and downs in this card game, and a good chemistry with your partner will make the peaks and valleys more fun. Fun is really the key. Spades is mostly a game of entertainment, so try not to get too competitive with your playing partners. 

2 – Pay Attention to Everything, All the Time

The single most valuable piece of advice for Spades beginners is to always pay attention to the board. You cannot expect to win at Spades when you have no clue as to what is happening. You need to be aware of the cards you hold, and the cards that are being played by everyone else at the table. There is no room for error.

Spades can be a fast-paced game. You are welcome to ask your playing partners to slow things down if needed, but whether or not they comply is up to them. Try to be as present as you can, because even asking which players have played which cards is prohibited according to the rules of the game. It can be embarrassing to get lost.

3 – Bid One Less Than You Think You Have

A common mistake that many beginners make at the game of Spades is overbidding. When you look at the cards you hold and hear how many books your partner has, the temptation can be overwhelming. Bids of 7 or 8 books look great on paper until you wind up missing them by a single book. Higher bids that fail mean more points deducted from your score.

There is a pretty simple solution that you can use to prevent overbidding in Spades. You just need to bid one less book than you think you have. Yes, doing this means that you will miss out on a few books here and there. It can also also mean that you will pick up an extra sandbag or two. But what it means most of all is that you will hedge on the side of caution and avoid being set. There will be plenty of time to make bold bids when you get some experience under your belt.

4 – Don't Cut Your Spades Partner

One of the worst things that a beginner can do at the game of Spades is to cut their partner. Cutting your partner means that you play a card which takes a book that that have already caught. All this does is waste a good card.

Few things will destroy Spades team chemistry faster than cutting your partner. It has led to many arguments at the table among players. The cure here is to pay attention. You will not cut your partner if you watch the board and know what has been played.

5 – Be Courteous in Victory and Defeat

Spades for beginners should definitely include a commitment to be courteous in victory and defeat. No one wants to lose to a team that is boastful and arrogant. Sure, a little good-natured ribbing is innocent. Far too often this can go beyond good taste and become genuinely hurtful to the other team.

Think about how you would feel if the Spades team that beat you at the game was boastful. Think of each defeat as a learning experience. Try to encourage your fellow players when they fall short of the mark. Everyone likes a humble winner and a gracious loser.

6 – Throw Off Books to Avoid Sandbags

In some Spades games there is a rule that prohibits a certain number of sandbags. These are books made that exceed your bid. For example, if you bid 6 books and catch 8 you have 2 sandbags. In the common rules, getting 10 sandbags will cause your team to go back 100 points.

Until you become more comfortable with Spades and how bids are made, you will have some sandbags. The good news is that you can often throw off books to avoid a sandbag. When you have made your bid and already have a few sandbags on the board, play low cards to the opposing team take the book. Yes, you will probably be helping them to make their bid, but you will also be getting rid of the sandbag. As your experience grows, you will no longer have to do this regularly.

7 – Know What Has Been Played

This is similar to paying attention as we described it earlier, but we thought knowing what has been played deserves a special section all its own. When you don't know what has been played, you run the risk of reneging in Spades. This means inadvertently playing a prohibited card. Doing that could cause you to lose some of the books that you have made.

Remember, you are not allowed to ask at the table what has been played by whom. If you lose track you will just have to guess. Knowing what has been played does not mean that you need to track every single card in the deck. It can be helpful if you keep count of how many Spades have been played. There are 13 of them in total, so keeping track is not too difficult. You may also want to keep a general idea of the Aces that have been played in each suit.

8 – Try to Keep the Lead As Long As Possible

There is great power in having the lead in a Spades game. You are setting the terms when you are able to lead a card. Always try to hold the lead as long as you can. This means starting with and playing power cards.

In some situations you will not be able to get the lead, but you may be able to play a card that gives your partner the lead. Do this as often as possible, especially if your partner has a strong hand.

9 – Never Criticize Your Partner at the Table

This should be a common sense rule at Spades. Do not criticize your partner while a game is in progress. You will only cause hard feelings, and you will also affect the ability of your team to succeed. If you have a real problem with something your partner did, wait until after the game to address it.

10 – Never Criticize Your Opponents at the Table

This Spades for beginners tip merely follows up on the previous one. No team is going to appreciate you criticizing how they play. The best case scenario is that they probably won't want to play with you again. The worst case is that an argument will erupt.

We hope these tips will help you find more enjoyment at the game of Spades. Take time to enjoy the process of learning. That is a big part of the Spades fun!

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- How Spades are Broken
- Poor Etiquette at Spades