Bid Whist strategy for beginners

Uptown, downtown or no-trump?

Look at your hand two ways. Uptown favors high cards: aces, kings and queens. Downtown favors low cards: aces, deuces and threes (the ace is the best card in both directions). A hand full of face cards is an uptown hand; a hand full of small cards with a couple of aces is a downtown hand.

For a suited bid you also need a trump suit — ideally five or more cards in one suit, plus a joker or two. No-trump is different: jokers are worthless and there’s no safety net, so you want winners in several suits — long runs from the top (for uptown) or the bottom (for downtown).

Count books, then add for your partner and the kitty

A bid is books over six, and the kitty counts as your first book. Count the tricks you can win yourself: each joker, each ace, and the top cards of your long suit. Then assume your partner will contribute around two books, and add one for the kitty.

If that total reaches nine, a bid of three is reasonable; ten supports a four. Beginners tend to overbid on long suits without top cards — six hearts headed by the 9 are not six tricks.

Listen to the bidding

Every bid tells you something. A partner who bids shows strength, so you can stretch a little to support them — or pass and let them play it. An opponent bidding downtown suggests low cards, which may make your uptown hand stronger. As the last bidder, the dealer has the most information; use it.

Using the kitty

• Pick up the kitty before choosing trumps — it can change your best suit.
• Bury (discard) cards from your short side suits so you become void and can trump those suits later.
• In no-trump, bury the jokers: they can’t win a trick.
• Keep your trump length. Discarding trumps to make other suits look better is almost always a mistake.

Playing the hand as the bidder

With a long trump suit, draw trumps early: lead your top trumps until the opponents have none, so they can’t ruff your winners later. Then cash your side-suit winners. If your partner is void in a suit, lead it so they can trump in.

In no-trump, count your sure winners before you start. Lead from your longest strong suit so your small cards become winners once the high cards are gone.

Playing defense

Your goal is to set the bid. Lead through the bidder’s strength and toward your partner. Save your jokers and top trumps to break up the bidder’s long suit, and signal with your discards — throwing away a suit tells your partner you don’t care about it.

Going for a Boston

Taking all 13 books is a Boston, and at many tables it wins the game on the spot. Only chase it when you have control of trumps and winners in every suit; pushing for a Boston you can’t make can cost you the bid itself.

More guides

• Spades Strategy: How to Bid and Play Better
• Spades House Rules: Nil, Blind Nil, Jokers & Bags
• How to Play Tunk (Tonk): Rules, Strategy and When to Drop