History of the Card Game Spades

Playing a classic Spades game is a beloved American pastime. While there’s no definitive time or author to which its origin can be attributed, it’s believed that Spades was first played between 1937 and 1939 by college students. It later became popular among soldiers during World War II and later on spread to the masses as soldiers introduced the game to their peers after returning home from the field.

History of Spades

Spades is said to stem from the English card game Whist. It has similar gameplay, which involves taking ‘tricks’ or sets of four cards, one played by each player, which is won by placing down the highest card of the round or playing a trump card. The biggest difference is that in Spades, as its name suggests, the trump card will always be a Spade (except in a variation where Jokers are played).

That said, Spades doesn’t follow the history of the Whist card game, which goes back to the sixteenth century. Its origin is much more recent, tracing back to just the late 1930s. Card game scholar and Bridge author George Coffin said Spades started as a game among college students in Cincinnati, Ohio who enjoyed similar games from the Whist family (i.e. Bridge) but were looking for something more fast-paced and competitive. The game later spread across different student societies.

However, it wasn’t until World War II that the game’s popularity boomed. Students who grew to love Spades took to the field and played the game during downtime. It was well-received by many soldiers as the game is easy to learn and quick to play. It only involves a lot of tactical strategies that can be used on the battlefield. Plus, cards are portable and Spades could be interrupted more conveniently than other games, making it fit for military men who are always on call.

After the war, veterans returned to their home states and popularized the card game across the US.

How to Play Spades

Spades is a simple game that involves a regular fifty-two-card deck and is played by pairs. The objective is to score the highest number of points by accurately predicting the number of tricks your team will win in each round, with points given based on your combined ‘bids’ or predictions, which is called a ‘contract.’ The team that reaches 500 points (or 250 points for shorter games) wins.

A regular game of Spades is played with four players in two teams, with each player dealt thirteen cards. The same number of cards is given in two-player games. For three-player games, each player is dealt seventeen cards each; for five-player games, everyone gets ten cards each.

The game starts with a bid, wherein each player predicts the number of tricks you believe your team can win in that round. Both members of a team must meet their bid to make a contract and score points.

The first player chooses which card to lead with for the first trick. The next players must follow suit. The player with the highest card in the leading suit wins the trick. If a player can’t follow suit, they can play a card of any other suit–but if they play a Spade, they may trump the trick and win it, unless someone else puts down a higher-value Spade.

A round ends when all players have played their cards and all tricks have been won. Each contract is awarded ten points. ‘Overtricks,’ or tricks won beyond the team’s bid, are given one point. More points may be given or deducted depending on other moves. The game continues for as many rounds as agreed upon or until the first team reaches 500 points.

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