Why are spades the trump suit?
The whole identity of the game lives in one rule: spades always win. Knowing how that power works is the foundation of every good play.
Permanent trump, every hand
Many trick-taking games choose or turn up a new trump suit each round. Spades does not. The spade suit is trump from the first hand to the last, so its cards are the most valuable in the deck by default. That constancy is why counting spades and tracking who has played them is such a central skill.
How trumping a trick works
You can only use a spade's trumping power when you are out of the suit that was led. If diamonds are led and you have no diamonds, you may play a spade to seize the trick from the highest diamond. Two players out of the led suit can even trump-over each other, with the higher spade taking it. This is the engine behind the trick-winning rules.
Living with the trump rule
Because spades are so strong, the game protects them: you cannot lead a spade until they have been broken. High spades dominate bidding, and short suits become valuable because they let you trump in early. Browse more terms in the glossary to sharpen your understanding.
The fastest way to make this stick is to deal a hand and try it.
Keep reading - related questions
Who wins a trick in Spades?
If any spades were played on the trick, the highest spade wins it. If no spades were played, the highest card of the suit that was led wins, and cards from other off-suits count for nothing. Rank runs from ace high down to two low, and only the led suit and spades can ever take a trick.
Can you lead spades first in Spades?
No, you cannot lead a spade at the start of a hand or before spades are 'broken.' Spades become legal to lead once someone has already played one on an earlier trick because they could not follow the suit that was led. The only exception is when a player holds nothing but spades and has no other suit to play.
Do you have to follow suit in Spades?
Yes. If you hold any card of the suit that was led, you are required to play one of them. You are only free to do something else, such as trumping with a spade or throwing away a card from another suit, when you have none of the led suit left. Following suit is the core rule that makes trick-taking work.