Game play

The player to the dealer’s left plays first (”leads”). He may not lead with a spade unless his hand only includes spades. In fact, unless a player has no option, spades may never be led until the suit is “broken” (see below).
Play continues clockwise. Each player must follow suit (i.e. play the same suit that was led) if possible.
Generally, each trick is won by the player who played the highest rank of the suit led. However, if one or more players played spades, the trick is won by the player who played the highest rank of spades.
When a trick is won, the winning player sets the trick in front of himself so that it’s easy to tell how many tricks each player has won.

In Cutthroat, The player who wins the trick leads the next, and the other two players follow suit unless either player has none of that suit. If neither of the other players has a card of the suit led and both decide to play a spade, then the higher spade wins, however, you can’t lead a spade until a spade has been used to take another trick led by a non spade, or unless a player has nothing left in his hand but spades.