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Spades Tips and Strategies
Spades beginners and buffs looking to spiff up their games should read the best in tips and techniques from expert Spades players Joe Andrews, author of Win at Spades, and John Strichman, author of How NOT to Lose at Spades. They provide valuable insights that will help improve your Spades strategies and skills.
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John Strichman: Last Hand Bidding
Copyright 2002 by John Strichman (all rights reserved)John Strichman focuses on Last Hand Bidding as he explores several different techniques and strategies.:
Enough is Enough
You have been dealt the following hand in a game where you are leading the opponents 463 (3 bags) to 414 (4 bags), and the bids are as shown. What should you bid?
| North: 2 | ||
| West: 4 | East: 3 | |
South: (?)
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||
Even though you have an easy 3 bid, and can very probably take 4 tricks with your hand, if you bid anything other than 2 in this situation you are making a very big mistake.
The three part premise underlying all of the teachings in my book is that:
1. Spades is a game of risk/reward.2. The risk/reward that your team is facing at any given time in the game is defined by the score of the game, and consequently,
3. Winning at Spades requires bidding and playing according to the score of the game more than according to the cards in your hand.
At no time is this more true than on the Last Hand of a game. The Last Hand of a game is defined as any hand on which at least one of the teams has a chance to win the game.
In the above example, your team has 463 points and bags are not a concern. You need only 40 more points to win the game. There is absolutely no reason for your team to bid a total of more than 4 tricks on this hand. If you were to bid more than 2, you would be increasing the risk of your team getting set for no possible added reward whatsoever.
Although this is the simplest of the 12 critical Last Hand bidding strategies that I discuss in my book, it is surprising how frequently this guideline is violated, and how frequently teams get set as a result. Not only newer players, but experienced ones as well, will needlessly bid their teams into a 12 or 13 bid situation, get set on the hand, and wind up grabbing defeat from the jaws of victory. Very often when this happens, the offending team will not even realize why the game was lost.
Whenever you are bidding 4th and your team has an easy opportunity to win the game, always remember that the object of Spades is not to bid your hand, but to win the game, and that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
Nothing To Lose
Now we will look at two more Last Hand bidding strategies, one a little more complicated, and one that is very sophisticated.
The score is 407 (7 bags) for your team, and 482 (2 bags) for the opponents.
You have been dealt the hand shown and the bids are as indicated. What should you bid when you bid last on the hand?
| North: 3 | ||
| West: 4 | East: 2 | |
South: (?)
|
||
You have a fairly straightforward 3 bid, but if you bid anything other than 5 you are making a mistake.
The opponents have 482 points and will win the game if they make their bid, even if you could make a nil. The only way for you team to stay alive in this game is to win 8 tricks and set the other team. Whenever this is the case, you should bid the number of tricks that your team would need in order to accomplish the set. This means taking the total bid to 14!
Many players automatically think that taking a total bid to 14 involves too much risk. In this case, however, there is no risk involved whatsoever. If your team does not win at least 8 tricks, the game will be over. More importantly, your bid has absolutely nothing to do with your cards. It is dictated entirely by the score of the game. This is the hurdle that most players have the hardest time getting over.
When you make this forced 14 bid, it doesn't matter whether or not you have any expectation of making your bid. The truth is, you have NOTHING TO LOSE!
The important reason why you need to take the bid to 14 is that, if you are lucky enough to set the opponents and stay alive in the game, you don't want to go into the next hand carrying needless bags and having passed up additional points that were there for the taking.
In the above example, if you were to bid 3 and your team was lucky enough to win 8 tricks and set the opponents, your team would be ahead by the score of 469 to 422.
By bidding 5, you insure that, if you do have the good fortune to set the other team, you will be in the best score position possible going to the next hand (in this case leading 487 to 422).
It is surprising how often it is possible to make a seemingly impossible 14 bid. I can't even begin to estimate the number of times that I have made a forced 14 bid that I knew was hopeless, and we then went on to set the opponents. Once you are successful in a few of these 14 bids, you will quickly realize that pulling one of these off is about as good as it can get in Spades, and making this bid will become an automatic part of your Last Hand bidding repertoire.
The Double Whammy Autowin
Now for the final example.
