The aim of the game spades is to win as many tricks as possible while considering your initial bid amount. This is because players are awarded points for each trick they win within their initial bid. When a trick is won beyond the bid amount, this is called a ‘bag’ – and when a pair hits 10 bags in a game they are deducted 100 points. So, the key to winning at spades is creating a successful bid strategy that maximizes points won while minimizing points deducted.