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Spades Column of the Month – November 2006

By Joe Andrews

Spades Holiday Quiz
A tradition since 1998!

Win a copy of my book, The Complete Win At Spades, and a music CD of 25 Original Christmas Classics, 1938–1975. Three prizes will be awarded to the earliest responders with the most correct answers. Be sure to list your answers in the same order as the questions, and send them to heartsmoon@aol.com. The deadline is November 30th; good luck!

Winners' names will be announced in the next column.

Twenty Questions…

1.       What was the name of the original Internet card-playing service which became the MSN Gaming Zone in the mid 1990's?

2.       Assuming a 500 point limit, and no double Nils, what is the highest possible score by one partnership in a game of Spades?

3.       What is the name of the Spades variation in which each player must bid the number of spades (trump) in his/her hand for each and every deal?

4.       In which city was the 1999 U.S. Open Spades and Hearts tournament held? (This live event later evolved into the Grand Prix World Series of Spades.)

5.       What is a "parasite" or "piggyback" Nil?

6.       What does the term "ruff" mean? (And no, it’s not the sound a dog makes.)

7.       Which other two partnership card games are in the same family or group as Spades? (Hint: these two games are very similar to Spades, as they have at least one round of bidding, 13 tricks, and a declared trump suit).

8.       Nancy Landau, from Indianapolis, IN, has a Spades-related claim to fame. What is it?

9.       How does “Old School” or Classic Spades differ from the modern game?

10.    What is a “Nil Reverse” signal, and can you provide an example?

11.    Who are the only two players (the same partnership) to win the Grand Prix World Series of Spades championship more than once?

12.    Assume that you hold the Queen and one small spade. The rest of your hand consists of safe low cards in the other suits. What are the odds that your partner will be able to cover a Nil bid by you? (In other words, it is hoped that he has the Ace and/or King of spades.)

13.    What is the most common name for an AI computer "player" who might be required to replace your partner or opponent during a game?

14.    Assuming no double Nils and a minus 200 point limit, what is the lowest possible score by a partnership in a game of Spades?

15.    What is the difference between a Double Nil and a Twin Nil?

16.    Which variation of Spades features the same hands played by different pairs, and then match-pointed in order to compare the results?

17.    What are the odds of having a 13-card suit dealt to any one player, and what are the odds of all players receiving a 13-card suit?

18.    Who created the Big 5 Convention, which promises 4 to 6 tricks and the Ace or King of spades in the same hand?

19.    According to Bridge author George Coffin, in what city and year was the game of Spades created?

20.    According to the history of card games, what did the spades suit represent in medieval times?

Tournament Results

Two of the biggest established live Spades events recently concluded, and here are the results!

EIGHTH ANNUAL GRAND PRIX -- WORLD SERIES OF SPADES
St. Louis, MO - October 6-8, 2006 (56 players)

First Place ($2000) - John Crehan and Jeff Higgins
Second Place ($1000) - Jennifer Scaccia and Sandy Roesner
Third Place ($600) - Betts Brown and Doraine Kennedy
Fourth Place ($400) - Cindy Braatz and David Cobb

For more information on upcoming Grand Prix events, please go to the Grand Prix Site, www.grandprixtournaments.com.

Mark your calendars for the 9th Annual GP World Series of Spades October 5-7, 2007!

The Spades Connection Live Event
Nashville, TN - October 12–15, 2006

Winners: ICON_JOEY and COBRA
Runners-up: WWoS_FOXYFOX and ICON_MELISSA

The hosts of this event, +Doll and +Catlady, are already looking forward to next year’s tournaments. “Nashville was fabulous. We had a lot of new players, which is always exciting. Our schedule for 2007 is now up and hotels are booked for the March and September events. Sign-ins are coming in fast, so please visit www.thespadesconnection.com for more info, and we’ll see you all back in March!”

Upcoming Spades Connection dates:
Nashville, TN - March 8-11, 2007 (Days Inn Nashville)
Nashville, TN - September 13-16, 2007 (Holiday Inn Crossing Nashville)

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Have fun with the Quiz!