Spades scoring
These are the standard scores described by Pagat.com and Bicycle. Both sides score every hand.
| Result | Points |
|---|---|
| Contract made | +10 per trick bid |
| Each extra trick (bag) | +1 |
| Contract set | −10 per trick bid |
| Nil made / failed | +100 / −100 |
| Blind nil made / failed | +200 / −200 |
| Reaching 10 bags | −100 (extra bags carry over) |
Examples
- You bid 4 and your partner bids 3. Together you take 8 tricks: 70 + 1 bag = 71.
- Same bids, but you take only 6 tricks: set, −70.
- You bid nil and take no tricks; your partner bids 4 and takes 6: 100 + 40 + 2 bags = 142.
- You bid nil but win 2 tricks; your partner bids 4 and takes 4: −100 + 40 + 2 bags = −58. Your 2 tricks did not count toward the 4.
- Blind nil made, partner bids 4 and takes 6: 200 + 40 + 2 = 242.
Bags
Every trick over your contract is a bag, worth 1 point. But when your side’s bags reach 10, you lose 100 points and start counting again from what is left over. Pagat’s example: a side with 337 points (7 bags) bids 5 and takes 8. They score 50 + 3 = 53 and reach 10 bags, so 337 + 53 − 100 = 290.
Many players track bags as the last digit of the score. Our game shows bags separately under each score so you never have to work it out.
Winning
The first side to 500 wins. If both sides pass 500 in the same hand, the higher score wins; with an exact tie, play another hand. A short game to 250 is common too; choose it under Settings.
House rules you may meet
- Losing automatically at −200.
- 5 bags = −50 in short games.
- 10 tricks bid and made scores 200 (“10 for 200”).
- Taking all 13 tricks (“Boston”) wins the game.
Our game uses the standard scores in the table, so agree on house rules before you play at home.
Questions
How many points is a bag in spades?
1 point each, but every 10 bags you collect cost 100 points. Leftover bags carry over.
What happens if you go set in spades?
Your side loses 10 points for every trick you bid. Extra tricks taken by the other side may give them bags.
Do nil tricks count toward the partner’s bid?
No. If a nil bidder wins tricks, those tricks do not help the partner’s bid, but they do count as bags for the side.
What if both sides pass 500 in the same hand?
The side with the higher score wins. With an exact tie, play another hand.