As we’re heading into Black History Month, I find myself thinking about things tied to what’s become known as The Culture, shared experiences and shorthand among Black people in the US. And while I have issues with Black History Month conceptually—seriously, we get one month to try and educate on 400 years of Black people in the Americas, and it’s the shortest month of the year?—I do enjoy examining the history of people and places, song and dance, and… well, culture.
Last summer, my wife and I went to see The Blackening. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s a horror-comedy where every central character is Black and deals with several things unique to the Black American experience, like the lack of representation in TV media (specifically calling out Friends on that one), the concept of how a smart Black person would act in a horror movie, and even more pointedly, Black credibility amongst Black people. No spoilers here. See the damn movie.
I loved it; it was clever and funny, and I thought it was solid thriller. Central to plot, though, is a card game called Spades.
Now, if you went to high school, college, or a cookout with Black people, you’ve probably seen this game played, and maybe even played a bit yourself. Lord knows, it was all I did in my spare time in high school and college, to the point where you could always count on me to have a deck of cards in my back pocket.
Anyway, crucial to the plot of this movie is the notion that Spades is so emblematic of being Black and having Black friends that if you don’t know how to play, it gets lonely. Furthermore, no one will ever teach you. You have to learn by watching, like your father did, and his father before him. And even after you watch and learn, you’ll have a hell of a time finding a partner, because losing is a stain on your family, and no one wants to risk working with a newbie. So, this is where I do my part. I’m going to teach you how to play Spades.
You might say, “but Frank, I already know how to play Spades. I learned it on the app on my phone.” To that I say, that’s cute, but you’re wrong. The app teaches you how to play spades, a trick taking game where spades are the trump suit. It teaches you to play individually and not on a team. And it uses Aces as the high card in every suit. More or less, it takes away everything that makes the game I’m about to teach you, fun. No, I’m teaching you how to play Spades (alternately known as Hood Spades, Black Spades, Jokers and Deuces Spades or JJDD Spades; however, if you call it any of these things, then odds are you’ve never played).
You will need: four players; a standard deck of cards; pen and a sheet of paper.
Setting up: Spades is a team game, where two players seated across from each other collaborate to bid each hand and make their bids. The most important part of this is selecting the right partner. Spades partners learn to read increasingly subtle nonverbal cues from each other and adjust strategies accordingly. It requires you to develop a nearly telepathic bond, the kind where you can sense if that person is in danger from across town. Spouses work (though some households ban it for obvious reasons), as do best friends, college roommates, and cellmates. For this game you need the following:
- One (1) standard deck of cards with two Jokers
- One (1) ballpoint pen
- One (1) sheet of paper, legal size (use the full pad for historical scorekeeping)
- One (1) table
- Four (4) chairs and players
- Snacks and beverages (optional)
First off, take your deck of cards and identify your Jokers. Mark one of them has “High” or “Big,” and the other as “Low” or “Little.” Then sift through your deck and remove the deuce of hearts and the deuce of clubs. If your deck doesn’t have Jokers, you likely need a new deck. Until you can get your hands on one though, mark the deuce of hearts as “Big Joker” and deuce of clubs as “Little Joker.”
Orient your players so that teammates sit directly across from one another and can look at each other without turning their head. If you are providing snacks and beverages, the snack bowl should be just off the center of the table if room permits, so as to not interfere in the field of play.
Rules: The Rules of Spades have been debated since time immemorial. In 2024, these are the most accepted basic rules of play.
- The dealer deals all 52 cards, ensuring everyone has exactly 13. Any player not 13 cards exactly at the end of the deal can declare a misdeal and end the hand, forfeiting the dealer’s turn to deal.
- Teammates make bids on the tricks (further referred to as “books”) they think they can make, without communicating directly to their partner the contents of their hand. Those bids are written down.
- Play goes clockwise, starting with either the player immediately to the left of the dealer or with the winner of the last book.
- The player who leads determines the suit for that book, and everyone must play the suit on the table if it exists in their hand. For example, if a player leads with hearts, everyone must play a heart if they have one in their hand.
- If a player does not have the suit that is on the table in their hand, they can play whatever card they choose, forfeiting their chance to win the book regardless of the value of the card. For instance, if Player A leads with a 7 of clubs and Player B doesn’t have clubs, Player B can play any card on top of that club—in this example, the 8 of diamonds—but forfeits their chance to win the book.
