Spades
About Spades
Spades is a trick-taking card game built around one simple rule: the spade suit always trumps every other suit. You and a computer partner face two computer opponents, and after a single hand of thirteen tricks, whichever team won more of them takes the game.
Because spades are always trump, holding onto them matters. A low spade can still beat the highest card of any other suit, so deciding when to spend your trumps and when to save them for a crucial trick is the real skill in play here.
You can play Spades free in your browser against computer players, with no download. The trick-taking is easy to follow once you know spades always win, and reading which cards your side and the opponents still hold is what keeps each hand interesting.
Controls
You play by clicking or tapping a card in your hand. Only your legal cards are highlighted; the rest are dimmed, so there's no way to play an illegal card by accident.
Spades has one special suit and a key rule:
- Following suit and trumping means you must play the led suit if you can. Spades beat every other suit, so a spade wins any trick it's played into, and the highest spade takes it.
- Breaking spades is required before spades can be led. You can't lead a spade until one has been played on another suit's trick, which keeps trumps from dominating too early.
You play with a computer partner against two computer opponents, and the hand ends once all thirteen tricks are played.
Whichever team won more tricks wins the hand. The computer sharpens across eight levels, playing and defending more shrewdly.
Tips
- Save your high spades for when you need them. Because spades trump everything, a high spade is close to a guaranteed trick, so holding it back for a moment when the trick actually matters is usually better than spending it early.
- Watch who's already played a spade. Once you've seen the top spades fall, you know whether your lower ones are still safe winners, which changes how boldly you can play them.
- Don't lead spades too early. Leading a spade before you have to gives your opponents information and burns your trump advantage sooner than necessary, so hold them unless you need to break a stalemate.
- Use low cards to duck a trick. When you don't want to win a trick, playing your lowest card of the led suit lets someone else take it, which keeps you in control of when you spend your good cards.
- Play consistently to help your partner. Since you and your computer partner are on the same team, the cards you play send information about what you're holding, so steady play helps your side's tricks add up.
- Count tricks as the hand goes. Since the whole game comes down to one hand, keeping a rough tally of which team has won more tricks tells you how much risk your side can afford late in the hand.
Frequently asked questions
Is Spades free to play?
Yes. You can play as much as you want with no download and no account.
How do you play Spades?
You and a computer partner play a single hand of thirteen tricks against two computer opponents. You follow the led suit when you can, and spades trump everything else. Whichever team wins more tricks wins the hand.
Why can't I lead a spade?
Spades can't be led until one has already been played on another suit's trick. This rule, called breaking spades, stops the trump suit from taking over the hand before anyone else gets a fair shot.
How do you win at Spades?
You win by teaming up with your computer partner to take more of the thirteen tricks than your two opponents in a single hand.
Can I play Spades on my phone?
Yes. It runs in any modern mobile browser with tap controls, so it works well on phones and tablets.
How do I get better at Spades?
Hold your high spades for tricks that matter instead of spending them early, use low cards to duck tricks you don't need, and keep track of which spades have already been played. Playing consistently helps your computer partner make the most of the hand too.
More like this
Popular right now 🔥
All →
Klondike Solitaire
Sudoku
2048
Chess
Ludo
Snake
Block Puzzle
Minesweeper
Checkers
Spider Solitaire
Mahjong Solitaire
Snakes & Ladders
Word Search
Connect Four
Brick Breaker
Tic-Tac-Toe
Bubble Shooter
