Spades
Bid your tricks, make your bid, and try not to bag yourself out.
What it is
An American partnership card game from the late 1930s, perfect for anyone who likes a plain deck and an evening of friendly grudges. It plays as two teams of two, with partners across from each other and spades always trump. Each player bids how many tricks they will take, and the two bids add up to a team contract. Go over too often and the extra tricks, called bags, cost you 100 points once you collect ten.
What we love
- Needs only a standard 52-card deck
- A nil bid stakes 100 points on taking no tricks at all
- Games usually run to 500 points
Honest trade-offs
- An hour or more is a long sit for a plain trick-taker
- House rules for blind nil and bags vary, so settle them first
- Needs four to play it as intended
AI summary of player sentiment
Across the tables we polled, players consistently praise the game's approachability and pacing. The most common complaint is an hour or more is a long sit for a plain trick-taker.
This summary is regenerated from new reviews each week. Astra will wire the generation job to the Vercel Cron detailed in the handoff doc.
Content advisory
No content advisory.
Reader reviews
Share your take on this game. Keep it kind and specific. Reader reviews ship with Astra's Supabase hookup.
/api/reviews, auth required.Links to retailers may earn Board Game Tavern a commission at no extra cost to you.