When you first sit at a table you will see a Splash screen telling you that the game is determining who sat first. This is very different from the Spades game you are used to. It was necessary to establish who sits first or if you are the only one sitting in order to play a game without waiting for 4 players.

Regular Spades (500 pts to win, -200 lose) is the default format. There is no need to do anything but click Start Game to play as you normally do regardless of the format.

However, if you prefer, you can play a particular format and regulate the bidding accordingly. To do this, click Change Format. Use the right scrolling arrows to move the desired format until it is in the top highlighted area.

All formats are set to use pre-configured settings as their defaults. These pre-configured settings can be altered to suit a players preferences. For instance, the format is set to be unlimited hands. You can modify that to however many hands you prefer. To modify any of these pre-configured settings, click on Format Settings AFTER you have decided on the desired format. Once you are satisfied with the settings, click Start Game when you have the desired number of players sitting.

Speaking of the number of players sitting before starting a game. You don't have to wait for 4 players. You can start a game with 1 or more players. All the vacant seats will be set to use a bot. It is important to note that the bot will bid according to the selected game format. Thus, if you are playing "Whiz" using the "Regular" format, expect the bot to bid according to "Regular".

When a player leaves the table, their partner will be prompted to continue the game using a bot. If the partner is also a bot, the Host seat will be presented with the option. In either case, the seat will use a bot only if you select "Yes". Selecting "No" will keep the game paused until a player sits.

How to recognize whose turn it is to bid or act (play a card) has changed. This information is in three locations. First location is the area around the bidders nameplate. It will be green vs grey. The second location is the stack of players on the right side. The bidding order is from top to bottom. The player whose turn it is to declare their bid is not only highlighted but contained in a red box as well. They will also display ^^Bidder^^ below the players bid area which should be blank. A third location is the message area below your nameplate. It will also note who the current bidder is. Worthy of noting again, these areas are also used to show whose turn it is to play.