Yahoo! Suicide Squad

The Fine Art of Playing Suicide Spades

Find and contribute suggestions for playing Yahoo's (and the Zone's) SUICIDE SPADES games.
For tips on bidding and strategy read on and enjoy!

CONGRATULATIONS! Tournament Winning Partners
SEARAYE1(1/21/00 Norie's, 2/1/00 Wild Fire's); _Brasciole(2/25/00 DisBear's); VickiKathleen(Lizard's 3/4/00); dsofbdy(3/4/00 Wild Fire's);
MRC_CrashNBurn/Crashette(1/26/01 Norie's, 8/16/01 Sorceress);
KCS49(4/19/01, 6/14/01, 3/12/02, 4/17/02 Wolf SSS);
Gingerbreadbabe/Lynnisit1(11/30/01 Norie's/WYLD, 3/24/02 Wolf Spaders Alt TOC);
_USA_W_Stoneman(4/15/02);katchoo2(5/15/02) Wolf SSS;
radanil(5/24/02) Goldie's SidMT;ZAC_Cherokee(6/02) Goldie's;
jayjay521(7/15/02)Wolf SSS;ravenQT(9/12/02)LuvBoat Alt Trny;
ravenQT(3/18/03 Sparkle SUI, 4/2/03 WOLF SSS)

--- Thank you all for a most enjoyable experience! ---

Suicide Spades Bidding

In Yahoo's SUICIDE SPADES (YSS) there are 13 tricks, or books, in each hand. Players bid on the number of tricks they intend to take. One partner, of each pair in each hand, must bid nil(N) and attempt to avoid taking any tricks. After each hand, scores are determined by multiplying the bid by 10. An attained bid is added to the score and a failed bid is subtracted from the score. If a bid does not total 13, the difference is relegated to sandbags or "bags." YSS subtracts 100 points from the score of players who acquire 10 bags during the game. Players who fall behind by 200 points are entitled to double nil(DN) when the double-nil-option is in effect. The last player to bid clearly has a better point-wise perspective of the hand. The last player to bid also is likely to be 'used' by the upper-hand.
An under-hand, without ample cover, needs to quickly exlpore the upper-hand to preserve cover. The under-hand bidder may choose to set the N-partner early to manipulate an inflated opponent's bid, the bag count or an opponent's Nil status.
Bidding is based upon the number of spades, high cards and suit formation in a hand. Although there is no minimum bid, a bid below 4 is highly suspect unless there is already a large bid on the table. When partnering the DN bid, remember to include 2 cards(tricks!) from the DN-bidder.
Having 4 spades is difficult cover unless there is a high bid on the table and the upper-hand is not a factor. When the N-partner lacks the suit being led, high cards from various non-trump suits can be 'tossed,' 'dumped' or 'sloughed.' When a suit is trumped, or 'cut,' it is desirable for the N-partner to play the highest card in the suit or a lower trump card. (It behooves the low bidder NOT to cut, but to preserve trump. On the other hand, if a surplus of trump is available in the bidders hand, then play trump!)
In general, an ace, king or queen is necessary to take tricks. In a combination like ace and queen it may be possible to assume a king dumped on the ace by an N-partner. When a hand is 'balanced,' there are 3 cards in each suit. It is advantageous to bid a balanced hand with 'trick-takers.' A hand with no spades can take five tricks and cover a nil. Use caution bidding high cards in a long suit because they may be cut right away.
In rare instances both players on a team may feel compelled to bid nil. The N-N-partners should attempt to resolve the failed bid early in order to cover the other N-partner (if the third nil gets set, there is a good chance both N-N-partners will be set.)

