How Do You Keep Score in Spades? Tricks, Bags & Bids Explained
Playing Spades with a partner is one of the most exciting card battles you can have with friends. But let's be totally honest: keeping score in Spades can feel like an absolute nightmare the first time you do it!
The first time my friends and I played, we ended up arguing for 20 minutes because nobody could agree on what a "sandbag" was or why our score suddenly lost 100 points. Once you learn the simple math behind bids, made tricks, and bags, scorekeeping takes less than 15 seconds at the end of every round. Grab a pen and paper, and let's break it down!
The Core Scoring Formula (Rule of 10)
Spades is played in partnerships (2 teams of 2 players). Before a round begins, each player announces how many "tricks" (books) they think they can win. You add your bid and your partner's bid together to get your Team Contract.
1. Making Your Bid Exactly (10 Points per Trick)
If you and your partner bid 7 tricks together and win exactly 7 tricks, you score: 7 × 10 = 70 points!
2. Getting "Set" (Failing Your Bid)
If you bid 7 tricks but only won 6, you failed your contract! You get zero positive points and receive a penalty equal to your bid: -70 points.
What Are "Bags" (Overtricks) and Why Are They Dangerous?
What happens if you bid 7 tricks, but you actually end up winning 9 tricks?
The first 7 tricks give you your 70 contract points. The 2 extra tricks you won are called Overtricks (or "Bags"). Each bag is worth 1 point, so your score for that hand is 72 points.
⚠️ The Dreaded 10-Bag Penalty (-100 Points!)
Every time your team accumulates 10 bags across multiple rounds, your team gets hit with an automatic -100 point penalty! That's why smart players try to take exactly the number of tricks they bid, rather than greedily gobbling up extra tricks.
How "Nil" Bids Work (High Risk, High Reward)
If your cards are so weak that you don't think you can win a single trick, you can declare a Nil Bid:
- Successful Nil (+100 Points): If you take 0 tricks throughout the round, your team scores a massive +100 bonus (in addition to whatever your partner scores for their bid).
- Failed Nil (-100 Points): If you get forced into taking even ONE single trick, you fail! Your team loses 100 points, and any tricks you accidentally took convert into bags.
- Blind Nil (+200 / -200 Points): Bidding Nil before you even look at your cards! Only allowed when your team is trailing by 100+ points.
Sample Spades Scorecard Example
| Round | Team A (Bid / Won) | Team A Score | Team B (Bid / Won) | Team B Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | Bid 6, Won 6 (0 bags) | +60 (0 bags) | Bid 5, Won 7 (2 bags) | +52 (2 bags) |
| Round 2 | Bid 7, Won 6 (Fell short) | -70 (Total: -10) | Bid 6, Won 7 (1 bag) | +61 (Total: 113, 3 bags) |
| Round 3 | Player Nil (Made it!) | +140 (Total: 130) | Bid 5, Won 5 (0 bags) | +50 (Total: 163, 3 bags) |
How Does a Game of Spades End?
Standard Spades games are played until one team reaches 500 points (or if a team falls to -200 points, which is an automatic mercy loss). If you're short on time during lunch break, playing to 300 points is super popular and takes about 25 minutes.
Want to see a step-by-step tutorial on taking score with a paper template? Check out our How to Take Score in Spades Scorecard Guide!