Who takes the kitty in hearts?

If the cards do not come out evenly (e.g. with three or five players) the remaining cards are placed face down in the middle of the table as a “kitty.” Any points in the kitty count in the player who takes final tally at the end of the hand. The kitty is taken by the person who takes the first trick.

Can you bid 9 in spades?

Spades may not be led in the first three tricks unless they have been “broken” by a player trumping a lead of another suit with a spade. For a normal (non-blind) bid from 4 to 9 to succeed, the team must win the number of tricks bid, and may win one or two overtricks (sandbags), but not more than that.

Can you talk to your partner in spades?

In the world of Spades, the phrases “table talk” and “talking across the board” doesn’t refer to any kind of chatter at the Spades table, but more specifically to talk that may influence your partners bidding or play. This type of talk is not allowed, and this is a rule that you should respect.