Spades cannot be led unless played previously or player to lead has nothing but Spades in his hand. Play continues until none of the players have any cards left. The player who wins the trick leads next. The trick is won by the player who plays the highest trump or if no trump was played, the player who played the highest card in the suit led. If a player cannot follow suit, they may play a trump or discard. The player on the dealer's left makes the opening lead, and players must follow suit, if possible. Five hundred points is common, but 200 points is suitable for a short game. The game is scored by hands, and the winner must make a certain number of points, which is decided before the game begins. No suit is named in the bid, for as the name of the game implies, spades are always trump. Every player must make a bid no player may pass. There is only one round of bidding, and the minimum bid is One. The player to the dealer's left starts the bidding and, in turn, each player states how many tricks they expect to win. The BiddingĮach player decides how many tricks they will be able to take. The players then pick up their cards and arrange them by suits.

The entire deck is dealt one at a time, face down, beginning on the dealer's left. The first dealer is chosen by a draw for high card, and thereafter the turn to deal proceeds clockwise. To win at least the number of tricks bid.

Short deck poker starting hand rankings