Our verdict: the best place to play Spades by your own house rules. Trickster Cards lets you set almost every rule your table argues about: Blind Nil, bag penalties, minimum bids, when spades can be led, a mercy rule and more. Add free video chat with friends, and it’s the closest thing to your kitchen table online. It’s free with a short ad before each game.
Best for: regular groups with their own house rules, especially when the crew is spread out.
What is Trickster Cards?
Trickster Cards is a free card games platform built around trick-taking games: Spades, Hearts, Euchre, Pinochle, Pitch, 500, Oh Hell, Whist and Bridge. Its app also includes Bid Whist.
It runs on almost anything: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, Amazon Fire, Chromebook and Windows, and the site says any device that can browse the web can join the same game. That matters when your crew is a mix of phones and laptops.
Spades your way: house rules
This is where Trickster stands out. When you set up a game, you choose the rules. Some of the options:
- Variations: standard Ace-high, Joker-Joker-Ace, Joker-Joker-Deuce-Ace, Joker-Joker-Deuce-Deuce, Mirror, Suicide and Whiz
- Players: 2 vs 2 partnership, or 3 or 4 players solo (Cutthroat)
- Target: play to a score, from 100 to 1,000 in practice and private games, or for a set number of hands
- Nil and Blind Nil: Nil worth 50 or 100, with Blind Nil doubling it; choose whether Blind Nil is allowed never, anytime, or only when you’re losing by 100, 200 or 250
- Nil pass: pass 1 to 4 cards to your partner after a Nil or Blind Nil
- Bags: −100 for 10 bags, −50 for 5, −10 per bag, or no penalty
- Leading spades: only once broken, after the first trick, or anytime
- Minimum bid: none, or a board of 2 to 5
- 10-for-200, a mercy rule at −200 or −500, lose if set twice or three times, and Boston (take all 13 to win)
If your table has a rule, Trickster probably has a switch for it. Our House Rules & Variations guide explains what most of these do.
Playing with friends
Invite your friends and family to a private game, and talk while you play with free video and voice chat. You can also choose whether chat is off, preset messages only, or full text.
For a club or a regular league, you can schedule a game up to 24 hours ahead. Creating clubs needs a VIP Pass.
Learning and public games
You can play practice games, and a suggestions option shows what Trickster’s bot would play, “a second opinion when you need it”. In practice games you can also review the last deal and show all hands, which helps when you’re working out where a bid went wrong.
When you want new opponents, public games match you with players by skill and speed. Some App Store reviewers say bots sometimes fill seats in these games.
There are also Compete games, where you play for Trickster Chips. Chips come free with a VIP Pass and can be bought in the app.
Free vs VIP Pass
Trickster is free to play. The free version shows a brief ad before each game, with no banners or pop-ups during play.
The VIP Pass removes ads and adds extras like replays, messaging friends, creating clubs and 2,500 chips a month:
| VIP Pass | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 month | $5.99 |
| 3 months | $14.99 |
| 12 months | $49.99 |
The pass is prepaid and doesn’t renew automatically.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Free, with only a brief ad before each game
- The widest set of Spades house rules we’ve seen, including Blind Nil, Nil passes and bag options
- Partnership, Cutthroat, Mirror, Suicide and Whiz
- Free video and voice chat with friends
- Works on phones, tablets and computers, all in the same game
- Suggestions from the bot while you learn
Cons
- So many options that setting up a game can feel like a lot at first
- Ad-free play, clubs and messaging need a VIP Pass ($5.99 a month)
- Compete games use Trickster Chips, which you can buy
- The App Store lists it as 18+
Who should play Spades on Trickster Cards?
It’s the best pick for a regular crew that plays by its own rules, especially if you’re spread across different cities and want to see each other while you play. It’s also the most flexible option here for Blind Nil and the solo variants.
If you just want a quick game with no setup, or you’re brand new and want simple hints, Tableza or World of Card Games will feel easier.
Alternatives to Trickster Cards
- Tableza: our top pick, free, with three computer levels and a hint button on easy that suggests your bid and your card. Read our Tableza Spades review.
- World of Card Games: free Spades to 500 with no signup, playing within seconds. Read our World of Card Games Spades review.
- VIP Spades: an app and website with Solo, Suicide, Whiz and Mirror modes. Read our VIP Spades review.
See every option compared in our Top 3 Best Online Spades Sites.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Trickster Cards free?
Yes. The free version shows a brief ad before each game. A VIP Pass removes ads, from $5.99 a month.
Does Trickster Cards have Blind Nil?
Yes. You can allow Blind Nil never, anytime, or only when a team is losing by 100, 200 or 250. It’s worth double a Nil.
Can I play Spades with friends on Trickster?
Yes. Invite friends to a private game, with free video and voice chat.
Can I play Cutthroat Spades on Trickster?
Yes. Choose 3 or 4 players solo instead of 2 vs 2. Mirror, Suicide and Whiz are also available.
Can I turn off the bag penalty?
Yes. Bags can cost 100 for 10, 50 for 5, 10 each, or nothing at all.
Does Trickster have Bid Whist?
Yes, in its app. We’ll cover it in our Bid Whist section.
