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Table Talk 101 · How to Play Spades
What Does “Board” Mean?
Board is the minimum combined regular team bid required by some tables.
0:13 · captions on · tap the speaker for sound, it stays on for the next lessons
Written steps
- 1
Read the minimum
Table Talk can set board to four, five, or off. This lesson uses board four as an example.
- 2
Add the regular bids
Two plus two makes four and meets board four. One plus two makes three and falls below that minimum.
- 3
Keep nil distinct
The board setting refers to combined non-nil bids. Read the table’s nil and board choices together instead of assuming every variation works the same way.
Try it at your table
Does a regular team bid of one plus three meet board four?
Quick check
With board four, does one plus two meet the minimum?
No. The combined regular bid is only three.