Spades Variants — Popular Variations of the Game

Standard Spades (Recap)

The standard game includes:

• 4 players in 2 partnerships
• Standard 52-card deck (no Jokers)
• Spades always trump
• Individual bidding, combined team score
• Nil and Blind Nil available
• 10-bag penalty (−100)
• Game to 500 points

Joker Spades

The most popular variant. Adds 2 Jokers to the deck.

Setup

• Remove 2♣ and 2♦ from the deck
• Add Big Joker and Little Joker
• Deck stays at 52 cards, 13 per player

Trump Hierarchy (Highest to Lowest)

1. Big Joker
2. Little Joker
3. A♠
4. K♠
5. Q♠
6. …down to 2♠

How It Changes the Game

• Jokers are the most powerful cards — guaranteed trick winners
• The A♠ is no longer the top trump
• Having a Joker is worth an automatic trick in your bid
• More trump power in the game overall

Two-Player Spades

Adapted for 2 players instead of partnerships.

Common Rules

• Deal 13 cards to each player
• Remaining 26 cards form a draw pile
• After each trick, both players draw a card
• No partnerships — head-to-head competition
• Bidding and scoring work the same

Strategy Differences

• No partner to coordinate with
• More information asymmetry (smaller hands visible)
• Trump management is even more critical with only 2 players
• More tricks to take per player

Three-Player Spades

Adapted for 3 players.

Common Rules

• Remove the 2♣ (deck = 51 cards, 17 per player)
• No partnerships — every player for themselves
• Each player bids individually
• 17 tricks per round (instead of 13)
• Scoring is individual

Strategy Differences

• No partner protection for Nil bids
• More tricks means higher bids are common
• Setting opponents is a critical strategy (help one to hurt another)

Six-Player Spades

For 6 players in 2 or 3 partnerships.

Two Teams of Three

• 3 vs 3, partners alternate seating
• Use 1 deck, deal 8-9 cards each (some cards removed)
• Team bids combine from all 3 partners

Three Teams of Two

• 2 vs 2 vs 2
• Partners sit across from each other
• More chaotic — two opponents to set, one partner to support

Suicide Spades

A high-stakes variant that restricts bidding.

Rule Change

• Partners must bid differently: one bids Nil (0) and the other bids higher
• The non-Nil partner carries the team’s entire trick obligation
• Creates extreme risk-reward every round

Strategy

• The Nil partner needs a genuinely weak hand
• The strong partner must bid aggressively (often 7+)
• Partnership coordination is even more critical

Mirror Spades

Both partners make the same bid.

Rule Change

• Partners must bid the same number
• If you bid 4, your partner must also bid 4 (team contract = 8)
• Communication through previous rounds is key

Strategy

• Requires reading your partner’s strength from their play
• Both hands need to be relatively equal in strength
• Extreme hands (very strong or very weak) cause problems

Whiz Spades

Players must always play a spade if they can.

Rule Change

• When void in the led suit, you must play a spade if you have one
• No option to sluff a non-spade when void
• The only bid options are Nil or the exact number of spades you hold

Strategy

• Highly constrained — much less choice in play
• Spade count directly determines your bid
• Nil is only possible with 0 spades (rare with 13 cards)

House Rules

Many groups play with custom modifications: