I found the following on a website suggesting how to bid at Spades - "....... Each partner .... communicates the amount of tricks they expect to take ...... A certain amount of unspecified bantering about "halves" and "maybes" is permitted ......For example you are allowed to say "I know I can take 4 tricks, I might be able to take 6"......."

I don't know where the author plays Spades, but do NOT talk about your hand at all until the hand is completed, or you are guilty of "tabletalk." As I have said elsewhere, tabletalk at best shows ignorance, or at worst is cheating. When you bid, just say "four" or " five" or in my case probably "one" or "two"!

Card Counters

Probably card counters exist already. I found one on a webpage claiming that it "automatically highlights which cards have been played. It also has the ability to highlight WHO played the card. Now you can easily trace your partners or opponents hand."

Many years ago when I played serious bridge, I used to keep a mental record of all the cards played. I no longer bother and play a more relaxed game and only remember some of the cards played. However, do you think that card counting programs should be allowed? Personally, I think it's almost cheating. However, in online games, no one can tell if you are using one, so I doubt if anything can be done about it. What do you think? Should they be banned or are they just part of the game?

Setting Nils
Let's look at tactics when trying to set a nil. This is a vast subject and there is no way that I can do more than offer a few basic tips. Firstly, try not to play your high cards on "thin air." If you are sitting after the nil, then let the play come through the nil before you play your high cards. It is not a happy site to watch your partner leading his Aces and the nil hand playing his Kings!

Consider the following hand K63 A92 J1094 Q84. The bidding has gone 2 (by you), Nil, 4 and 4. What do you lead? If there was no nil I would lead J. Against a nil, I may well lead 8.