Double Nil(DN)

The DN option does not allow a player to see the cards until a "Show", "DN" or("N"-caution:partner may go postal!) selection is made. The DN-player is allowed to transfer 2 high cards and get 2 low cards from the bidding partner. When passing cards from the DN-hand, spade passes are usual but passing high cards or trying to create a short suit is also recommended. Try to clue the bidder about the DN-hand. Conversely, avoid passing spades to the DN-hand. Passing the lowest cards from the bid-hand is not unusual. In a bid-hand with long spades, higher cards may be passed to create a voided suit in the bid-hand. When the DN goes well it is possible to quickly regain scoring momentum.
If you choose to bid rather than DN, remember to add 1 or two tricks for the passed cards coming from your partner. If you get a pass without spades, aces or kings then take advantage of the suit passed to toss high cards and trap the other nil.

The 'Tricks' of Card Play

Players throw four cards, following suit, and the highest card played or a spade takes the trick. Spades can't be led unless the player has only spades. A card from any suit can be played from a hand lacking the suit which was led. YSS automatically enforces proper play order. Bidders throw high cards (cover) for their N-partners to 'duck' under.

Strategy

The bidder who leads on the right of another bidder has an arbiter or 'upper-hand' advantage, in most games. A player with an upper-hand can lead low cards and the onus of covering falls on the other bidder. After the other bidder is forced to lead, the upper-hand player selectively waits for the opponent's N-partner to play an uncovered high card. The upper-hand's N-partner can be covered by this same method. Try to bid so your team has the arbiter player!
Failure to cover results in an N-partner being set. Failure to make a bid results in a bid-partner being set. After an N-partner is set, it is important to decide whether to make the bid or set the remaining N-partner and/or bag and/or set the other bidder.
When bidding last and there is a low bid on the table, a team may opt to bid high(K10) so as to reduce the loss of a set N-partner. The N-partner needs to understand early that the N-hand must be played as a bidding hand. An N-partner with 5 spades, the king and queen of spades, or the ace of spades should set the nil early in the hand to expose the failed nil. Dumping spades after a nil-set helps to ensure the remaining N-partner(s) will be exposed or uncoverable. Don't let your bidding partner bag trying to provide cover if playing a nil hand that will be set anyway.
In the bid rotation it is difficult to estimate strength when bidding first. However, when 2 nils are on the table then bidding can be done more accurately.
The initial play by a N-partner should transmit information about the hand - like a short suit to play - so the nil can dump the high cards of other suits. An N-partner may play an unusually high card (at any time) to announce that the suit is void or safe - if the high card can be covered.
The smart bidder remembers the highest cards played by both N-partners whenever an ace is played or a player is dumping cards. At the end of a hand, remember toss the low card of a suit that can be played rather than a high card in a void suit.
Another initial play is to lead a long suit in order to void the suit in a bidding-partner's hand so that the bidder can get spades out - the N-partner's weak suit. A N-Jack in a short suit can be exposed by a previous discard of A-K-Q-x of the short suit.
When playing a discard from the N-hand, take care to not to announce the high cards. If a N-opponent plays a king after an ace lead, throw a jack if the queen is also held. Often times the N-hand contains sequential cards like 8, 9 and 10. Cards in a series are essentially the same card and best played in reverse to give the initial appearance of a lower card.
Card groups also represent an opportunity to signal the bidder that the suit is safe to explore. In the N-hand suit with 2, 3, 4, 6 and jack it would be best to play the 4 or 6 rather than the jack to invite lower leads from the N-parnter.
Like in poker, an occasional bluff may be in order. Bluffing a low bid, with a strong upper-hand, will get bags but may lead to the other bidder being set. Bluffing is most effective at the end of a game with a low bag count and a DN bid.
Track your bag count and score to help determine your bid. You may want to underbid a strong hand to acquire bags and clear your bag count. When the score gets to 350, a bidder should strongly consider bidding 5 to end the game rather than make a lesser bid and force another hand.
Tournament play at The Zone is 5-hand games. Making high score by the end of the 5th hand requires some adjustments. Take chances if you are behind! Don't get upset if the cards aren't there - there is always another tournament.

