If you play a Spade and no one else does, you win the trick. So Spades are trump cards. In this case the highest Spade wins.

Understanding the Context

The game does not allow ties for first place. In the case of a tie for first, the game will continue until there is a clear winner. This is true of both games ending at a point value and timed games. Scoring In fact, you cannot lead with a Spade in any trick until at least one Spade has already been played in a previous trick - which is known as “breaking Spades” in a very similar vein to “breaking Hearts” in Hearts.

Key Insights

Spades is a trick-taking card game that requires you to bid and capture tricks to score points. Play cards strategically against an opponent in a clean, digital card game setting. Outbid your rival now! Everyone must follow suit if they can, and the highest card of the led suit wins the trick unless someone couldn't follow suit and threw a spade. Spades are the trump suit, so the highest spade on a trick beats everything else.

Final Thoughts

Spades may not be led until either some player has played a spade (on the lead of another suit, of course), or the leader has nothing but spades left in hand. Playing the first spade is known as "breaking" spades. The highest card of the suit that led or the highest spade played wins the trick. If a J♥ led, then whichever player plays the highest heart wins the trick, but if a player plays a spade, the highest spade played wins the trick.