Whist Rules and Variations

About the Trick-Taking Game:

The game of whist is a classic card game that was very popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was evolved from the older game called Ruff and Honors and served as a base for Bridge, 20th centurys most popular game among serious card players. Whist is still played in Europe, especially in Britain, where local tournaments called Whist Drives are organized. This page describes the game of Whist, gives the classic rules of the game and lists popular Whist variations.

Although later variants of Whist contain various extra features, the game is actually very simple. Nevertheless, the game can be played strategically and there is huge amount of literature on how to play Whist.

How to Play Whist?

1. The classic variant of Whist is played by four players with a standard deck of 52 cards. The players make two fixed partnerships, and the partners sit at the table facing each other.
2. One of the players plays as a dealer. The cards are shuffled by the player who sits to the left from the dealer and cut by the player to the right. The whole deck is dealt, so each player receives 13 cards. The last cards in the deck is exposed to determine the trumps.
3. The player to the left of the dealer starts the first trick, playing any card he likes.
4. Other players must place a card of the same suit or a trump. If the player does not have cards of the same suit, he may play any card. The highest trump or, if no trumps were played, the highest card of the suit wins the game, the partnership takes the trick, and the player who played the highest card starts a new trick.
5. When the round is over, each side receives one point for each taken trick in excess of 6. The side that first reaches 5 points wins the game.

Popular Whist Variations:

Because of immense popularity in the past and respectable age, the game has many variations that among other extra features may involve bedding on how many tricks will be taken by the partnership. Here are some popular Whist variations:

• Solo Whist: played in Britain; a game where individuals can bid to win 5, 9 or 13 tricks or to lose every trick.
• Colour whist or Kleurwiezen: a Belgian game similar to Solo Whist, but more elaborate.
• Oh Hell: players bid on exactly how many tricks they will take going too high or too low is penalized.
• Bid Whist: a partnership game with bidding, played in the USA.
• German Whist: a British two-player adaptation of Whist without bidding.
• Minnesota Whist: a game with no trumps, and hands can be played to win tricks or to lose tricks, also the very similar game of Norwegian Whist.
• Israeli Whist: a game similar to Oh Hell, in which one tries to bid the exact number of tricks one will take.
• Romanian Whist: a game in which players try to predict the exact number of tricks they will take, similar to Oh Hell.
• Three-Handed Widow Whist: a game with an extra hand dealt just to the left of the dealer
• Knockout Whist: a game for children in which a player who wins no trick is eliminated