Bidding: counting your tricks
Before play, each player bids how many tricks they’ll win, and partners add their bids together. Learn to count the tricks in a hand. How Spades works · lesson 4 of 5.
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The lesson in words
Before the first trick, everyone bids how many tricks they expect to win. You and your partner add your bids together: that’s your team’s contract.
To bid, count your likely tricks: aces, kings that are protected by the ace or by other cards, and high spades. Extra spades beyond three or four often win tricks too, by trumping.
Count sure tricks, then a little for long spades. Next: scoring and bags.
Questions
What’s a sensible bid?
About 3 or 4: three solid tricks, and the king of diamonds or a small spade might add one.