Spades slang changes from table to table, but a lot of phrases show up across home games, family games, and competitive circles. Some are standard terms such as book, nil, or set. Others are table talk phrases that are more regional, like run a yard or spade tight.

This page focuses on the words people actually say at the table. For broader rules and formal definitions, go to the main spades glossary.

Bidding and scoring slang

  • Bag: an extra trick beyond the bid.
  • Sandbagging: intentionally underbidding and picking up too many bags.
  • Book: a trick won by a player or team.
  • Set: missing the bid and taking the penalty.
  • Nil: a bid of zero tricks.
  • Blind nil: a nil bid made before looking at the hand.
  • Board: the running score or score sheet.
  • Make your bid: take at least as many tricks as the partnership contracted for.

Fast translation

If someone says, “Don’t bag us out,” they mean stop collecting careless overtricks that could trigger the bag penalty later.

Trick-play slang

  • Trump: the spade suit, which beats the other suits.
  • Cut: to trump a trick with a spade when you are void in the led suit.
  • Boss: the highest remaining card in a suit.
  • Void: having no cards left in a suit.
  • Cover: taking a trick to protect partner’s bid or nil.
  • Duck: purposely lose a trick you could win.
  • Burn a high card: use a strong card earlier than you wanted.
  • Lead back: return a suit partner or the previous winner led.

Table and strategy slang

  • Run a yard: a regional phrase often used for sweeping or controlling a hand in a dominant way.
  • Spade tight: being short on spades and therefore weak in trump control.
  • Protect partner: cover situations where partner is vulnerable, especially on nil or a thin bid.
  • Table talk: verbal chatter that may or may not be allowed by local rules.
  • Deficient hand: a hand, often one with no spades, that some tables treat as a special redeal case.
  • Renege: fail to follow suit when you could have.
  • Break spades: cause the trump suit to become legal to lead by trumping a previous trick.
  • Shoot nil: attempt a nil bid.

Regional note

Slang in spades is not perfectly standardized. Some phrases are widespread, while others are local to a city, family tradition, school circle, or online community. The safest approach is to ask what a phrase means the first time you hear it, especially in a money game or tournament setting.

If your group uses a lot of local language, pair this page with common house rules so everyone is also clear on what the words mean in practice.