01
Your table. Your rules.
Set up 2 to 8 players in seating order. Settings let you choose default players and house-rule scoring.
Android app capture. Tablet layouts differ.
Spades ScorepadGood company. Great game.
All the scorekeeping.
None of the scribbling.
Less arithmetic. More one-more-round. A scorekeeping companion for the Spades game happening around your table.
Android phones & tablets iPhone & iPad
The same scorekeeping on Android and iOS.
The little things, considered
Keep the score. Enjoy the game.
You bring the cards and the company. Scorepad tracks the bids, tricks, bags and standings.
Real Android and iPhone screens, right beside the features they show. Tap a screen to enlarge it. The same scorekeeping features on both platforms, with layouts adapted for phones and tablets.
02
Bids, then tricks
Record each player’s bid and tricks won with clear round-by-round entry.
Android app capture. Tablet layouts differ.
iPhone app capture. Tablet layouts differ.
03
Automatic scoring
Let Scorepad calculate scores and bag penalties using the app’s scoring rules.
Android app capture. Tablet layouts differ.
04
Standings that tell a story
See who is ahead, compare scores and keep track of bags as the game unfolds.
Android app capture. Tablet layouts differ.
iPhone app capture. Tablet layouts differ.
05
The full scoresheet
Review the rounds together without losing the bigger picture of the game.
Android app capture. Tablet layouts differ.
iPhone app capture. Tablet layouts differ.
06
Pick up where you left off
The current game is saved on your device. Core scorekeeping works offline.
Use More > Export Game and Import Game for local backups.
Android app capture. Tablet layouts differ.
The Scorepad playbook
How to Play Spades
A beginner's guide to Scorepad's 13-round, per-player format, not traditional partnership Spades.
Small hands. Bigger decisions.
One card to start.
Thirteen to finish.
Predict your tricks. Follow suit. Watch the bags. Each round adds another card to your hand and another twist to the table.
You play with your own cards. Scorepad records bids and tricks; it does not deal cards or play opponents.
- Round 11 card each1 trick in total
- Round 77 cards each7 tricks in total
- Round 1313 cards each13 tricks in total
See the rule. Remember the game.
Who wins the trick?
It's the card you play, not the bid you make. A trick is one set of cards, not the whole round or match.
Spades played?The highest spade played wins the trick.
No spade played?The highest card of the running suit wins the trick. That's the suit led first.
Hearts led first
Spades take the spotlight.
- 1st cardQueen of hearts
- 2nd cardAce of hearts
- 3rd cardTwo of spades
- 4th cardKing of spadesWinner
Why does this card win?
King of spades wins this trick.
Hearts were led, but the third and fourth players cannot follow hearts and play spades. Both spades beat the ace of hearts. The king is the highest spade played, so its player wins this trick and leads the next one.
Clubs led first
No spades? Follow the running suit.
- 1st cardNine of clubs
- 2nd cardKing of clubs
- 3rd cardAce of clubsWinner
- 4th cardAce of hearts
Why does this card win?
Ace of clubs wins this trick.
Clubs were led, so clubs are the running suit. No spade is played. Ace is higher than king: the ace of clubs beats the king of clubs and wins this trick. The ace of hearts is not in the running suit, so it cannot win. Players without clubs may play another suit.
These are illustrated examples, not playable hands. You must follow suit when you can; you cannot choose a spade instead while holding a card of the running suit.
From first deal to final score
Six steps. Your next great game.
- Set up
Set the table
For an easy first game, start with four players and a standard 52-card deck, without jokers. Play individually. Agree on the dealer, first leader and any house rules before starting. Scorepad can track 2 to 8 players; larger tables need an agreed deck setup.
4 players. One deck. A great start.
- Deal
Deal one more card each round
Play 13 rounds. In round 1, deal 1 card to each player; in round 2, deal 2 each, and so on up to 13 each. Shuffle and deal a fresh hand every round. A round has as many tricks as cards in each hand.
1 to 13 cards per player.
- Predict
Make your bid
Look at your hand and predict how many tricks you will win. Each player bids from 0 to the round number. Record the bids before playing. Total bids can be above or below the number of available tricks.
Bid 0 to the round number.
- Play
Follow the running suit
A trick is one card played by each player in turn. The running suit is the first card's suit. Follow the first card's suit if you can. If you cannot, play any card, including a spade. The highest spade played wins the trick. If no spade is played, the highest card of the running suit wins the trick. Ace is the highest card within each suit, above king, queen and jack, down to 2 low. The winner leads the next trick.
Follow suit. Spades are trump.
- Record
Record the tricks won
When the hand is finished, enter each player's tricks won, including any zeros. The total must equal the round number: round 7 has exactly 7 tricks to share across the table. Scorepad calculates each player's points and bags.
Round 7 = 7 total tricks.
- Finish
Finish all 13 rounds
Keep playing as the hands grow. Bags carry over between rounds, so extra tricks can come at a cost. After round 13, the highest final score wins. Final score is the sum of round points plus any bag deductions.
Highest final score wins.
The numbers, made simple
Make the bid. Mind the extras.
Meet or beat your bid: earn 10 points per bid trick, plus 1 point and 1 bag per extra trick. Miss your bid: lose 10 points per bid trick, then add the number of tricks you actually won.