This is the 10th, and designated last, hand of a tournament game. Whichever team is ahead after this hand will win the game. You are bidding 4th and the score is 498 (8 bags) for your team, and 448 (8 bags) for the opponents. What should you bid with the hand shown?
| North: 2 | ||
| West: 4 | East: 4 | |
South: (?)
|
||
Obviously, you need to either bid nil and try to outscore the opponents, or bid 1 and try to bag them, right? Well, sometimes the obvious can be deceiving.
Examine what happens if you make a "nutty" 2 bid in this situation.
If both teams make their bids, you will win 538/9 to 529/8
If the opponents set your bid, they will bag out, and you will win 458 to 430 something.
If the opponents bag your team, they will get set, and you will win 440 something to 368.
IF YOU BID 2 YOUR TEAM CAN NOT LOSE THE GAME!
I call this the Double Whammy Autowin Bid, and it is the most powerful bid in Spades.
By intentionally making a bid that you have absolutely no expectation of being able to make, the opponents are damned if they do, and damned if they do.
When you make this bid, the opponents will just sit there trying to figure out what to do, when in fact there is nothing to do. There is no reason to even play the hand.
If you think about the score situation in the above example, you will see that the 2 bid wins the game NO MATTER WHAT CARDS YOU HAVE IN YOUR HAND!!! That means that you could make the bid without even looking at your cards. (Remember when I said something about the score being more important than your cards and you didn't believe me?)
The Double Whammy Autowin Bid is as good as bidding can get, and once you make one of these bids, the smile on your face will be your proof that it's true.
Remember, try to think of Spades as a game of risk and reward, rather than as a game of cards, and soon you will be a force to be reckoned with in the world of Spades.
Good luck and very happy Spading.
Joe Andrews' Spades Tips
Author and seasoned card expert Joe Andrews discusses the great debate over bidding systems, carding signals, partnership agreements and alerts. Be sure to check out his other articles, including:
The Great Debate
The game of Bridge has been played for nearly one hundred years, and has featured the use of various bidding and carding systems for decades. In Bridge, you must "alert" your opponents whenever your side makes an unusual bid, lead, or discarding signal. How can this be applied and enforced in the game Spades, and what constitutes an "alertable" situation?
If a Spades partnership is willing to take the time to develop a rapport and a Bridge-style convention repertoire, is this cheating? Spades has been an internet phenomenon for approximately ten years. However, there has been very little growth in the live Spades arena. To the best of my knowledge, only The Spades Connection and Grand Prix tournaments have been able to sustain scheduled semi-annual or annual live events. Furthermore, there is no official Spades governing body for rules, and no alerting procedure for the use of conventions or special applications. As time goes by, more and more pairs are developing their own bidding language and other agreements. It will be many years before this issue can be resolved, and a very long time before regularly scheduled live Spades events will become reality in most areas.
Now, we will look at two examples of special Partnership agreements and the way that a game can be affected.
The "Big 5" Bid, created by R. DeNino and H. Carney in the late 1990's, is a useful application which encourages certain Nil bids. It was first mentioned in my original Spades book (1998). If you bid BEFORE your partner, AND you have a range of 4 - 6 probable tricks in your hand INCLUDING the Ace or King of spades, a call of 5 encourages a Nil bid from your partner. The Big 5 is most effective when a partner who is contemplating a Nil bid has the King or Queen of spades, and no other dangerous cards in his hand. Suffice to say, a bid of 5 AFTER partner has bid has no special meaning other than a desire to take five tricks.
A "high-low" signal is a another useful tool to have in your Spades bag. The deuce through the Jack of the side suits (not trump) applies. For example, you hold the nine and three of clubs. The Ace of clubs is led, and you drop the nine. Then the King of clubs is played, and you drop the three (in that order). You are promising that you can trump the third round of clubs. The high-low discard application has been used by Bridge players for more nearly a century, and is a standard signal.
Please do not confuse legitimate carding signals with obvious physical signals such as eye blinking, hair scratching, finger movement, body language, groaning, banging of cards on the table, etc. There is no place in any card game for such primitive and blatant displays of cheating.
Now we will look at one of the most controversial hands I have ever seen. It occurred in a live Spades tournament in Atlanta, GA during the Fall of 2002.