Cutting

It is easy for a set nil to determine when to lead the first spade or cut (ASAP, and highest,) but the bidder usually waits as long as possible. A 5 spade N-hand benefits from cutting when the cut suit is also absent in the N-hand. The cut should be a low card if partner-cover is not necessary.
By playing out all spades following a cut, cutting can be used to to expose a long suit in a Nil-hand. One high card in the Nil-hand can usually be protected by 3 lesser cards in the suit.
Pass-The-Mazola: The last 4 tricks may require lubrication! Bidders protect your N-partner by introducing sufficient cover at the end of the game. If no spades are introduced prior to the last trick four tricks, your nil-partner may be exposed.
Pulling the Lead: A nil with few spades may want to encourage her bidding partner get into spades when the partner is out of the suit the opponents are playing. By playing a card higher than the opponents lead from the nil hand, hopefully, the bidding partner will play a spade cut AND continue playing spades.

Assisted Suicide: Kevorkian-10

Most bids range from 3-6 which explains why so many hands fall victim to bagging. YSS does not reward bids greater than 9 as some other games do. Regardless of YSS's rules, the mean of 13 is 6.5. Bidding 2.5 points deviation from 6.5 takes the bidding range to 4-8. Bidding 3 and making 6 is analogous to setting a nil and making a 7 bid. In the former instance 3 bags are -30 points waiting to happen. In the latter the 30 points are deducted immediately and no bags are acquired.
With some luck, and a willing partner, it is advantageous to bid more than 9. A powerful hand is only as strong as its weakest card. Some of the best hands make the large bid only to fail early to cover the N-partner. It is extremely rare to make 13 tricks without setting the N-partner. Don't assume that your opponents will stand by without trying to set the high bid. In a way YSS rewards failed high bids, and N-partner sets, by affording the DN option - LOL.

Table Talk

PLAY IT - DON'T SAY IT! Too often a N-partner will express serious contempt for a bid. The tacit assumption is that an uncoverable position exists. Talk about the hand on the last card - you will respect the other 3 players by not telegraphing strategy information no matter how trite. There are plenty of other topics to talk about - like writing Yahoo! Chatting 'SIAP'(sorry in advance pard) is cheating and will get a disqualification in tournament play.

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Thanks so much for sharing your page with me. What a wonderful idea!! Wonderful tips, lots of info and very interesting. You were right! I really did not understand the game. Suicide is entirely different from regular spades.
Thanks again for sharing with me. Hope we can play together again. Have you on my pager!
- patty98_99(04/22/99)

Thanks for inviting me to view your web page--very informative. Had a great time playing AGAINST you tonight, no wonder we lost miserably. Maybe sometime we can play partners... see ya at the tables
- schaadie(04/23/99)

Well done! Finally a place to send people who would like to learn. Appreciate the tips ~ hope I don't have to play against you!
I think you said a whole lot in a very defined and brief manner, making your information easy to understand.
- mousetatr(04/27/99)

Meanwhile@theZone

I am sorry I have not learnt to play cards. It is very useful in life; it generates kindness and consolidates society. - James Boswell, 1773

Playing cards are a survival of our less rational, more frightful, more beautiful past. - David Mamet, 1989

The game is so deep, there's always something you can learn. - Bill Gates, 2000
In my opinion, Suicide Spades is perhaps one of the most challenging games on the Zone. It requires a combination of skills, patience, and extreme attention to detail that few other card or board games possess. To be successful, a team must optimize the balance of their own damage control & their opponent's damage infliction. Suicide is one of the few games that demands the damage control aspect. - John Senick

Winners are those who attempt to do things right without fear of failure.
Champions are those that fail and get back up to try it again. Winners are born, champions are made. - David Blanford

Sui is like the market and other disasters...
"If you're a (Wall Street) trader, 40 percent of the time, you're wrong," said Ari Kiev, a New York city psychiatrist who treats financial sector workers and author of "Mastering Trading Stress." "Part of job is learning how to ride out downturns," Kiev said. "You have more experience dealing with disasters than the ordinary person."

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