About Mirror Spades
How to play Mirror Spades
You and Sam play as a team against Nina and Owen, with partners sitting opposite each other. All four players receive 13 cards from a standard 52-card deck.
In Mirror Spades, your bid is decided by the number of spades in your hand. If you hold four spades, you must bid 4. If you have no spades, you must bid Nil, meaning you promise to win no tricks. Every player's bid is displayed on the table, revealing how many spades they started with. Your bid and Sam's are added together to make your team's contract.
Each trick begins with one player leading a card. Everyone else must follow the suit led if they can. If you cannot follow suit, you may play any card, including a spade. Spades are trumps and beat cards from every other suit. Otherwise, the highest card of the suit led wins the trick, and the winner leads the next one.
You cannot lead with a spade until someone has played one on an earlier trick, unless you have nothing but spades left. The hand ends when all 13 tricks have been played, and your team scores according to how many tricks you won and whether you met your contract.
The first team to reach 500 points wins. If both teams are tied at the top when the target is reached, another hand is played.
Scoring
Your team earns 10 points for each trick bid if you meet your contract, plus 1 point for every extra trick, called a bag. For example, if you bid 3 and Sam bids 4, your team needs 7 tricks. Winning 9 earns 72 points: 70 for the contract and 2 for the extra tricks.
Missing your contract costs 10 points for every trick bid, while every 10 accumulated bags costs 100 points. A successful Nil earns 100 points, but taking even one trick loses 100 points. A Nil player's tricks do not help their partner meet the contract under the standard rules, although they count as bags.
Mirror Spades strategy and tips
Use what the bids tell you
Every player's bid reveals exactly how many spades they started with. That means you know how the 13 trumps are divided between the four players before the first card is played. Use this information to judge how much control each player might have over the hand.
Protect your partner's Nil
If Sam has no spades, they must bid Nil and avoid winning every trick. Pay attention to the cards Sam plays and look for opportunities to win tricks that might otherwise fall to them. Remember that any tricks Sam takes will not help you meet your own bid under the standard rules.
Put pressure on an opponent's Nil
When Nina or Owen bids Nil, you know they started without any spades. Look for opportunities to make them play higher cards when they would rather avoid winning. Breaking an opponent's Nil costs their team 100 points, so it can be worth considering alongside your own contract.
Don't rely on spades alone
Holding six spades means you're committed to bidding six, but that doesn't guarantee six winning tricks. Some of your spades may lose to higher trumps, especially when another player has a strong holding. Look for cards in other suits that could help you reach your bid.
Play your side-suit winners early
Strong cards outside spades can be useful before opponents run out of that suit. Once a player cannot follow suit, they may be able to trump your high card. Think about when to play those winners rather than leaving them until they are harder to use.
Keep track of the spades played
You know how many spades everyone started with, so watch them as each trick is played. If an opponent bid four and has already played all four, they cannot trump another trick. Keeping count helps you decide when your remaining cards are likely to win.
Think carefully before taking extra tricks
Winning more tricks than your contract earns an extra point for each one, but those bags accumulate. Every 10 bags costs your team 100 points under the standard rules. Sometimes an extra trick is useful, but don't collect bags without considering how close your team is to the penalty.
Mirror Spades FAQs
How do you play Mirror Spades?
Mirror Spades is a four-player partnership card game where your bid must equal the number of spades in your hand. You and your partner try to win enough tricks to meet your combined contract, with spades acting as trumps.
What is the difference between Mirror Spades and Whiz Spades?
In Whiz Spades, you can choose to bid Nil instead of bidding the number of spades you hold. In Mirror Spades, your bid is fixed by your spade count, and Nil is only possible when you have no spades.
What happens if I have no spades?
You must bid Nil, which means you promise to take no tricks during the hand. Succeeding earns 100 points, while taking any trick costs 100 points.
Is there Blind Nil in Mirror Spades?
No. Mirror Spades does not include Blind Nil. Every player sees their cards before making the required bid.
Can I choose my bid in Mirror Spades?
No. Your bid must match the number of spades you were dealt. The game counts your spades and provides the corresponding bid button.
How many points do you need to win Mirror Spades?
The standard game ends when a team reaches 500 points, unless both teams are tied at the top. You can also change the target to 250 or 300 points in the house rules.
Can I change the rules or difficulty?
Yes. You can choose Easy or Normal computer players and adjust house rules including the winning score, bag penalties, Double Nil and how failed Nil tricks count. You can also turn Coach tips on or off.
Is Mirror Spades free to play online?
Yes. You can play Mirror Spades for free on your computer or phone without downloading anything or signing up. Your game is saved in your browser, so you can return and resume later.