In a game with a score of 353 - 324 in favor of North/South and with the East player dealing, North picked up this collection:
 K 2 |
 Q J 9 7 4 2 |
 7 6 3 |
 7 2 |
South (his partner) opened up this collection:
| A J 10 3 |
A K 3 |
K Q 9 5 |
10 8 |
With first bid, and four tricks a shoo-in, South bid 5. (In live events, the first bid and the opening lead is to the left of the dealer.) West came in with a call of 3, and North bid Nil. After all, he and his partner were employing the Big 5 convention. The King of spades was no longer a problem. A lot of North players who were not familiar with the Big 5 may have declined a Nil bid, especially in such a close game. East bid three to close out the auction. South selected the King of diamonds for an opening lead. West played the Jack, North dropped his seven spot, and East was happy to win the Ace. The four of clubs then hit the table, as South deposited the ten, West had an easy play of the Jack, and North let go of the seven spot. West continued with clubs as he played the three. This was ducked by the deuce, and once again, East won another Ace. South completed his high-low with the eight, as North carefully noted the play in the club suit. A shift to the heart five was won by South's Ace. The Queen of diamonds waltzed through, and the nine of diamonds was trumped by West's nine of spades.
Next came the play of the hand (and the tournament): the five of clubs. Noting that his partner had echoed in clubs (to show exactly two of the suit), North made the rather flamboyant play of the King of spades! After a very discernable pause, East played the club Queen, and South won this trick with the spade Ace! I cannot report the exact words of the East/West team; you may rest assured that they were quite upset. When I arrived at the table, and the growling had barely subsided, it was revealed to me that North/South were using the Big 5 convention, and were also using the standard high-low carding system to give count in side suits. Suffice to say, there was no ruling that I could have made. The East player suggested that North should have alerted the fact that South held the spade Ace. The hand was never finished, and the East/West pair left the table. The forfeit was immaterial as the hand was cold for 150 points, and game.
Were North/South cheating? Is the use of conventions and standard carding applications illegal? We just covered this topic. In the above example, should North have really halted the bidding and alerted the opponents to the fact that his partner's bid included the Ace or King of Spades? Should South have alerted the opponents that his play of the ten and eight of clubs promised exactly two clubs? How would we handle reverse Nil signals, Rusinow leads, suit preference leads, "attitude leads", "MUD" (middle, up, down discards), and so on? The use of convention cards and alerts in the game of Spades is not practical and would be difficult to enforce, especially in online play. HOWEVER, I do agree that players who employ various bridge-style card signaling systems and bidding applications have a big advantage over those who do not employ these gadgets.
The Top 10 Spades Conventions
- ATTITUDE LEADS -- You are on lead against the opponents. If you do not have a natural sequence lead (e.g. K-Q-J of a suit), you must make a selection. Leading a low card (2-5) of a suit indicates that you have some high card strength in that suit. Leading a middle card (6-9) indicates that you have a weak suit. (Do not confuse with "HIGH-LOW" system).
- THE "BIG FIVE" BID -- This is called the "Carney-DeNino Convention," named after its creators. If you bid before your partner, a five bid will show that you have at least (in Spades) the Ace or King, AND a range of 4-6 tricks. This will allow partner to consider a Nil if he/she has a safe hand and a potential trump loser such as the King or Queen or Jack. Obviously, the trump suit of partner cannot be of more than three-card length, and preferably low cards accompanying the honor card. This is probably the most useful and confusing convention that we find ourselves explaining frequently. However, it will allow your partner to bid Nil on much more risky hands (even with the KS!) and those extra Nils can easily lead to more wins.
- HIGH-LOW SIGNAL -- This is a very useful gadget that applies to Club, Diamond, or Heart holdings. If you hold two and ONLY two cards from Deuce through the Jack in the same suit, you play the higher of your two cards on the first round of that suit, and then your low card on the second round. This alerts partner that you can trump the third round of the same suit. This system should not be used with K-x or Q-x of a suit, as the honor cards are just too valuable to be wasted.
- LEAD SEQUENCE (In the side suits) -- The lead of a King promises the Queen in the same suit, and the lead of the Queen promises the Jack in the same suit (and denies the King!). The lead of an Ace followed by a lower "spot" card promises TWO and only TWO cards in the side suit that is led.
- LOW-HIGH CONVENTION (In the side suits) -- The lead or play of a low card in the same suit followed by a higher card on the next round of that suit promises at least three cards in that suit.
- TRUMP ECHO (Spade suit only) -- If partner leads a high Spade, and you play a middle Spade on this lead, and then produce a lower Spade on the next lead of trump, you are promising possession of the Ace, King, or Queen of Spades.