Right on target
Bid 3 Won 3
+30points10 x 3 = 30 points
0 bagsTwo extra tricks
Bid 3 Won 5
+32points10 x 3 + 2 = 32 points
2 bagsMissed the bid
Bid 3 Won 2
-28points-10 x 3 + 2 = -28 points
0 bags
Zero is a valid entry. Bid 0 and win 0: score 0 points. This format does not award separate nil or blind-nil bonuses.
The penalty playbook
Penalties. No surprises.
Missing a bid and collecting bags are different costs. Know both before the first deal.
Fewer tricks than you promised.
Lose 10 points per bid trick, then add the tricks actually won. Bid 3 and win 2: -30 + 2 = -28 points. This is the round score, not a second deduction on top of it.
-28points in this exampleExtra tricks can cost you later.
Each trick above your bid adds 1 point and 1 bag. Bags carry across rounds. Under Classic, every complete group of 5 bags costs 50 points from your running total.
-50per 5 bags under ClassicYour table. Your rules.
Choose your bag penalty.
Classic is the initial default, but your saved setting may differ. Check the scoring preset in Settings before you start.
Classic example: 12 accumulated bags mean two -50 penalties: a total bag deduction of -100 points.
- Classic
- -50 points every 5 bags
- American
- -100 points every 10 bags
- Hard Sandbagging
- -100 points every 5 bags
- No Bag Penalty
- Bags never penalize
- 5 bags-50total deduction
- 10 bags-100total deduction
- 15 bags-150total deduction
Penalties repeat, not just once. With 12 bags under Classic, 2 bags count toward the next penalty at 15; the displayed bag total remains cumulative. No Bag Penalty disables bag deductions only: a missed bid still loses points. Final score = round points minus bag penalties.
Changing the preset uses Apply & Recalculate and recalculates the whole recorded game, not just future rounds. Agree on any change with the table.
Less arithmetic. More one-more-round.
Your bid. Your tricks.
See the difference.
Try a round with four fictional players. Change the numbers and let the scorepad do the math.
Website scoring demo, not a playable card game or the app itself. Nothing is saved or sent. This is Scorepad's individual, 13-round format, not partnership Spades.
This round's score changes
Each change includes only new bag deductions in this round. Earlier scores are not included; this is not the match leaderboard.
- Alex+30
30 round points; 0 new bags (0 total); 0 bag deduction.
- Blair+20
20 round points; 0 new bags (0 total); 0 bag deduction.
- Casey+10
10 round points; 0 new bags (0 total); 0 bag deduction.
- Drew+10
10 round points; 0 new bags (0 total); 0 bag deduction.
Meet your bid: 10 × bid + extra tricks. Miss it: -10 × bid + tricks won. A zero bid has no separate nil bonus. Bags stay cumulative; each new threshold triggers a deduction.
Changing the preset previews this round only. In the app, Apply & Recalculate updates the whole recorded game.
A little practice. A familiar rule.
Four cards.
Who takes the trick?
Five quick challenges. Pick the winning card, discover the rule, then try the next trick.
Illustrated website rules quiz, not an app screenshot or a playable card game. Scorepad records your real game's bids and tricks; it does not deal cards or play opponents. Nothing is saved or sent.
Spades trump. Otherwise, the running suit wins. The highest spade played wins; without spades, the highest card of the suit led first wins. Ace is highest. Cards are numbered in play order; Player 1 led.
Assume every card was legally played: anyone playing off-suit has no card of the suit led. This quiz asks who wins, not which card you should play from a full hand.
Trick 1 of 50 answered
Trick 1: A little twist.
hearts led firstThe winning card
Player 3: Two of spades wins this trick.
Hearts were led. The third player has no hearts and plays the two of spades. Even the lowest spade beats the ace of hearts, so Player 3 wins this trick.
Trick 2: Mind the running suit.
clubs led firstThe winning card
Player 2: King of clubs wins this trick.
Clubs were led and no spade is played. The king is the highest club here, so Player 2 wins. The ace of hearts is off-suit and cannot win this trick.
Trick 3: More than one trump.
diamonds led firstThe winning card
Player 4: King of spades wins this trick.
Diamonds were led, but three players have no diamonds and play spades. The king is the highest spade played, beating the jack, three and ace of diamonds. Player 4 wins.
Trick 4: The lead changes.
spades led firstThe winning card
Player 1: Ace of spades wins this trick.
Spades were legally led and everyone follows suit. Ace is higher than king, queen and two. Player 1 wins this trick and leads the next one.
Trick 5: Two aces. One running suit.
hearts led firstThe winning card
Player 3: King of hearts wins this trick.
Hearts were led. No spade is played, and neither off-suit ace can win. The king beats the ten of hearts, so Player 3 wins. Only the running suit matters when there is no trump.
Five tricks. One useful rule.
Ready for your next game.
0 of 5 first choices correct.
Spades first. Otherwise, follow the running suit. The winner takes this trick and leads the next one, not necessarily the round or match.
Choose a card to reveal the answer. Only your first choice counts for each trick.
Reveal this example's answer
Two of spades wins. Hearts were led. The third player has no hearts and plays the two of spades. Even the lowest spade beats the ace of hearts, so Player 3 wins this trick.