What does nil mean in the game of spades?

Nil If one partner bids nil, that person must not win any tricks during that hand. The bid made by the partner of the nil bidder becomes that partnership’s total bid for the hand.

How do you play a nil in spades?

When trying to set a Nil, the overall bid should be at most 11. Play low if possible before the Nil bidder, and as high as possible after, unless the Nil bidder plays a high card (8+) in which case duck with as high a card as possible. Look at what the Nil bidder discards.

Is there a minimum bid in spades?

There is only one round of bidding, and the minimum bid is One. Every player must make a bid; no player may pass. No suit is named in the bid, for as the name of the game implies, spades are always trump.

How do you count bids in spades?

My general rule of thumb is this: If you have an Ace in any suit other than spades, count one. If you have a King in any suit other than spades, count one. If you only have 2 of one suit (other than spades) count 1.

What are the rules of spades?

In Spades, all four players bid a number of tricks. Each team adds together the bids of the two partners, and the total is the number of tricks that team must try to win in order to get a positive score. The bidding begins with the player to dealer’s left and continues clockwise around the table.

How do you lose points in spades?

If you fall short in your bid, no matter by how many tricks, you lose ten times the value of your bid. For example, if you bid 10 and fail, you lose 100 points.

What happens if you don’t make a bid in spades?

If a team fails to achieve their bid, their score is not changed. There are rule variations that change this scoring (see Spades House Rules Options, below). If a player who bid Nil takes one or more tricks, they fail their Nil bid and 100 points are subtracted from the team score (double for Blind Nil).

How do you teach someone to play Spades?

9:02Suggested clip · 114 secondsHow To Play Spades (4 Player) – YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clip

How do you read cards in spades?

Figuring the Value of Your High Cards in SpadesYou count all aces as being worth a trick to start. Count kings as worth about two-thirds of a trick, unless you also have the ace in that suit. Queens are difficult to value unless other court cards support them. Valuing jacks, unless they’re combined with other high court cards, is very risky business.