- SECOND HAND LOW -- This is a system, standard for Bridge and Whist, in which the second hand (after a lead from the Right Hand Opponent), plays low in order to give partner a chance to win the trick Of course, if the RHO leads an honor card, it should be covered if possible. There are exceptions to this depending on the bagging situation, and your bid.
- THIRD HAND HIGH -- Kindred to #7 is the "Third Hand High" Rule. The player in third seat position, after a lead of suit by his partner, must play his highest card possible in order to prevent the last player from winning a cheap trick. Yes, there are also exceptions here, too -- but third hand high is usually the proper play.
- TRUMP "FLUSH" -- The lead of a trump by partner (after Spades have been broken) is a demand for you to play your highest trump possible (unless your Right Hand Opponent has produced a trump you cannot beat!). This enables partner to have specific information of the Spade suit.
- NIL REVERSE DISCARDS -- If you are the Nil bidder, and you have a completely safe side suit, the proper discarding pattern is to play a low card first, and then a higher card on the next round of that suit. Partner will then know not to trump this suit, and can save Spades for later in the hand.
Try these conventions -- but be sure you and Partner have complete understanding of what system you are playing with!
Covering your Partner's Nil
To begin with, it has to be assumed that your partner did not bid Nil with a guaranteed losing card, such as a natural trump trick or shaky honor card combination in a side suit! Some Nil bids are absolutely ironclad, and will be successful no matter what happens! However, the majority of Nil bids do have a weakness (vulnerable suit), which I refer to as the "underbelly." Fortunately, the defense often slips allowing a borderline Nil bid to make. In some situations, a truly skilled partner can save the bacon, and rescue an otherwise "lost" cause.
A Nil bid creates a miniature battlefield in which the offense (the Nil side) is in a furious race against the opponents who are trying to "probe" weaknesses. Here you are protecting "soft" spots in your partner's hand, and the defense is doing all they can to force the Nil hand to take a trick! The point value of a Nil is just too great to ignore. This example will give you an understanding of just what is at stake. Suppose the score of a game is tied -- let's say it is 354-354. Your partner has bid Nil, your opponents have bid six, and you come in with a five bid -- having shaded your call a trick lower. If your Team makes the Nil plus the five covering bid, the game is over! If your partner's Nil is set, while you make your five, your side scores only 50 points, while the opponents now have the lead. An absolute disaster is the loss of the Nil and covering bid. Thus, you can see the "swing" value of the points for a Nil is really 200 -- the difference between making the Nil, and getting set.
You must go all out to ensure the success of the Nil -- even at the cost of losing YOUR bid! Of course, making both bids is wonderful! And for extra credit, if you can set the opponents without too much "bagging," that is a "triple play!" It is very important to be aware of the score at all times -- especially the bag count and the potential for game-ending bids by either Team. Often, you will see that the opponents will concede a Nil to your side if the result is advantageous to them.
When you are playing opposite your partner's Nil, you should try to get the lead unless your hand is full of holes (lots of low cards and no solid suit -- material of which "one" bids are made). However, if an opponent plays a card higher than the seven, it is usually correct to duck. It all depends on your holding in a given suit. For example, if you hold K-9-8 of Clubs, and your right-hand opponent leads the Queen of Clubs (the first round of Clubs), grabbing your King could be an error -- especially if Partner holds a weak Jack or Ten. Here you must play low, and save the King for a possible later cover. Yes, you may lose the King -- but that is a small price to pay. If the Ace of this suit does not appear after two rounds, you may deduce that Partner holds it, and wants you to shift suits! A solid side suit of your own is ideal. If you hold A-Q-10-9-5 of Diamonds, and are on lead, your best play is the Ace, followed by the Queen. Should Partner hold the King, he can drop it under your Ace, and make another discard under the Queen. If the opponents have the King, it is still no problem, as the Queen may be taken. Hopefully, you will re-obtain the lead in another suit, and now continue Diamonds with the Ten, etc.
When your partner is void in a suit, by all means do everything you can do to grab the lead, and continue with your partner's void suit. Watch your partner's discards! If he plays the Ten of Hearts under your Ace, you can assume that he does not hold the Jack, Queen, or King. Thus, if you have the A-9-7-4 of this suit, you can safely play the Nine on the next round. Avoid leading suits with very low cards. If trump have been "broken," lead your highest Spades if possible. Assume that Partner does not have a natural trump loser. Some experienced players prefer to save a trump or two -- in the event it becomes necessary to ruff a possible losing card in Partner's weakest suit.
