Table Talk 101 · How to Play Spades
What Is a Book?
A book is one trick: each of the four players contributes a card, and one player wins the group.
0:12 · captions on · tap the speaker for sound, it stays on for the next lessons
Written steps
- 1
Follow the lead
The first card establishes the suit. If you have that suit, you must play it. Being able to cut does not excuse failing to follow suit.
- 2
Find the winning card
With no spade played, the highest card in the suit led wins. If a spade is legally played, the highest spade wins in the standard game.
- 3
Try this example
Hearts are led: 10♥, K♥, 3♠, 7♥. The player using 3♠ has no hearts, so the spade is legal and wins the book. The winning player leads next.
Try it at your table
Explain why the 3♠ beats the K♥ in this example.
Quick check
Which card wins this example?
The 3♠, legally played by a player with no hearts.