House Rules
Books or tricks? We call them books around here but that's also customizable.
Spadesinator lets you customize the rules and point totals, but these are the Spadesinator house rules. Most rules are optional in Spadesinator, although some, like Set, are required.
Going Blind
A team can wager without seeing their cards if they are 100 points behind. Each book they win is worth 20, but each book missed costs them 10. The minimum bet is 6 books.
Nil
A player predicts they won't win any books. Their partner can bid separately, but if they don't get their bid, the Nil fails. For the Board rule, partners must also meet the minimum books. Succeed and gain 100 points plus your partner’s points; fail and lose 100 points.
Blind Nil
Like Nil, but you bid without seeing your cards. Available when 100 points behind. A successful bid awards 200 points plus your partner’s total; a failed bid costs 200 points.
Sandbags
Excess books over your bid are sandbags, worth 1 point each. Accumulate 10 sandbags and face a 100-point penalty.
Reneging
If you break suit and are caught, penalties apply. The chosen rule from three in Spadesinator applies. For the three-book penalty, lose three books. For the point penalty, lose 200 points. For losing the round, forfeit all round points.
Board
The minimum bid per hand is 4 books. Falling short results in a Set for the round.
Set
If your team wins fewer books than bid, you're Set. Choose from three Set rules in Spadesinator: a fixed penalty of 0, a negative scoring multiplier of 10 per books bet, or a double deficit multiplier of 20 for the number of books under the bet.
End Game
The first team to reach 500 points wins.
More Available Rules...
10 for 200
Declare this bet at the start. Achieving a minimum of 10 books earns 200 points, but falling short results in a loss of 200 points.
Double Nil
Both team members bet on winning no books. This requires trailing by 200. Success brings 400 points; failure results in a 400-point loss.
Double Blind Nil
Both players bet Nil without previewing their hands. A win brings 500 points, but a loss incurs 500 points. This bet is viable if behind by 200 points.