- The only exception to this rule is if a player plays a spade. Spades are trump, and the only thing that beats a spade is a higher spade. Following the above example, where Player A leads with a 7 of clubs, and Player B follows with an 8 of diamonds, Player C can play a 3 of spades and is in the lead for the book. If Player D plays a 5 of spades, that 5 of spades wins the book, despite not being of higher numerical value than the 7 of clubs.
- Players are only allowed to lead with spades if (a) someone has already played spades in that hand; or (b) if a player has nothing else to play.
Card Hierarchy: This is the thing that makes the game feel most complicated, as Spades’ card hierarchy is different from most other trick-taking games. In clubs, hearts, and diamonds, the hierarchy is simple and similar to every other card game. Aces are the highest card in each suit and it goes down the list until the number three.
Spades are a little different. First off are the Jokers, Big and Little. Big Joker is the highest card in the game, a guaranteed book. Little Joker can only be beaten by the Big Joker. Third on the list is the deuce of diamonds. Yes, the DEUCE OF DIAMONDS IS A SPADE. Not only is it a spade, but it’s the third highest card in the game. Further defying logic is the deuce of spades. Typically, in most card games—even spades (with a lowercase “s”)—deuces are the lowest valued card in a suit. Not so in Spades. The deuces are third and fourth in the game, and understanding this is imperative to getting proficient at the game. After that, the list goes from the Ace on down.
Bidding and Scoring: At the start of the hand, each team makes a bid on how many books they will collectively make based on the cards they hold. Starting with the non-dealing team, each player will express how many they think they can make based on several factors: how many high cards (aces, kings) they have in a suit; how many spades they have, including how many of the top spades; and how many cards they have (or don’t have) in any other given suit. The lowest possible bid a team can make is “board,” or four.
If a team makes their bid, they receive ten points per book bid. For instance, a made bid of 5 will yield 50 points. If a team “gets stuck,” or doesn’t make their bid, the bid times 10 is deducted from their score. Bid 5, make 4, lose 50 points.
Here are some special scoring rules to consider:
- If a team bids 10, it scores for double the point value, or 200 points. If the team makes that bid, they receive 200 points. If not, they lose 200 points.
- If a team bids and makes all 13 books, it’s called a Boston, and immediately wins the game. If you bid 13 and make less than 13, it’s an immediate and automatic loss. If you run a Boston, it will be spoken of in your house for generations.
- If you are playing with sandbags, every book you make over your bid counts as one point. For instance, bid 6, make 7, get 61 points.
Penalties: There are a few violations in the game that can cost you points aside from not making a bid. They will also start fights and end friendships if flagrantly abused.
- Reneging: If a card that does not match the lead suit in the book is played, and that player has that suit in the hand—for instance, if Player A leads with a 7 of hearts, and player B plays a 5 of spades despite having hearts in their hand—it’s called a renege, and the penalty is three of your made books, the next three books you make, or any combination that adds up to three. A renege has to be called by the opposing team, who then has to select the book from the stack. If the opposing team successfully identifies the book, the penalty is enacted. Furthermore, if the wrong book is identified, the accusing team is penalized three books.
- Talking Across the Board: any communication during the hand that is deemed to either be excessive or directly instructive on which card a partner should play next, or any verbal or nonverbal communication outside of the normal flow of the game that informs either what a player has in their hand or what their partner should play next, can be penalized by taking three made books, the next three books made, or any combination of the two.
- Double over: If a team makes double their bid on any one hand, that bid is deducted from their point total. For example, a team that bid 4 and makes 8 will lose 40 points.
- Sandbagging: Some households enforce a rule to prevent chronic or intentional underbidding. The most common rule states that if, over the course of the game, a team makes 10 books over their cumulative bids, that team loses 100 points.
Winning Conditions: The Spades game is over when one of the following occurs:
- A team reaches a predetermined goal score (generally 300, 350, or 500);
- A team gets stuck, or fails to make their bid, three consecutive times;
- A team runs a Boston, or bids and makes 13 books.
Okay, you’ve learned the rules, but that doesn't necessarily mean you’re ready to play. Don’t get discouraged; this doesn’t come naturally to everyone. But with practice and the right partner, you’ll be ready to reign supreme at next year’s BBQ Spades tournament. Have fun out there!
Shout out to BLVCK Spades for the gorgeous decks of cards they sell. Also, if you didn’t see it in theaters, find a way to stream The Blackening.