How to win at Spades: bid right, then make it

The rules on Puzzimo

• You and your computer partner (north) play against two computer players.
• Everyone bids how many tricks they'll take; 0 is Nil.
• Follow suit if you can. Spades are trumps and can't be led until one has been played, unless you hold nothing else.
• Make your team's combined bid to score 10 per bid trick, plus 1 per extra trick (a bag). Fall short and you lose 10 per bid trick.
• Every 10 bags cost 100. Nil scores +100 if the bidder takes no tricks, −100 if not. First team to 200 wins (or the leader after 10 hands).

Counting your bid

• Count each ace as a trick, and each king with at least one other card of its suit.
• Count high spades (A, K, often Q with support) as tricks.
• Count extra length in spades: with five or more spades, the fourth and fifth usually win tricks too.
• A short side suit (a single card or none) lets you trump, which is worth about one trick if you hold spare spades.

Play with your partner

• Don't overtake a trick your partner is already winning.
• Lead suits your partner can win or trump, and return your partner's lead.
• Count your team's tricks as you go: once the bid is safe, the rest are bags.

Avoid collecting bags

Each extra trick is worth 1 point, but every tenth bag costs 100. Once your team has made its bid, try to lose the remaining tricks: play low, and let the other team win where it doesn't hurt you. The opposite also works: if the other team has bid too low, giving them bags pushes them towards a penalty.

When to bid Nil

Nil is worth 100 points, but you must not take a single trick. Bid it with a hand full of low cards, few or no high spades, and no long suit of high cards. Your partner's job is then to cover you: win the tricks where you're forced to play a high card.

Practise

Only wins are ranked, scored by your team's winning margin over the other team. The three difficulty levels change how well the computers bid and play.

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