Spades

Shuffle and deal all 52 cards evenly — 13 cards per player.

Players sit across from their partner.

No cards are set aside — all 52 are in play.

Bidding: Starting left of the dealer, each player bids the number of tricks they expect to win (0–13). Partners' bids are combined into a team total.

Leading: The player left of the dealer leads the first trick with any card except a spade.

Following suit: Players must follow the led suit if able. If unable, they may play any card, including a spade.

Breaking spades: Spades cannot be led until one has been played on a trick where the leader's suit ran out.

Winning tricks: The highest card of the led suit wins — unless a spade was played, in which case the highest spade wins.

Making your bid: 10 points per trick bid (bid 4 = 40 points if you win exactly 4).

Overtricks (bags): 1 point each. Collecting 10 bags costs your team 100 points.

Nil bid: Bid 0 and win no tricks = +100 points. Fail the nil = −100 points.

Missing your bid: Costs 10 × bid points.

Count cards and track which suits have been exhausted.

A high bid signals strength to your partner — communicate through your bids.

Use low spades to control tricks you need to win.