What Is a Spade in Cards?

In the context of cards, Spades can be two things. First, it could refer to the suit of the card–one of the four in a regular deck, characterized by a leaf symbol. Second, it could be the trick-taking game that’s popular in the US, which considers the Spades suit to be the highest-ranking in the game. You can play free online Spades on Spades.co!

The Spades Suit

Spades is one of the four playing card suits in a standard fifty-two-card deck. It’s symbolized by a leaf icon that looks like an upside-down heart with a stalk at its base and is typically colored black. Just like with the other suits, there are thirteen Spades cards in every deck.

In some standard deck card games, Spades rank as the highest suit, such as in Bridge (with Hearts being the other) and Spades. In games like Skat, Spades are considered the second-highest suit.

The Spades Game

Spades is a card game that uses a regular deck of cards, sometimes with the Jacks included. It’s a strategy game that requires a good mix of skill and luck, with players aiming to get points up to a predetermined score, similar to other points-based games like Cribbage.

The objective of Spades is to obtain a certain score, typically set at 500 points. Players accumulate points by ‘making a contract’–playing the same amount of tricks bid at the start of each round. A ‘trick’ is a play, while a ‘bid’ is a prediction. If a player bids five tricks, then their goal is to win five times in a round, which would constitute making five contracts. They may win a few more times than that but to a given limit.

Spades is traditionally played in pairs, but it can also be played solo with up to five players. In a two- or four-player game, every player is given thirteen cards. In a three-player game, players are dealt seventeen cards each. In a five-player game, everyone gets ten cards.

At the start of each round, players make a bid. The first player then leads the game with a suit, with all other players required to put down a card within the same suit. If a player can’t do so, they must play a Spade, which is this game’s trump card, or discard.

If a Space is played, everyone must follow suit. If a player doesn’t have a Spade on hand, they’ll likely have to bid zero at the beginning of the round.

Every contract is awarded ten points. ‘Overtricks,’ also known as ‘bags,’ which refer to tricks made above the declared big (i.e. extra wins), are given one point each (within limits–if a player goes beyond, they may be penalized with negative points). For example, if a player bids five and wins eight tricks, they receive fifty-three points (fifty from the five contracts, plus three for the overtricks).

Spades Game Variations

There are several variations of the Spades game, with two of the most common ones being Cutthroat Spades and Spades with Jokers. Both follow the general rules of the game, but the setup is different to accommodate the change in players (Cutthroat Spades isn’t played in teams) and the addition or removal of cards (Spades with Jokers uses the Joker cards and may eliminate cards to accommodate the additions).

Learn More about Spades

Spades is a fun card game that highlights its eponymous suit. Getting to know the game can be tricky at first, but with a little practice, you can hone your strategy and play like an expert. Learn more about Spades or practice the game for free online at Spades.co!