What is Mirror Spades?
Mirror is the most rigid bidding variant. Your hand hands you a number and you simply have to make it work.
Bid must mirror your spades
The rule is right in the name: your bid is a mirror of your spade holding. Six spades means a bid of six, one spade means a bid of one, and zero spades means a bid of zero. There is no rounding and no adjusting, which makes counting your trumps the single most important step of the hand.
No Nil allowed
Unlike Whiz, Mirror gives you no Nil alternative. If you are dealt no spades, your bid is simply zero and you play to take no tricks, but it is not scored as a Nil bonus. Removing that option makes the game more predictable and puts the focus squarely on skillful play.
A pure test of play
Because nobody can shade a bid, Mirror emphasizes card play, timing, and defense over bidding craft. It is a favorite of players who want the numbers settled and the drama on the table. Deal yourself in at Mirror Spades, or see all the rule twists on the variants page.
The fastest way to make this stick is to deal a hand and try it.
Keep reading - related questions
What is Whiz Spades?
Whiz is a variant that takes bidding out of your hands. On each deal you must bid the exact number of spades you hold, or instead declare Nil. There is no freedom to shade your bid up or down, so the game becomes a test of counting your spades and deciding whether a risky Nil beats an honest count.
How do you bid in Spades?
To bid in Spades you look at your 13 cards and estimate how many tricks you can win, then announce that number. Count your near-certain winners first: high spades, aces, and protected kings. Your bid is added to your partner's to set the team's contract, and you can also choose to bid Nil, a promise to win zero tricks.
What is Partnership Spades?
Partnership Spades is the traditional and most popular form of the game, played by four people in two teams of two. Partners sit directly across from each other, so play alternates between the two sides around the table. The two partners' bids are combined into a single team contract, and they win, lose, and score together.