4 ms·

I've never heard of spades until this article. I've played hearts (and always forget how), but not spades. Is this a UK thing?

jasonladuke0311 5y ago
As another commenter mentioned, a lot of people in the US learned to play Spades in the military.
Jtsummers 5y ago
It's a US game, actually there are two games. Both follow from Whist and Bridge. There are, in the US, two games that go by the name of Spades but (as the primary differentiating characteristics) have different rules regarding bidding and scoring. In Black communities (the version discussed in the article) it's often played with a standard deck plus jokers (possibly removing other cards to make room for the jokers), and scoring is based on winning a bid and making book and some number of tricks over book (though not always, but the common form) which is similar to Contract Bridge and Whist. The other form is played with a standard deck and both partnerships can get points on each hand based on their bids, no need to make book (6 tricks as a base before getting points) just make your bid.
- MisterBastahrd 5y ago
  I am in my mid 40s, and as a kid in Cajun country you usually had a pretty good idea of how often older folks (grandparents and older) socially interacted on a casual basis with the other side of the white / black divide by how well they knew the rules to four card games. The black communities usually played either Hearts or Spades. The white communities would instead play either Bourre (boo-ray) or the Louisiana variant of Pedro (pee-droh). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourr%C3%A9 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourr%C3%A9 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_(card_game) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_(card_game) In unknown mixed company, most would settle on Hearts at first as it's the easiest to understand, and then usually alternate between Pedro and Spades.
cschep 5y ago
I (white kid) grew up on the west coast of the US and played Spades growing up with my family. None of my friends knew Spades, but it seemed like everyone knew Hearts. My mom grew up on the east coast so I always kinda thought that she brought it with her out west. Had no idea it was cultural in other ways!

jasonladuke0311 5y ago

As another commenter mentioned, a lot of people in the US learned to play Spades in the military.

Jtsummers 5y ago

It's a US game, actually there are two games. Both follow from Whist and Bridge. There are, in the US, two games that go by the name of Spades but (as the primary differentiating characteristics) have different rules regarding bidding and scoring. In Black communities (the version discussed in the article) it's often played with a standard deck plus jokers (possibly removing other cards to make room for the jokers), and scoring is based on winning a bid and making book and some number of tricks over book (though not always, but the common form) which is similar to Contract Bridge and Whist. The other form is played with a standard deck and both partnerships can get points on each hand based on their bids, no need to make book (6 tricks as a base before getting points) just make your bid.

MisterBastahrd 5y ago
I am in my mid 40s, and as a kid in Cajun country you usually had a pretty good idea of how often older folks (grandparents and older) socially interacted on a casual basis with the other side of the white / black divide by how well they knew the rules to four card games. The black communities usually played either Hearts or Spades. The white communities would instead play either Bourre (boo-ray) or the Louisiana variant of Pedro (pee-droh). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourr%C3%A9 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourr%C3%A9 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_(card_game) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_(card_game) In unknown mixed company, most would settle on Hearts at first as it's the easiest to understand, and then usually alternate between Pedro and Spades.

cschep 5y ago

I (white kid) grew up on the west coast of the US and played Spades growing up with my family. None of my friends knew Spades, but it seemed like everyone knew Hearts. My mom grew up on the east coast so I always kinda thought that she brought it with her out west. Had no idea it was cultural in other ways!