3-Player Spades? Let’s Ditch That Loner Card!
Are you wrangling three players for Spades? Great choice! But, wait. Before shuffling that deck, let’s address a key detail: card removal.
Yes, you heard right. Standard 52-card deck? Not for 3-player Spades. To keep it fair for all, we need a bit of card surgery. No worries. It won’t hurt the deck.
Here’s the deal: in 3-player Spades, remove one card before dealing. Why? Because 52 cards won’t work for three players. You’d end up with uneven hands, and no one wants to count cards like it’s an audit.
The fix? Simple: remove one card. This leaves you with 51 cards. And guess what? 51 divides perfectly by 3! Amazing, right?
Now, which card to remove? You could choose any card. But tradition suggests we toss the 2 of Clubs.
Why the 2 of Clubs? Nobody knows. It’s one of those Spades mysteries, like why bidding nil is both thrilling and scary. But it’s tradition, and it works, so let’s go with it. Just take out the 2 of Clubs like it’s a tiny bomb.
After removing the 2 of Clubs, you have a neat 51-card deck ready to go. The best part? Dealing becomes easy. Each player gets a wonderful hand of 17 cards.
Seventeen cards each! That’s a big hand, full of chances for bids and strategies. Plenty of room for a grand slam or a spectacular flop. Spades brings the drama.
To recap: a standard 52-card deck begins. The 2 of Clubs gets uninvited. This leaves 51 cards. Each player gets a neat 17 cards. Easy, right?
You now know the key to card removal for 3-player Spades. Deal those 17-card hands, and may your bids be bold (but not too bold). Enjoy Spades!
