fwiw, OED2 says this:
c. fig. in advb. phr. in spades, very much, in abundance, extremely. (Spades is the highest ranking suit in Bridge.) colloq. (chiefly U.S.).
1929 D. Runyon in Hearst's International Oct. 62/2, I always hear the same thing about every bum on Broadway, male and female, including some I know are bums, in spades, right from taw. 1964 Wodehouse Frozen Assets i. 19 ‘It's the law I'm beefing about. You didn't make the law.’ ‘But I administer it.’ ‘I'll say you do. In spades.’ 1972 R. Nixon Diary in Mem. (1978) 619 Anybody who gets to the top in the Communist hierarchy and stays at the top has to have a great deal of political ability and a great deal of toughness. All three of the Soviet leaders have this in spades.


"in spades, right from taw" - now there's an interesting parlay. [the latter comes from shooting marbles]