Spades Score Calculator: Bids, Bags, Nil & Running Totals

Calculate both teams’ hand scores, running totals and bag carryover. Each result shows the contract, nil adjustment and bag penalty separately.

This tool covers ordinary four-player scoring: 10 points per bid trick, one point per bag, −100 at ten bags, nil ±100 and optional blind nil ±200. It supports one nil bidder per team. Boston bonuses, double nil, blind contracts and joker variants need separate house rules.

Score a completed hand

Team AScore before this handBags carried into this handTeam contract (exclude any nil bid)Total tricks taken by the teamNil result (at most one nil per team)Tricks taken by the nil bidder

Team BScore before this handBags carried into this handTeam contract (exclude any nil bid)Total tricks taken by the teamNil result (at most one nil per team)Tricks taken by the nil bidder

How your table treats a failed nil bidder’s tricks

In “bags only” mode, nil tricks add one point and one bag each, even if the partner is set. Confirm this treatment with your table. The two teams’ total tricks must equal 13.

Worked examples you can check

Hand	Calculation	Result
Bid 6, take 8; no earlier bags	60 contract + 2 overtricks	62 points, 2 bags
Bid 6, take 5	Failed contract: −10 × 6	−60 points
8 earlier bags; bid 5, take 7	50 + 2 − 100 bag penalty	−48 points, 0 bags carried
Partner bids 5, takes 5; nil takes 0	50 contract + 100 nil	150 points
Partner bids 5, takes 4; failed nil takes 1	Bags-only: −50 − 100 + 1; include: 50 − 100	−149 / −50, depending on the selected rule

The last example explains why nil rules must be agreed before play: the same cards can produce very different scores.

How the calculator works

Check that both teams took thirteen tricks altogether.
Compare the contract with the eligible tricks under the selected nil rule.
Add the nil bonus or penalty and one point per bag.
Subtract 100 for each complete group of ten accumulated bags; carry the remainder.
Add the net hand points to each team’s earlier score.

A higher running total does not itself end the game. Finish the hand and apply your agreed target and tie rule. This calculates card points, not money owed.

Rules and sources

Pagat’s Spades rules describe the ordinary contract, bag rollover and nil values, including the bags-only treatment of failed nil tricks. Tables also use the inclusive variant, which is why the tool makes that choice explicit. Our scoring guide covers more examples and table variations.

Created for SpadesForMoney.com with AI assistance. The arithmetic was checked against the visible examples and additional rollover, nil and invalid-input cases. It is not a scoring system for the listed cash apps.

Free resources for players and organizers

Print a blank score sheet Print a table agreement Keep a rules cheat sheet Plan a Spades tournament

You are welcome to link to this calculator from a club page, rules guide or event resource list. The tool has no sign-up and processes the hand in your browser.