What are the rules to card game spades?

Spades Rules:

Objective: To be the first player to reach a predetermined number of points, typically 500.

Players: 4 players, partnered in teams of 2.

Deck: Standard 52-card deck.

Cards: Ace (highest), King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (lowest).

Suits: Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs (Spades is the trump suit).

Game Play:

1. Dealing: Each player is dealt 13 cards.

2. Bidding: Players bid on how many tricks they will win in the round. Bids must be made in increments of 1 and cannot exceed 13.

* Nil: Players can bid "nil" to indicate they will win 0 tricks.

* Blind Nil: A player can bid "blind nil" to indicate they will win 0 tricks and will not look at their hand before bidding.

3. Play: The player who holds the 2 of Clubs leads the first trick.

4. Following Suit: Players must follow suit if possible.

5. Trumping: If a player cannot follow suit, they can play a spade (trump).

6. Winning a Trick: The highest card of the suit led wins the trick. If a spade is played, the highest spade wins.

7. Leading: The winner of a trick leads the next trick.

8. Ending a Hand: Once all 13 tricks are played, the hand is scored.

Scoring:

* Tricks Won: Points are awarded for tricks won, based on the bid:

* Bids 1-13: Points equal the number of tricks won.

* Nil: 100 points are awarded if a player wins 0 tricks.

* Blind Nil: 200 points are awarded if a player wins 0 tricks without looking at their hand.

* Bags: A "bag" occurs when a player fails to make their bid. Bags are subtracted from the team's score.

* Bags 1-10: Points are subtracted equal to the number of bags.

* Bags over 10: Points are subtracted at a rate of 10 for each bag.

* Sandbagging: A player who wins more tricks than they bid receives no bonus points for the extra tricks, but does not get bagged for winning more than their bid.

Special Rules:

* Double Spades: If a team bids 13 tricks and wins them all, they score double their points.

* Bags: A player who bids 13 tricks and does not make it receives 13 bags.

* Game End: The first team to reach 500 points wins the game.

Variations:

* Cutthroat Spades: Played with 4 players, with each player playing for themselves.

* Partnership Spades: Played with 4 players, with players partnered in teams of 2.

* Auction Spades: Players bid on their hand, with the highest bidder determining the trump suit.

These rules provide a basic overview of the game. Specific rules may vary depending on the group playing.