Spades Scoring Explained: Bids, Bags and Nil
In Spades, a team that takes at least as many tricks as it bid scores 10 points for each trick bid, plus 1 point for each extra trick (called a bag). A team that takes fewer tricks than it bid loses 10 points for each trick bid. Every 10 bags cost 100 points. A successful Nil is worth +100 and a failed one −100; Blind Nil doubles that to 200.
The contract: your team's two bids added up
Spades is scored by team, not by player. Before play, each player bids a number of tricks, and the two partners' bids are added together into the team's contract. If you bid 4 and your partner bids 3, your team must take at least 7 of the 13 tricks. It doesn't matter which of you takes them.
The one exception is a Nil bid, which is scored separately (see below). If you're new to the game, start with how to play Spades and come back here.
Making your contract
If your team takes at least as many tricks as its contract, you score 10 points for every trick you bid. Any tricks over the contract are worth 1 point each. Those extra tricks are called bags (or sandbags, or overtricks), and they're also counted on a separate tally.
| Contract | Tricks taken | Score | Bags added |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 7 | 70 | 0 |
| 7 | 9 | 72 | 2 |
| 4 | 8 | 44 | 4 |
| 10 | 10 | 100 | 0 |
Missing your contract (getting set)
If your team takes even one trick fewer than its contract, you're set: you lose 10 points for every trick you bid. The tricks you did take score nothing, and they don't count as bags. Bid 8 and take 7, and your team scores −80.
Being set by one trick costs the same as being set by five, so once your contract is lost, play to hurt the other team instead: make them take bags, or stop them making theirs.
Bags and the 100-point penalty
Each bag adds 1 point, so a few extra tricks look harmless. But bags are kept on a running count across hands, and every time a team reaches 10 bags, it loses 100 points and the count drops by 10. On a scoresheet, the last digit of a team's score often shows its bags: 352 means 350 points and 2 bags.
| Hand | Contract | Tricks | Points | Bag count | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | 9 | +63 | 3 | 63 |
| 2 | 5 | 8 | +53 | 6 | 116 |
| 3 | 7 | 9 | +72 | 8 | 188 |
| 4 | 4 | 7 | +43, −100 | 11 → 1 | 131 |
That's why strong players bid accurately and, once their contract is safe, deliberately lose the remaining tricks. Pushing bags onto the other team (letting them win tricks they don't want) is a real tactic late in a game.
Nil: bid zero, take zero
A player may bid Nil, promising to win no tricks at all. The Nil is scored on its own, and the partner's bid becomes the team's whole contract.
- Nil made (the Nil player took no tricks): +100.
- Nil failed (they took one or more): −100.
- Tricks the Nil player takes don't help the partner's contract. They count as bags for the team.
- The partner's contract is scored normally, made or set, on top of the Nil.
| Bids | Tricks | Nil | Contract | Hand total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| You Nil, Hops 5 | You 0, Hops 6 | +100 | +51 | +151 |
| You Nil, Hops 5 | You 1, Hops 5 | −100 | +50, +1 bag | −49 |
| You Nil, Hops 5 | You 0, Hops 4 | +100 | −50 | +50 |
Blind Nil
A Blind Nil is bid before the player looks at their cards. It scores +200 if they take no tricks and −200 if they take any. Because it's such a gamble, most tables only allow it for a team that is far behind; on GameLake it's an option you can switch on, available when your team trails by 100 points or more.
Winning and losing the game
- The first team to reach 500 points wins (250 in a short game on GameLake).
- If both teams pass the target on the same hand, the higher score wins; an exact tie plays another hand.
- A team that falls to −200 loses the game at once.
Want to put the scoring to work? Our Spades bidding and strategy guide covers counting tricks, avoiding bags and setting the other team.
Frequently asked questions
How many points is a bag in Spades?
One point each. But every 10 bags a team collects costs 100 points, so bags are usually something to avoid.
What happens when you get 10 bags in Spades?
Your team loses 100 points, and 10 bags are taken off your count. Any bags beyond 10 carry over towards the next penalty.
How much is a Nil worth in Spades?
100 points if the Nil bidder takes no tricks, minus 100 if they take one or more. A Blind Nil is worth 200 either way.
Do tricks taken by a Nil bidder count for their partner?
No. They don't count towards the partner's contract; they count as bags for the team.
What do you score if you're set in Spades?
Minus 10 points for every trick your team bid. Tricks you did take score nothing and don't count as bags.
What score wins a game of Spades?
500 points in the standard game. A team that sinks to −200 loses.