Spades strategy for single players

Spades is a game that can be played by teams of two players. It is also a game that can be played by a pair of individuals. Single-handed spades is much less common, but it can still be a very fun way to play the game. You'll need to adjust your playing style and adopt some spades strategy for single players.

Here's a look at how to approach the single-player game. What you will mainly want to focus on is your bidding and card selection.

Selecting Your Spades Hand

The first thing that you will probably notice is that the deal is different for single-handed spades. Instead of dealing out each player 13 cards, a selection process is used. The reason for this is very simple. A regular deal would not work because many spades would be left in the deck.

In a spades game with two people, only 26 of the 52 cards are used. There has to be a way of involving all 52 cards in the deal. This is done by allowing players the opportunity to draw and select their starting hand.

The cards are shuffled by the dealer and placed face down in the center of the table. The person who did not deal gets to go first. That player begins by lifting the first card off the deck and looking at it. This card is not show to the opposing player. The drawing player can then decide to keep the card or sit it to the side and take the next card from the pile. If the second card is chosen, this card must be kept no matter what it is. The other player then repeats this process, and so on until all the cards have been used.

It may sound a little bit confusing, but in reality the process is simple. This is how all of the spades in the 52-card deck are used by the players.

About Starting Hands in Single Spades

Because of the way the cards are dealt in single-handed spades there is a different dynamic. Individual hands are likely to contain far more spades than they would in a four-handed game. This means that spades will be introduced into the mix earlier.

When bidding you also have to take into account that a player's hand may have less of other suits. In fact, it is common for a player to not have any of a single suit. The aces of each suit may not be in a starting hand. This means that lower valued cards can catch books.

The idea situation for a starting hand in single-handed spades is to have at least 7 spades. This would give you one more than your opponent at the least, and probably 2-3 more. You have a power hand if the number of spades in your hand exceeds 7.

Some Bidding Tips

There are areas of single-handed spades where you want to be very careful. Specifically, bids of 10 or more books and nil bids should be avoided. These bids are very difficult to make regardless of what you hold in your hand.

However, these hands can also be an opportunity for you to catch your opponent unawares. During the draw you may receive a power hand of 8 or 9 spades. With a few high cards from other suits to go with this hand there is the chance that you can bid a 10 for 200.

Likewise, during the draw you may be able to avoid spades if you want to build a nil hand. To do this you would pass on any spades that you draw. Of course, you can still receive some spades when you are forced to take the second card. It is a gamble, but the gamble will pay off when you are able to have a nil hand and score 100 points.

A Variation of Single-Handed Spades Play

When playing spades for money, there is a variation of single-handed spades play that can be fun. In this variation there is no bidding by the individual players. Each hand bids itself and players simply catch as many books as they can to make their score.

Some players do not like this type of spades game because it removes much of the strategy from the game. A big amount of the game comes down to luck. Still, no-bid spades games can be a good way for those that are new to the game to learn the ropes and how to bid.

Watching the Board in Single-Player Spades

One thing that you must do when playing this type of spades is watch the board. Knowing what your opponent has played in the past is very important to your overall strategy. You should not be leading or playing cards that will give your opponent the opportunity to play spades and take books uncontested.

You should also try to keep a count on the number of spades that have been played in a round. Remember, there are only 13 spades in the entire deck. When you know how many spades have been played and the number of spades that are left in your own hand, you know the maximum amount of spades that your opponent can have.

Single-player spades is a good way to enjoy the game of spades when you do not have many players. It is also a good opportunity for you to refine your skills and practice for when you are able to play the team game. 

More topics:

- Strategies for Playing When You Are Spade Tight
- Leading Trumps in Spades - The Roll Call