Spades Blog: bidding, Nil and table talk
Bidding, nil, bag control and variant strategy for Partnership, Solo, Whiz and Mirror Spades.
Welcome to the Spades.now blog - the quickest route to sharper bids and fewer bags. You'll find plain-English strategy for Partnership Spades, Solo and Whiz, honest advice on making and setting nil, and the etiquette and history behind the game. New here? Start on the rules hub or the glossary, then put it to work in the daily deal.
Party Card Games That Send Players Straight to the Spades Table
From ride the bus to bluffing games, see how party cards build the habits that make Spades a satisfying next step for competitive players.
Card Games and Dice Games Worth Playing If Spades Is Your Thing
Spades player looking for more? Hearts, Euchre, and dice games like Ship Captain Crew hit the same read-the-room energy your game nights need.
Nil and Blind Nil: The Highest-Variance Bid in Spades
A two-hundred-point swing decided by thirteen cards. The card that breaks most nils is not an ace - it is a middling spade or a suit that runs dry.
Bags Will Kill You: Why Overbidding Loses Fewer Spades Games Than Underbidding
Losing partnerships usually made almost every bid. They lost because they made them by too much - and nobody says anything when you collect a bag.