What is Joker Spades?
In the standard game the pack has 52 cards, spades are always trumps and the ace of spades is the highest card. With Jokers switched on, the 2 of hearts and the 2 of clubs are taken out and two jokers are added, so the pack still has 52 cards and each of four players still gets 13.
The jokers are the two highest trumps: the big joker (the red one) beats the little joker (the black one), and both beat the ace of spades. They are spades in every other way too. You follow a spade lead with a joker when you have no other spade, you can lead a joker only once spades are broken (or when you hold nothing but spades), and playing one breaks spades.
There are now 15 trumps instead of 13, so spade-heavy hands are a little more common and the ace of spades is no longer a sure trick. Bidding, nil, the bags and the scoring are the same as in the standard game.
Rule changes
| Rule | Standard Spades | Joker Spades |
|---|---|---|
| The pack | Standard Spades52 cards, 13 in each suit. | Joker Spades52 cards: the 2 of hearts and the 2 of clubs are taken out and the big and little joker are added. |
| Highest trumps | Standard SpadesThe ace of spades is the highest card, then the king of spades and down to the 2. | Joker SpadesThe big joker is the highest card, then the little joker, then the ace of spades and down to the 2. |
| Jokers in play | Standard SpadesNo jokers. | Joker SpadesBoth jokers are spades: they follow a spade lead, can be led only once spades are broken unless you hold nothing else, and break spades when played. |
| Three players | Standard Spades17 cards each from the 52-card pack; the last card is set aside unseen. | Joker SpadesNo card is taken out: 54 cards, 18 each, so every card is in play. |
| Other options | Standard SpadesBlind nil, the bags penalty, the target score, the bidding rule, cutthroat and two to four players can be chosen. | Joker SpadesJokers work with all of them. In Mirror and Whiz bidding a joker counts as one of the spades you hold. |
History
Spades dates from the United States in the 1930s. Two common joker versions both take out the 2 of clubs and the 2 of hearts and make the two jokers the highest trumps, with the jokers counting as spades for following suit. Both also promote deuces: in one the 2 of spades ranks just below the jokers, and in the New York City version the big (red) joker and the little (black) joker are followed by the 2 of diamonds and the 2 of spades. Some players reverse the two jokers.
The form played here is the simplest one, usually called jokers high: only the two jokers rank above the ace, giving 15 spades. Three players usually take a 54-card pack with 18 cards each, which is what happens here when three play with jokers.