Now, here are some "no-nos" regarding the protection of Nil bids:
- Never lead a low card (unless Partner is void in that suit). It is the "kiss of death" for a Nil, and may force Partner to win that trick with an unexpected Five or Six-spot. Then you will have lots of "chat" with an unhappy Teammate!
- Do not lead middle cards of a suit, if you have higher cards in the same suit. Give Partner all of the room he needs to discard dangerous high cards.
- Do not overtake an honor card led by an opponent. If you hold the
- Ace of Hearts, and the opponent leads the King, back off from this trick, and save your Ace for later.
- Never lead a low or middle trump (especially if you hold an honor card). Your partner may get "skewered" with a Ten, Jack, or Queen.
- Do not overruff the opponents' play of a Spade on a side suit --especially in the early stages of a hand. Your side may need this trump for a strategic ruff later in the hand.
- Finally, watch your partner's discards. Let him help you with the "cover" by mapping a path.
Covering Nils can be real "art" form, as well as a science. There is nothing more reassuring than having a partner who is skillful in this aspect of the game. Good luck with your Nils!!!
Spades Suit Management - Watch those Bags!
Hand #2
-
-
A K Q 6 5 3 -
A K Q 10 -
A K Q
Hand #3
- Q 3 2
- Q J 8 7
- K 10 9
- A J 9
You have the opening bid in a new game. How would you bid each of these hands?
Hand 1: It just does not get any easier. You have four top tricks -- period. There is a remote chance one of your red-suit Aces might get ruffed. That is not likely to happen. BID FOUR.
Hand 2: You have great strength in 3 suits, with lots of Hearts. With normal distribution, you should score five tricks. The best line of play is to take two Club tricks, then two Diamond tricks, then a third Club. Now you can duck a Heart or two if necessary. If a minor suit gets ruffed, you must then take a high Heart. The idea is to test the Club and Diamond suits before committing to the Heart suit. This hand may bag a trick or two with an unlucky lead. It could also get set, as someone will have long trump, and shortness in one of your minor suits. BID FIVE (A safe bid of four is also acceptable).
Hand 3: Give me a break! This hand has only one top trick, and is very difficult for determining trick potential. The trump Queen may not win, and other suits have unconnected or "broken" honor card sequences. The Diamond King may win, or the Club Jack could promote. You may also get nailed with three or four bags here -- especially if the final bid is eight or nine. BID TWO -- (three is also acceptable.) A one bid is just too conservative. This is a classic example of a hand, which will get set if overbid, and "bagged" if underbid!
There is a variation of Spades called "bag-em" -- which is a reverse form of the game. A lot of players really believe in this strategy. The idea is to underbid your hand and intentionally sacrifice sure or expected tricks in order to force the opposition to win unexpected middle or lower card tricks. Typical "bag-em" techniques include refusing to trump when possible, ducking side-suit tricks with high card winners, and intentionally under ruffing with low trump.
This approach can be very effective, especially if the opposition has more than six bags and/or is threatening to win the game. It is interesting to note that the penalty for overbidding is the "set," and for underbidding it is "bags." Advocates of the "bag-em" game thrive on eight, nine, and ten bids! While this idea does have some merit, it has the inherent flaw of throwing away ten points for each underbid trick. Some players go to extremes and play the bagging game at the beginning of a match. The antidote to all of this is proper discarding, and trump management -- which can "turn the tables" on the opponents. Nothing is more heartwarming than to dump bags on the baggers! Another alternative is to "ratchet up" your bid by a trick or two -- if you suspect or realize that your opponents are playing "bag-em." In any case, you have to be aware of all that is going on at the table, including the score -- and react accordingly.
Bags have been around for almost fifty years, and are here to stay!
Now you've read all the tips and tricks to help you become an expert Spades player, so pick up your copy of Championship Spades All-Stars and test your skills! Play at five different skill levels and keep track of your game using the detailed statistics option. Once you've mastered Championship Spades All-Stars, the games have just begun! Championship Spades is available for Windows, Windows Mobile/Pocket PC and Palm OS platforms today!
