The basic shape
The ordinary game uses a standard fifty-two-card deck. Spades are always trump; normal rank runs from ace down to two. Players try to win the number of tricks they bid.
During play
Follow the led suit when possible. Without it, a player may trump or discard. The highest trump wins; without trump, the highest card of the led suit wins. The winner leads next.
Keep the source in view
This short play outline points to Bicycle’s description. Its bidding and scoring are not identical to every partnership version. Use the scoring page to see which model our calculator supports.
A useful first pass
Read the full reference once to locate setup, bidding, play and settlement. Mark the questions you need to ask your group before starting. The goal of a first read is orientation, not memorising every exception.