Spades is a cultural cornerstone in the Black American community and a team-based game. Winning requires cooperation and trust – things that are also required for successful DevOps. Learning to play is a right of passage for many, but often getting taught and an opportunity to safely practice is hard to find. In this talk, I’ll share insights to improve your DevOps practice from lessons learned playing the game of Spades, while also sharing the importance of sharing cultural knowledge to newcomers in the space.