Game Rules: Spades

Game Identity

• Name: Spades
• Player Count: Exactly 4
• Teams: Yes (2 teams of 2 players each)
• Theme: Standard (Doodle Score Paper aesthetic)
• Dealer / Rotation: The dealer role rotates clockwise after each hand.

Scoring Mechanics

• Scoring Variant: Accumulative (Higher score is better)
• Target Score: 500 (standard) or 250 (short game)
• Unit of Scoring: Points and Tricks
• Lower vs. Higher: Higher scores are winning.

Rules & Validation

Per-Hand Logic

• Tricks per Hand: Exactly 13 tricks must be distributed.
• Bidding: Each player bids 0–13. A bid of 0 is called "Nil".
• Team Bid: Combined bid of both teammates (Nil bids are handled separately).
• Validation Rules:
  • Every hand must have exactly 13 tricks total across all 4 players.
  • Bid values must be between 0 and 13.
  • Nil bids must be flagged explicitly (they score differently).

Scoring Formulas

• Contract Made: If Team Tricks >= Team Bid.
  • Score: (Team Bid * 10) + Overtricks (Bags).
• Contract Failed: If Team Tricks < Team Bid (team is "set").
  • Score: -(Team Bid * 10).
• Nil Bid:
  • Success (0 tricks won): +100 bonus points.
  • Failure (1+ tricks won): -100 penalty points.
  • Note: Tricks won by a Nil bidder do NOT count toward the Team Bid, but they DO count as "bags" if the team makes their contract.
• Bags (Overtricks):
  • Overtricks beyond the team bid are "bags".
  • Every 10 bags result in a -100 point penalty.
  • Bags roll over (e.g., 12 bags = -100 penalty and 2 bags carry forward).

Special Actions / Bonuses

• Blind Nil: Bidding Nil before looking at cards. Usually worth ±200 points.
• 10-for-200: Bidding exactly 10 tricks and succeeding. Worth 200 points instead of 100. Failure is -200 (or -100).

Win Conditions

• Condition: The first team to reach or exceed the target score (e.g., 500) wins.
• Tie-Breaker: If both teams cross the target in the same hand, the team with the higher total score wins. If still tied, play another hand.

Set Up in Doodle Score

Spades has a dedicated scorecard in Doodle Score — everything is pre-configured including score tracking, validation, and special rules.

Download the app, tap New Scorecard, and choose Spades.