Play Spades Online
You can play Spades online with your family or friends on any browser and device. Players have the options to participate in multiplayer games or practice for free.
Check our most popular game modes and custom options. Discover useful tips along with common game terminology. See also charts and video about Spades.
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Spades Quick Tips
Below we have some practical suggestions and tips about the Spades card game. You can play in a variety of ways.
The most remarkable aspect is the bidding.
If you are an advanced player, we recommend you to read both the how to play and complete rules sections.
Pairs
Pairs is the most common game mode played by two teams of two. Spades are always the trump suit. Playing the first Spade is known as Breaking Spades. It is possible to play Spade if it was played already in the game. Another way to start with a Spade is when a player is missing the leading suit.
Bidding and Scoring
At the beginning of the hand, each player receives 13 cards. After, the players bid on how many tricks they intend to win over the course of the 13 trick hand.
– When a team successfully makes their bid, there are awarded 10 points per trick in that bid.
– Any tricks taken in addition (compared to the bid) are called “Bags”. Each bag adds one point to the team’s score. If they get 10 bags, a 100-point penalty is deducted from their score, and 10 bags are taken from their account.
– Should a team win fewer tricks than what they bid, the penalty applied is their bid times 10.
Additional Bidding Options
– Players may opt for “Blind Nil” (not see the cards). A successful bid yields 200 points.
– Players may bid 0 tricks (a “Nil” bid). If they succeed, they obtain 100 points.
Other game modes
Solo
In Solo mode (also known as “Cutthroat”), each player plays for themselves. The penalty is 50 points for 5 bags. Nil is worth 50 points.
Suicide
The Suicide variant – one team member must bid Nil while the other must bid 4 or greater.
Whiz
In Whiz mode (a variant of “Pairs”), each player must bid either the exact number of spades in their hand or Nil. No Blind Nils.
Mirror
Mirror (similar to “Whiz”), each player must bid the number of Spades that they have in their hand. Players may only bid Nil if they have no Spades in their hand. There are no Blind Nils.
See also our complete Spades guide
More tips:
Card Odds, Popular questions, Variations overview, Mastering Spades
Game Features
Play with friends
Now you can enjoy your favorite card game online together with your friends. At vipspades.com, you can host a game and decide which players to invite and play together.
- When you log into your account, open the Pairs lobby and choose the “Play with friends” room. Click on the green button that says “Host a game”, and a pop-up window with multiple options will appear.
- You can choose a preferred game variant, the entry fee and the prize amount, min and max score to end the game. Select if you want to play with jokers or not. The Nil and Blind Nil bids can be turned off. You can even use a custom card deck and table background.
- By making the room private, you can control who enters the game. After you are done with all settings, choose the place on the table you want for your friend. Click on it and invite them.
Social and Community Benefits
Do you have a strategy you want to discuss with other passionate players?
- Visit our global chat or take part in the discussions on our social pages.
- Chat and express your opinion with people from all over the world!
- Easy invite your Facebook friends. Collect likes and ratings from others for being a great player.
- Send or earn in-game drinks, emojis, chips, and gifts.
- Customize and share your image gallery.
Check for updates in the Youtube channel where we are producing training videos, highlighting strategy guides and tutorials. For funny situations, news, quizzes and about our official tournament rules – visit the official blog.
VIP Spades continues to improve with new content and features. See the latest news and changes in our channels. You can learn more about our brand and company details.
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Video introduction
Game Terms
Vocabulary cheat sheet, synonyms and variations
For new players, the jargon alone can send you into a tailspin. Not to fear. The language of spades is easy to pick up, and before you know it, the craziest phrases will become second nature. Until then, our handy guide will steer you in the right direction.
Vocab cheat sheet
- Bags
penalties for taking in more tricks than you bid at the beginning of the round.
- Bare
having just one card of any given suit.
- Bidding
the number of tricks you predict or contact that you will take.
- Blind Nil
bidding zero tricks without looking at your hand.
- Breaking Spades
the first spade played in the game. When a player is out of the suit lead, that player may play a spade, trump the suit, and spades are officially broken. Spades can then be lead.
- Card Counting
keeping mental track of the cards used in each suit.
- Flush Out
to try to bring out a high card of a certain suit by playing a lower card of that suit.
- Long Suit
four or more cards of any given suit in your hand.
- Nil
a bid of zero tricks after looking at your hand.
- Overbid
any tricks you win over the initial amount you bid.
- Renege
using a spade, or card of another suit, when you have the ability to follow suit.
- Round
all four players put down a card and a trick is taken.
- Set
this refers to a team who isn’t making their bid or their nil, or who is bagging over the limit.
- Short Suit
fewer than three cards of any given suit.
- Signal
playing a card to subtly let your partner know what is left in your hand and how they should lead. This is especially handy when you and your partner both understand the science behind the game.
- Slough
playing a card to intentionally avoid taking a trick.
- Straight
cards of the same suit in a sequential pattern.
- Throwing Off
playing a card (not a spade) when you have the ability to follow suit.
- Trick
the four discarded cards of the round.
- Trump
generally refers to a spade played when a non-spade was lead, but can refer to any spade.
- Underbid
this refers to when you bid less than the amount of tricks you won.
- Void
being dealt zero cards of any given suit.
Synonyms in spades
Solo spades is often called “cutthroat”
Tricks are often called “books”
Bidding is sometimes referred to as “betting”
Slough is often called “dump”
Breaking Spades is sometimes called “cutting” or “ruffing”
Bags are sometimes called “sandbags”
Blind Nil is often called “double nil”
A bare is also sometimes called a “singleton”
Variations of spades
Over the years, many variations of spades have sprung up where players have added extra rules or unexpected trump cards to enhance the fun. Few of these variations are available in online play, but they’re wild enough to be worthy of mention. Here are just some of them…
- Bauer Trumps
this is a special variation where the two highest trumps in the game are the jack of spades and the jack of clubs. They are referred to as the “right bauer” and “left bauer” respectively. The Bauer Trump variation is borrowed heavily from Euchre.
- Boston
this variation allows a team to win outright if they “shoot the moon.” This means all 13 tricks are taken by one player or team.
- Deuces High
in this variation, the deuces of each suit are worth more than spades, making them trumps.
- Jokers High
in this variation, the two jokers in the deck become the main trumps of the game.
- Mirrors (also sometimes called Whiz)
in this variation, you bid only the exact number of spades you have been dealt. If you have no spades, you must automatically bid nil.
- Spades for Three
to accommodate a game of spades for just three players, you simply remove the two of clubs, and each player is dealt seventeen cards. Obviously, this variation must be played as singles.
- Suicide
this variation can only be played with pairs, and one player out of each pair must bid nil, no matter what cards they have.
So whether you’re tempted by playing free spades online.
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