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Spades is a seven-card stud game in which all thirteen spades are wild. Every spade dealt to a player face up must be paid for at once, and each one costs more than the last. The best high hand wins, and it is usually five of a kind or a straight flush.
Spades is a variant of seven-card stud from Arthur Buderick's book Dealer's Choice Poker, as published on pagat.com. It is not the same game as the trick-taking card game called Spades.
The game uses a standard 52-card deck. All thirteen spades are wild, face up or face down.
Five of a kind is possible and ranks above a straight flush, by the usual convention. See hand rankings.
The dealer antes one unit ($1 in the published game).
The game is fixed limit. In the first four betting rounds the opening bet is 2 units, followed by at most three raises of 2 units. In the final round the opening bet is 5 units, followed by at most three raises of 5 units.
| Street | Cards dealt | Bet size |
|---|---|---|
| Third street | 2 face down, 1 face up | 2 units |
| Fourth street | 1 face up | 2 units |
| Fifth street | 1 face up | 2 units |
| Sixth street | 1 face up | 2 units |
| Seventh street | 1 face down | 5 units |
A player who is dealt a spade face up must pay for it into the pot immediately. The price depends on how many face-up spades that player has received in the hand:
| Player's face-up spade | Cost |
|---|---|
| First | 2 units ($2) |
| Second | 5 units ($5) |
| Third | 10 units ($10) |
| Fourth | 20 units ($20) |
Spades dealt face down cost nothing.
These payments do not change the betting limits or the amount other players must call.
A player cannot refuse to pay for a spade once it is dealt. A player who is not willing to pay for another spade should fold in the betting round before the next face-up card, even if no one has bet.
Paying for spades and making five of a kind
A player's hole cards are A♠9♦. Their face-up cards are 9♥7♠9♣2♠, and their seventh card is the Q♦.
The 7♠ was their first face-up spade and cost 2 units. The 2♠ was their second and cost 5 units. The ace of spades was dealt face down and cost nothing. In all, they paid 7 units.
They hold three spades, all wild, and three natural nines. Two of the wild cards used as nines give them five nines, 9-9-9-9-9.
After the final betting round, the remaining players show their hands. The best five-card high hand wins the pot. With thirteen wild cards, the winner usually holds five of a kind or a straight flush.
Yes. All thirteen spades are wild, whether they are dealt face up or face down.
In the published game, your first face-up spade costs $2, the second $5, the third $10 and the fourth $20. Face-down spades are free.
No. If you do not want to pay for another spade, you must fold in the betting round before the next face-up card.
Where any doubt remains in the application of this document, Rob is right.
Hand rankings, high to low: royal flush · straight flush · four of a kind · full house · flush · straight · three of a kind · two pair · one pair · high card. Suits never break ties.
Spades Poker Rules · OPR-716 · officialpokerrules.com/spades/