BIDDING STRATEGY
Bidding isn't guessing — it's a calculated science. Count winners, cover a Nil, run wheels, read the table, and manage the scoreboard from ahead or behind.
Counting Your Books
Master the science of counting winners. Learn which cards are Guaranteed, Likely, and Possible before you ever call a number.
Bidding with the Big Joker
The Big Joker is a guaranteed book every time. Here's when to lead it, when to save it, and how it shapes your bid.
Why the Ace of Spades is a Trap
In Ace-High Spades the Ace is king. In JJDD it's fifth in line — a card that gets people set every night. Here's how to bid around it.
Going Nil in JJDD
The 100-point swing. What Nil hand looks like in JJDD, when to call it, and how to survive the whole table coming for you.
Protecting Partner's Nil
Your partner called Nil — now what? The Bodyguard strategy for taking books that would otherwise fall on your partner's head.
Reading Opponents' Bids
Spades is a game of information. Figure out where the missing books are based on the bids around the table.
Playing the Score
The scoreboard dictates your bid. Play safe when you're up, push when you're down, and know how to deny a Blind Seven.
Bidding Blind
What a Blind 6 is, when it's the right call, and how bidding before you look at your cards can save a losing game.
Running Wheels (10-for-200)
The boldest bid in Spades. What a wheels hand looks like and the partner chemistry it takes to actually pull it off.
Common Bidding Mistakes
The five bidding habits that hand games to your opponents — and exactly what to do instead.