One of the most popular card games of the 18th and 19th centuries, Whist, is a straightforward trick-taking game still played widely in Britainâs local tournaments. People play partnership Whist among four players in social and fund-raising events, also called whist drives.
The whist card game comes from the words â whist â or â wist, â which means silent or quiet. The card game was derived from an old game, Ruff and Honours, and became the Western worldâs premier intellectual card game in the 19th century. However, by the 20th century, Whist was replaced by Bridge.
If you have played the Spades card game or Bridge or other trick-taking card games, you will find learning how to play whist easy and fun.
How To Play Whist Card Game?
Playing Whist is fun and engaging. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to play the Whist card game. Let’s take a look!
Number of Players
The whist game is played between four players in a partnership of two.
The Deck
Usually, the game is played using a standard deck of 52 cards. However, many games use two decks of cards with different back designs so that one deck can be shuffled for the next deal while one is dealt to players.
Card Ranks
In a game of whist, the cards are ranked in descending order (high to low): Ace, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. (Ace card is low when drawing for partners and dealing.)
Dealing
First, the player on the left of the dealer shuffles, and the player on the right cuts the deck. Only the dealer can be the last to shuffle the cards and deal 13 cards to each player. The dealer deals the cards face-down, one at a time. The last card with the dealer is the trump card.
The suit of the trump card with the dealer becomes the trump of the game. The trump suit cards can beat other cards to win a trick.
Objective
The objective for each partnership (two players in a team) is to score points and win more than six tricks. The partnership with the highest points at the end wins the game.
The Trump Card
The Trump Card is special in the Whist card game. It belongs to the suit chosen as the trump for that round. Trump cards outrank all other suits, meaning they can win a trick even against higher cards from non-trump suits. The player with the highest trump wins the trick in the classic whist card game.
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Gameplay
The player at the dealerâs right begins the game and leads the first trick by playing any card from their hand. The other players follow suit clockwise and play a card of the same suit.
If a player doesnât have a card to match the lead suit, they can play any other card, even the trump suit. The player who plays the highest value card of the suit led (if there are no trump cards) or the highest value trump card wins the trick.
The player who wins the trick leads the next trick by playing a preferred card. In this classic whist game, the game continues until the players have played all the cards in hand.
Scoring
The classic card game of whist is played for 13 tricks. Once each partnership has played 13 tricks, the team with the most tricks (over six tricks), wins 1 point for each extra trick. When a partnership reaches a winning score of 5 points, the team wins, and the game ends.
Rules of Whist
Here are a few rules of whist that you must know:
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Each player receives 13 cards, one at a time.
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The last dealt card determines the trump suit for the round.
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Players must follow the suit led if possible, which means other players must play a card of the same suit if they have one in their hand.
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The highest card in the led suit wins unless a trump card is played.
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The maximum number of tricks that can be won in a round is 13.
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The winner of the previous trick leads the next trick.
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Each team scores 1 point for every trick won beyond the first six.
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The game is typically played until a team reaches a set number of points, like 5 or 7. These are the main whist game rules you must know about.
Tips and Tricks to Win the Whist Game
The classic whist card game is an easy-to-learn game that doesnât require high skills to win tricks. However, you must implement a few strategies and use several tips and tricks to increase your chances of winning tricks. Here are a few whist game tips to win more tricks:
Strongest Suit Led Opening
If you are the first player to lead the game, how will you decide which card to play first? Itâs pretty easy! The strongest suit-led opening is the best way forward. You can also lead with a singleton to aim at trumping in the suit. For instance, if you have an Ace of any suit, you can lead with that card to win a trick.
Playing the Second Hand
If you are playing second, you must follow the lead suit. Since the third and fourth players are in a position to play a better card than you and win the trick, you should play a low hand to avoid wasting a. high-value or otherwise useful card.
Play High Cards Early
If you have a strong suit but no trump cards, try to win tricks early by playing your highest cards before opponents use their trump cards. But for this, pay attention to what suits your opponents are avoiding or leading with. This can give you clues about their hand and help you decide when to use your high cards. You can take a look at the cards played to understand more.
Playing the Third Hand
If you are playing the third hand, you can take a chance of playing high, although the fourth player has an advantage over you.
Play Low-Value Cards When in Doubt
If you are unsure of winning a hand due to being the first or second player or watching the opponents play high cards, itâs always best to play the lowest card thatâs not a trump.
Don’t Use Trump Suit Early On
In the whist game, you may quickly want to reach the number of tricks you have planned. However, it is always wise to keep your trump suit close. Donât use your Trump leads too early unless necessary. Hold onto them to win essential tricks when opponents are least expecting it. Trump cards should always be used strategically in trick-taking games.
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Whist Game Variants
The card game whist has several variants, most of which are based on the classic whist game. Some of the game variants can be classified into subgroups such as Auction Whist, Classic Whist, Boston, and Exact Bidding Groups. Some of the popular whist game variants are given below.
Solo Whist
Solo Whist is a variation of the Whist card game, played by four players but without fixed partnerships. Each player competes individually to win the most tricks. The game begins with a bidding phase where players declare how many tricks they aim to win or if they want to play with special conditions, like âPropâ (no trumps) or âMisèreâ (no tricks). The highest bidder becomes the solo player for that round. This player aims to fulfill their bid. The other three players try to prevent the solo player from reaching their goal.
Bid Whist
Bid Whist is a popular card game in the USA, played by four players in two teams. It involves bidding to determine the trump suit and how many tricks the bidding team aims to win. The highest bidder leads the game, and their team tries to win the declared number of tricks, while the opposing team tries to stop them.
Norwegian Whist
Norwegian Whist is played in partnership, with no trumps, to either win the most tricks or to lose the most tricks.
Minnesota Whist
Minnesota Whist is similar to Norwegian Whist, where there are no trump cards, and players can play hands to win or lose tricks.
Knockout Whist
Knockout Whist is more of a childrenâs game where players who fail to win tricks are eliminated or knocked out.
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FAQs
Is Whist still played?
The whist game is still quite popular in social and fund-raising events in Britain, which are also called whist drives. However, the bridge game has taken over the popularity of whist, so card gamers prefer playing bridge over whist.
Is Whist the same as Bridge?
Essentially, the whist game was replaced by Bridge in the 20th century. Although both games are quite similar in terms of gameplay and rules, they are not the same. Since bridge evolved from whist, it is a more structured and complex version of the whist game.
What is the object of card game Whist?
The object of the card game Whist is for a team to win as many tricks as possible during each round. A trick is won by playing the highest card in the suit led, or by playing a trump card. The team with the most tricks scores points and wins the game.
What is the difference between spades and Whist?
Spades and Whist are both trick-taking card games, but they differ mainly in bidding and trump suits. In Spades, the spade suit is always the trump suit, and players bid on how many tricks they will win. In Whist, the trump suit changes each round, and there is no bidding phase.
What is the difference between bridge and whist?
Bridge and Whist are trick-taking card games with key differences. Bridge involves bidding to set the trump suit and has complex strategies with two-player partnerships. Whist has no bidding, and the trump suit is determined after dealing, making the gameplay simpler. Bridge scoring is also more complicated compared to Whist.
How do you win whist?
To win the whist game, the partnership must win the most tricks. For every trick won after 6 tricks, the partnership scores one point per trick, and the game ends once a partnership wins five points or the pre-determined number of points.
Can you play whist among 3 players?
You can play whist among 3 players if you play the Widow Whist or the Three-Handed Whistversion of the game. In the widow whist variant, an extra hand is dealt to the dealerâs left, called the widow, and players get an option to use the extra hand over theirs.
