Card games
Cutthroat Spades
Four players, no partners: every bid is yours alone
Cutthroat Spades, also called solo Spades, is Spades for four players who each play alone. Everyone bids the tricks they will take, spades are always trump, and when you can follow suit you must beat the highest card on the trick. Make your bid for 10 a trick, watch your bags, and the first player to 500 wins.
- Players
- 4 players
- Length
- 15–30 min per game
- Type
- Card games
Play Cutthroat Spades online with friends
At Masa, Cutthroat Spades is a game of its own right next to Spades: pick it in the games list, open a table and share its code or link with your friends, or sit at a house table. Bots fill the empty chairs, and voice chat keeps the table talking.
How to play
- 1
Everyone alone — beat the highest card when you can
- 2
Everyone gets 13 cards. Spades are always trump.
- 3
Follow the suit that was led if you can. If you can't, play any card — a spade beats every other suit. The highest spade wins the trick, otherwise the highest card of the suit led.
- 4
You can't lead spades until a spade has been played (spades are broken), unless you have nothing but spades.
House rules
Pick any of these when you create a table; a table that changes none plays the rules above.
- Blind Nil — 100 behind · Never · Any time · 200 behind · 250 behind
- Nil worth — 100 · 50
- Blind 6 / 7 — 100 behind? Bid 6 or 7 before looking — it counts double
- 10 for 200 — A team bid of 10 or more scores double
- All 13 tricks — Normal · Wins · 200 · 500
- Bags — 10 = −100 · 5 = −50 · −10 each · No penalty
- Mercy rule — −200 · −500 · None
- Sets in a row — Off · 2 lose · 3 lose
- Leading spades — Once broken · Any time · After trick 1
Frequently asked questions
Is Cutthroat Spades the same game as Spades?
No. Cutthroat Spades is played at the same kind of table as Spades, but with rules of its own — see “How to play” above. At Masa it is a game of its own, with its own tables, stats and achievements.
Can I play Cutthroat Spades online with friends?
Yes. Open a Cutthroat Spades table and share its code or link. Empty seats fill with other players or bots, so a game always starts.
Is Cutthroat Spades free to play?
Yes. You play with Chips, which have no cash value: nothing can be won or cashed out.
