Whist
The ancestor of Bridge and the simplest good trick game there is. No bidding, no talking, just thirteen tricks.
Whist is where Bridge, Spades and Hearts all come from. There is no bidding and no conventions to learn, so a table can start playing within a minute of sitting down.
Goal
With your partner, win more than six of the thirteen tricks. Every trick above six scores your side one point. Six or fewer scores nothing.
Play to five points, or to any total you agree.
Setup and trumps
Partners sit opposite each other. Deal the whole deck, thirteen cards each, one at a time.
The dealer turns their own last card face up: its suit is trumps for the hand. The dealer then takes that card into their hand before the first trick.
Play
- The player left of the dealer leads any card.
- Everyone must follow suit if they can. If you cannot, play anything, including a trump.
- The highest trump wins the trick. If no trump was played, the highest card of the suit led wins.
- The winner of a trick leads the next one.
Aces are high. Failing to follow suit when you could is a revoke, and the usual penalty is two tricks to the other side.
Scoring
Count the tricks each side took. Every trick above six scores one point, so taking nine tricks scores three.
Some houses also score honours: holding four of the ace, king, queen and jack of trumps between partners is worth four points, three of them worth two. It rewards being dealt a good hand rather than playing well, so plenty of players leave it out. Decide before the first deal.
How to play it well
- Lead from your longest suit. Once everyone else runs out of it, your small cards start winning.
- Draw trumps early when you hold plenty, so nobody ruffs your winners later.
- Watch what your partner discards. Without bidding, discards are the only conversation you get.
- Playing third to a trick, play high. Playing second, usually play low.
Common variants
- Knockout Whist: thirteen cards down to one over successive hands, losing a card each round. Popular with children and much shorter.
- German Whist: two players, drawing from a stock for the first half.
- Nomination Whist, also called Oh Hell: players bid how many tricks they will take and must be exact.
Questions
How are trumps decided in Whist?
The dealer turns their own last card face up and its suit is trumps. The dealer then picks that card up and plays it normally.
How many points is a hand worth?
One point for each trick above six. Taking exactly seven scores one; taking six or fewer scores nothing at all.
What is the difference between Whist and Bridge?
Bridge adds an auction, a dummy hand laid face up, and a much larger scoring system. Whist has none of that, which is why it takes a minute to teach.