FAQ · The Whole Table Answered
EVERYTHING
YOU ASK,
IN ONE PLACE.
Rules, bidding, modes, leagues, scorekeeping, premium — the short answers to the questions we get most. Still stuck? Hit support.
00
OVERVIEW
BooksMade Spades was built to get you into the game fast. Jump into Ranked to climb the leaderboards, drill in SOLOs against bots, run a private table in CREW, or level up in competitive Leagues. Traditional Ace High or JJ22 — every version of Spades, one app.
Free to play, no credit card required. Free accounts may see ads; Premium Access is $1.99/mo or $14.99/yr to remove ads and unlock premium emojis and expanded chat. No hidden coin systems. No pay-to-win. Just Spades.
Built this app to capture the fun, competition, togetherness, and classic trash talk that make Spades what it is. Read on — and if you enjoy it, follow us on social and spread the word.
01
GAMEPLAY
01How do I play a card?
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How do I play a card?
Playing a card is two taps. The first tap selects the card and raises it up. The second tap plays it.
02What happens on the first hand?
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What happens on the first hand?
The first hand of every game bids itself in JJDD — there’s no bid phase. Your goal as a team is to make “board” — 4 books.
02
BIDDING
03How does bidding work?
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How does bidding work?
After the first hand, you bid with your partner as a team. Tap the books you expect to take plus up to three possible books, then lock in your bid. You can bid zero as long as the team total hits board — no nils, for now.
04What is Bidding Up?
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What is Bidding Up?
The team that bid first in a hand can go up 1 book after the opponents lock in their bid — both teammates must agree. Use it wisely: 1 book can be the difference between winning, setting, or bagging.
05What is Blind Bidding and when can I use it?
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What is Blind Bidding and when can I use it?
When your team is down at least 100 points (bags included), you can bid Blind 7 (140pts) before seeing your cards. Both partners must agree — if either says no, you bid normally.
03
CONNECTIVITY
06What happens if I disconnect from a game?
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What happens if I disconnect from a game?
You’re placed in a disconnected state. While disconnected, the app plays a random legal card for you whenever your play timer runs out. If both you and your partner are disconnected, your team loses automatically at the end of the next play timeout.
07How do I rejoin a game after disconnecting?
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How do I rejoin a game after disconnecting?
Go back into the mode you were playing — Ranked, CREW, or League — and the game automatically tries to reconnect you.
04
SOCIAL
08How do I add friends?
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How do I add friends?
Open the Friendslist section in your profile and enter the other player’s public ID (find your own in your profile). You can also tap a player’s avatar during a match to view their profile and send a request from there.
05
MODES
09What is SOLOs mode?
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What is SOLOs mode?
SOLOs is single- player Spades against smart bots. Start a game immediately to practice, learn the rules, or play at your own pace — no waiting, no matchmaking.
10How does Ranked mode work?
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How does Ranked mode work?
Ranked queues you up with a random teammate against live players for rating points. Win matches to climb the leaderboard and prove your skill against the BooksMade community.
11What are CREW Games?
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What are CREW Games?
CREW is your own private lobby — invite the people you want to play with. CREW games are casual, non-rated, and fully customizable with your own house rules.
06
LEAGUES
12How do Leagues work?
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How do Leagues work?
My Leagues is where you’ll find every league you’ve created or joined — jump in to view standings, match history, and start or join league games. Joining a league is always free. Creating a new league is a one-time $10 fee — no recurring charges, no expiration. Want Events & Tournaments? See League Pro below.
13What is Spades League Pro?
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What is Spades League Pro?
League Pro is a one-time boost — any league member can buy it — that unlocks Events & Tournaments — bracketed competitions with their own scoring and leaderboards. $9.99 for 1 month, $24.99 for 3, $49.99 for 6, or $89.99 for 12 — boost time stacks. Only players with an active Premium Access subscription can be added to Pro events and tournaments; everyone else keeps playing your league’s standard games.
07
IN PERSON
14What is Spades HQ?
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What is Spades HQ?
Spades HQ is your hub for live games and league history. View past matches, start new leagues, or use the Scorekeeper to track live in-person games without paper — the app auto-saves your rules and game state so you can pause and pick up right where you left off.
08
PREMIUM
15What does Premium Access include?
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What does Premium Access include?
Premium removes ads while you play and unlocks premium emojis and expanded chat phrases. Core game is free forever. $1.99/mo or $14.99/yr.
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