Card games
Whiz Spades
Bid the spades you hold, or go Nil
Whiz Spades keeps the bidding short: each player bids either the number of spades in their hand or Nil, and nothing else. A Nil you make is worth 100, so the choice matters every hand. Partners sit across, the team contract scores 10 a trick, bags still bite and the first team to 500 wins.
- Players
- 4 players
- Length
- 15–30 min per game
- Type
- Card games
Play Whiz Spades online with friends
At Masa, Whiz 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
4 players in 2 teams: partners sit across from each other. The first team to 500 points wins. The winning partners share the pot (minus the 5% table fee).
- 2
Everyone gets 13 cards. Spades are always trump.
- 3
Bid the spades you hold, or Nil
- 4
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.
- 5
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
- Failed Nil — Bags · Helps partner · No bags
- Nil pass — Off · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4
- Blind Nil pass — Off · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4
- 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 Whiz Spades the same game as Spades?
No. Whiz 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 Whiz Spades online with friends?
Yes. Open a Whiz Spades table and share its code or link. Empty seats fill with other players or bots, so a game always starts.
Is Whiz Spades free to play?
Yes. You play with Chips, which have no cash value: nothing can be won or cashed out.
