Spades

The title of this article is ambiguous. For the US porn actress and actress, see Sammie Spades .

Spades ( Engl. Spades, spade) is a widely used in North America card game . It's a mix of Doppelkopf , Bridge and Skat . Spades is played with four players, with two players (sitting opposite each other) always forming a team. So two teams play against each other (team 1 is called team gold, team 2 is team blue). The game is played with a conventional 52 hand (diamonds, hearts, spades and clubs; 2 to ace each), with spades as the trump suitstings. First and foremost, the same rules apply as in Skat. There is an obligation to operate and the players must indicate their card value. So each player has 13 cards and now the possible tricks are estimated.

Despite the simple basic rules, Spades is a deep game, as you can not only rely on your own tricks, but should also watch your teammates and opponents in order to identify a certain tendency and to steer the game in a certain direction.

The game

Beginning of the game

Four players sit together at a 90-degree angle, with the players sitting opposite each other forming a team. Team 1 is called “Gold”, Team 2 is called “Blue”. A 52 hand (simple Rummy hand without joker) is evenly distributed to each player. Each player receives 13 cards each. It is - as in Skat - the colors and operator liability (including adding or color profess called). Spades are always trumps (meaning: e.g. the 2 of spades is higher than the ace of diamonds). The ranking is: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, jack, queen, king, ace. Spades can only be played when the suit thrown by the first player is no longer in your own hand is available. Likewise, spades may only be thrown by the player as the first card if spades have already been played.

Announce tricks

Each player tries to announce the tricks to be reached as precisely as possible according to his hand: A good hand brings many tricks, a weak hand few, e.g. B. only one or even none (the latter is then called “zero” - just like with Skat, no trick may be taken after it has been announced). When all players have announced their tricks, the player to the left of the dealer plays the first card.

Play

Now both teams try to get exactly the tricks that are “hot” together. As a rule, a total of eleven tricks are given, leaving two tricks (with 13 playable cards). So should z. B. Team Gold have given a total of six tricks (player 1: two tricks, player 3: four tricks), then it is irrelevant who wins these six tricks. So player 1 can take five tricks, but player 3 can only take one trick (again six in total). If a team has its tricks, it has to decide whether to "throw off" (that means deliberately not taking any more tricks) or to try to "destroy" the opponent, ie to deliberately take more tricks in order to take the opponent's tricks Team does not get its announced tricks (which results in penalty points - more under points). With twelve tricks or even 13 (which is rarely the case with experienced players), you always try first and foremost to destroy the opponent (with 13 tricks, one more trick is enough to prevent the opponent from taking his tricks) .

Point system

The basic value is always the number of tricks given by the team × 10. This means: If Team Gold has given a total of seven tricks and achieved seven, this team receives seven tricks × 10 points = 70 points. If a trick is taken more than announced, there is an extra point, but also directly a penalty point (see penalty points / “Bags”) for this “unnecessary” extra trick (Team Gold has given seven tricks, but taken eight: seven tricks announced [70 points ], made eight stitches [one extra stitch = one point] = 71 points). If Team Gold has only scored six tricks (or fewer) in seven specified tricks, the “70 points” count as minus, meaning -70 points. These will be deducted from the point balance (even if you do not have a credit of 70 points). So if Team Gold had 30 points, 70 points are deducted, equal to -40 points. A zero (see “Zero”) is rewarded with 100 points won (if the player did not take a trick) or penalized with -100 points if he did take a trick (double zero has a value of 200). The team that first scored 500 points (or more) wins (if both teams get over 500 points, the higher number of points wins). A team has lost if it has -200 or less points.

The zero (or double zero)

Spades is also very interesting because of the "zero game". As with Skat, no trick may be taken. A zero with the ace of spades would be pointless, as you always get a trick with this card. A zero is suitable when you have “little” and small spades in your hand and may not have a suit in order to get rid of your other high cards. Of course, the opponents try to destroy the opposing team's zero with small cards. But your own team has a teammate who tries to help his teammate and plays high cards, since the "zero" should usually have higher priority than the tricks given by the other player (a zero counts 100). If now the player z. B. has given three tricks, but does not get his tricks, the possible zero (100 less the 30 minus points = 70 points) still counts for the team. As a special feature, there is also the "double zero" with a value of 200 points. This is played like a zero, but whoever plays it may not look at their cards beforehand (then only a normal zero would be possible). This “blind” procedure usually has two causes: Either the score is hopeless and you try to get to the opponent in this way, or you are the last to announce and a lot of tricks have already been announced, like that that your own hand has little chance of "many" tricks. However, the double zero is limited in percentage terms and is rarely crowned with success. A double zero that is lost is rated at -200 points.

Penalty points (bags)

Excess stitches mean an extra point per stitch, but also a penalty point. The name "Bag" means that this excess stitch is stored in a kind of "punishment bag". If a team has taken 10 penalties, 100 points will be deducted. Bags shouldn't be underestimated. Usually these bags can decide the game. Usually fewer stitches are given (ten), so three stitches are always three “bags”. Careful play also means a high probability of bags and the associated penalty points.

Computer implementations

Windows

Spades is part of the Windows XP software and the MSN Gaming Zone and can be played for free in Internet mode in three levels of difficulty. With the successor Windows Vista Microsoft did without Spades; Windows 7, on the other hand, has a Spades implementation again.