| We continue with basic Spades…
Hot Tips for New Players (Condensed)
Note: This is general information. For additional analysis and instruction, please read The Complete Win at Spades by yours truly, or How Not to Lose at Spades by John Galt Strichman.
BIDDING
1. Your bid is influenced by various factors such as your partner's bid, the opponent’s bids, the bag count for both teams, and the score of the game. If you have the last call of the hand (as dealer in 4th seat), you will have more information to review. Learn the many popular "conventions" that are available (e.g., "The Big 5" bid).
2. It is better to bid conservatively than to risk sets by overly aggressive bidding. It is much more difficult to recover from a set, especially if you lose a six or seven bid.
3. Length in a (non-trump) suit usually results in fewer tricks that you will be able to win in that suit. (A singleton heart, diamond, or club Ace is a virtual sure bet; a side suit Ace with five of more accompanying cards may not win a trick at all.)
4. Do not bid Nil if you have dangerous high cards (doubleton Queens, tripleton King, Aces with only two small cards, or two middle cards ) in a side suit. Do not bid Nil with the King or Queen of spades, unless your partner has bid at least five or six tricks preceding your call. This implies that she has high trump, and my able to cover you.
5. Two or three high trump in your hand are a premium, and a decent trump suit with five or more cards is especially powerful. Conversely, a void in spades or a singelton spade is a big liability, as the opponents may have a "killer" trump suit of their own!
PLAY OF THE HAND
1. Take a few seconds to review the bidding. Check out the score; it can decide your strategy for that hand. Then choose your best lead or card to play.
2. Finessing positions (holdings of A Q; K J 10 ; A Q J; K Q 10 or A J 10) in the same suit are very critical, and you should be familiar with the proper play with these combinations.
3. If your partner has bid Nil, your Primary Directive is to "cover" his bid, and do everything you must to ensure that his Nil is successful. You may have to sacrifice your own bid, if necessary.
4. Second hand low, and Third hand high are terms from Bridge or Whist and apply to the game of Spades as well. The idea is to prevent the opponent from winning tricks with low cards (exception - defending against Nils or bids of less than eleven tricks).
5. Trump leads can be effective on offense, especially, if you want to cash out your side suit winners. You must make the effort to avoid getting set, especially if your side has bid several tricks.
DEFENSE
1. Same suit sequence leads (K from K Q or A K; Q from Q J; or J from J 10 9 are very effective and provide information for your partner).
2. Watch your partner's discards. A "high low" (a high spot card followed by a low spot card in the same suit) indicates the desire by partner to trump a third round of that suit.
3. If the opponents have bid Nil, your side should try to "bust" that Nil! Otherwise, they gain an immediate edge at the beginning of a game, or may threaten to win the game outright! One strategy is to repeatedly lead low cards in the same suit. Another approach is to trump with high spades in the attempt to create a winner in the Nil hand. A third technique is to knock out key high cards in the "cover" hand.
4. Try to avoid underleading Aces or Kings, especially if the bid is 11 or more tricks. If no other lead is available, it is better to underlead an Ace.
5. Any 12 or 13 bid calls for aggressive offense AND an eye of setting the opponents. Eleven bids can go either way. Bids of ten or lower are usually "bagging" scenarios, and call for ducking tricks. Once again, the score is critical.
Summary: Know thy partner, know the score, and try to remember the key cards which have been played.
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| 2006 Live Tournament Roundup
LIVE SPADES - THE TOURNAMENT TRAIL
The Spades Connection, August 10–13, Louisville, KY
A terrific Tournament Series with three events every year, which are organized and conducted by "Zoners" and attended by many MSN Zone players!
The Spades Connection
The 8th Annual Grand Prix World Series of Spades, Oct. 6–8, St. Louis, MO
This is the only National Spades Championship event with a progressive multiple-round qualifying format and playoffs.
GrandPrix Tournaments :: The World Series of Classic Card Games
Check 'em out, and make plans to have a great time! "Live" Spades rocks!
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Next month, we will talk about the importance of playing with the same partner on a regular basis. | |
