Description
You and your partner play against West and East. Partners sit opposite each other. All 52 cards are dealt, giving each player 13 cards.
Your bid and your partner’s bid combine to make your team contract.
Follow the suit led if you can. If you cannot, you may play any card, including a spade.
You cannot lead spades until they have been broken. Spades are broken when someone plays a spade because they cannot follow the suit led.
A spade beats any card of another suit. Otherwise, the highest card of the suit led wins the trick.
Make your team contract and score 10 points for each trick bid. Each extra trick is a bag worth 1 point. Miss the contract and your team loses 10 points for each trick bid.
Collect 10 bags and your team loses 100 points. Any excess bags carry forward. Bags belong to the partnership.
Successful Nil scores 100 points; failed Nil loses 100. The first team to reach 500 points wins.
Instructions
What makes Whiz different from standard Spades?
In Whiz, your bid is forced. You must bid either Nil or exactly the number of spades in your hand. Standard Spades allows players to choose their bid based on the overall strength of their cards.
Can I bid any number I want in Whiz?
No. If you hold four spades, you may bid Nil or 4. You cannot bid 1, 2, 3, 5 or any other number. Every player follows this rule on every hand.
Is Blind Nil available in Whiz?
No. Blind Nil is not available in Whiz under any circumstances, including when your partnership is far behind.
Is Whiz a partnership game?
Yes. Whiz uses four players divided into two fixed partnerships. Your partner sits opposite you, just as they do in standard partnership Spades.
What happens if I have zero spades?
Your only legal bid is Nil because your spade count is zero. You must then avoid taking any tricks to earn the 100-point Nil bonus. Taking even one trick causes a 100-point penalty.
How do you win Whiz Spades?
The first partnership to reach 500 points wins. Teams score by making their combined bid and completing successful Nil bids. Extra tricks become bags and can eventually trigger a penalty, as in standard Spades.
Strategy and Tips
Focus on making your bid
In Whiz Spades, your non-Nil bid is fixed by the number of spades in your hand. You cannot choose a safer or more ambitious number. Look at your high cards in other suits and your chances to trump so you can plan how to reach the required number of tricks.
Read your partner’s spade count
A non-Nil bid tells you exactly how many spades your partner started with. Use that information, along with your own hand and your opponents’ bids, to estimate where the remaining spades may be.
Treat Nil carefully
Having few or no spades does not guarantee a safe Nil. High cards in other suits may force you to take a trick, and your partner may need to concentrate on making their own forced bid. Consider your whole hand before choosing Nil.
Plan comebacks through card play
Blind Nil is not available in Whiz Spades. To close a large gap, focus on making your forced bids, stopping an opponent’s Nil and avoiding unnecessary bags. The bids also reveal useful information about spade distribution, so put it to work during play.
Frequently asked questions
What makes Whiz different from standard Spades?
In Whiz, you must bid either Nil or exactly the number of spades in your hand. Standard Spades lets you choose a bid based on your whole hand.
Can I bid any number I want in Whiz?
No. If you hold four spades, you can bid Nil or 4. You cannot choose another number.
Is Blind Nil available in Whiz?
No. Blind Nil is never available in this version, even if your partnership is far behind.
Is Whiz a partnership game?
Yes. Four players form two fixed partnerships, with partners sitting opposite each other.
What happens if I have no spades?
Your only legal bid is Nil. You score 100 points if you take no tricks, but lose 100 points if you take even one.
How do you win Whiz Spades?
The first partnership to reach 500 points wins. Teams score by making their combined bid and completing successful Nil bids. Extra tricks count as bags, which can lead to a penalty.