Spades

If you are like me, you probably learned to play the card game of spades around the kitchen table with your parents or grandparents while you were growing up. This section of the site is here to serve as a refresher course if you have forgotten how to play, learn how to play if you are just starting or to pick up a new variation of spades if you are a veteran player.

History of Spades

Supposedly the original game of spades is a descendant of the game of whist, but some experts argue that it has closer similarities to hearts and / or bridge and was invented around 1938 in Cincinnati, Ohio. From the time it was invented until the introduction of the Internet, which made it much easier to find a game of spades at any time of the day, the game was primarily played only in the United States. When it was played internationally, it was where there was a large concentration of American citizens.

Spades Tournaments

Like many games, the interest in spades seemed to expand rapidly with the ability to play online. The other factor that has lead to wider play is the introduction of spades tournaments. There seems to be something about the competition of a tournament that helps spread the popularity of a game. Just think of what has happened with another card game, poker, over the past decade or so.

The most prominent spades tournament is the Grand Prix World Series of Classic Card Games held annually with a spades division and a pinochle division. There are also annual World Series events for hearts, euchre and bid whist. The 2006 World Series of spades champions were Jeff Higgins and John Crehan and the runner-ups were Sandy Roesner and Jennifer Scaccia. There was also a Grand Prix Vegas Open in early 2007 with Larry and Alan Blakstad besting David Cobb and Cindy Braatz for the championship.

The 2007 Grand Prix World Series event is in October, the 5th through the 7th, in Atlanta, Georgia. The event is held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Perimeter SW in Atlanta. Additional information about the Garnd Prix World Series of spades can be found at the Grand Prix web site.

Spades Organizations

Other than the Grand Prix mentioned above, the only other spades organization of any size that I am aware of is the Spades Connection. It was established in 2000 and holds annual tournaments in Nashville, Tennessee. Though I am not a member of either organization mentioned here, the Spades Connection seems to be more of a friendly community building project, where the Grand Prix is more of a competitive and "tournament" type atmosphere.