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Spades glossary

What Is 10 for 200 in Spades?

2 min read

10 for 200 is an optional spades rule: a team that bids 10 or more books and makes it scores a flat 200 instead of the usual 100 or more. Miss it and you lose 200. At Spades Night it's off by default and can be switched on at a private table.

10 for 200 is a house rule that doubles the reward for a big bid. If your team bids 10 or more books and makes it, you score 200 instead of 100. It turns a strong hand into a race-changing hand. The standard scoring is on the spades rules page.

How it works

  • Your team bids a combined 10 or more books.
  • Make it: 200 points flat.
  • Miss it: −200.
  • Any books over the contract are still bags, +1 point each.

Without the rule, a made 10 is worth 100 and a set 10 costs 100. With it, both numbers double. It rewards teams willing to bid big, and it punishes a 10 that falls short harder than any normal set.

Example

You hold the Big Joker, Little Joker, 2♦, A♠, K♠ and the A♥. Your partner holds A♣ K♣ A♦ and three spades. You bid 6, your partner bids 4. Contract: 10.

You take 11 books.

  • With 10 for 200: 200 + 1 bag = 201.
  • Without it: 100 + 1 bag = 101.

Now say the other team sets you with 9 books. With the rule you lose 200; without it you lose 100.

How Spades Night handles it

  • Off by default in House Rules and quick matches.
  • A private-table host can switch on "10 for 200" in the table rules.
  • When on, any team contract of 10 or more that's made scores 200 flat; a set costs 200.
  • Bags from the extra books still count toward the 10-bag penalty.
  • It stacks with a Boston: take all 13 and you get the 200 for the contract plus the 200 Boston bonus.

Variations at other tables

Some tables require exactly 10: an 11 or 12 is scored normally at 10 a book. Others pay 200 for 10 and add 10 or 50 for each book above it. As with every house rule, check what the table plays before you bid it.

The spades house rules guide covers this and the other common variants side by side.

  • Set: missing the contract, which costs 200 under this rule.
  • Boston: taking all 13 books.
  • Bags: books over the contract.
  • Board: the team minimum at the other end of the scale.

Questions people ask

What does 10 for 200 mean in spades?

If your team bids at least 10 books and makes it, you score 200 points instead of 10 per book. If you fall short you lose 200. Extra books are still bags.

Is 10 for 200 a standard spades rule?

No, it's a common house rule. Many home games and some online tables use it. At Spades Night it's off unless the host of a private table turns it on.

Does bidding 11 or 12 score more under 10 for 200?

At Spades Night, no. Any made contract of 10 or more scores 200 flat, so bidding 12 only adds risk. Some tables add a bonus for each book above 10.

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