The objective
Your team bids the number of tricks it expects to win in a round. Make that combined contract to score points; miss it and lose points. Extra tricks become bags, so winning every possible trick is not always correct. A standard match ends after a completed round when a team reaches 500 points and leads.
Setup and deal
Use a standard 52-card deck without jokers. Partners sit opposite one another. Deal all cards face down until each player has thirteen. Spades are always trump, ranking from ace high down to two. In every other suit, ace is also high.
Bidding
Starting left of the dealer, each player names the number of tricks they expect to take. Partners add their bids into one team contract. A player may choose Nil and promise to take zero tricks. Bids are not changed after card play begins.
Card play
- The player left of the dealer leads the first trick.
- Every other player must follow the led suit if they have it.
- If unable to follow suit, a player may discard another suit or play a spade.
- The highest card of the led suit wins unless a spade is played; then the highest spade wins.
- The trick winner leads next. Continue until all thirteen tricks are complete.
You cannot discard or trump while holding a card in the led suit. Following suit is mandatory. Your choice begins only when you are void in that suit.
Breaking spades
Spades are broken when somebody plays one because they cannot follow the suit that was led. A player normally cannot lead a spade before that happens. The exception is a hand containing only spades. Read the full breaking-spades explanation for examples.
Scoring at a glance
| Result | Score | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Contract made | 10 × bid + bags | Bid 6, take 8 = 62 |
| Contract failed | −10 × bid | Bid 7, take 6 = −70 |
| Successful Nil | +100 | Nil player takes 0 |
| Failed Nil | −100 | Nil player takes 1+ |
| Ten bags | −100 | Remainder carries forward |