Whist | Definition, Rules, History, & Facts (2024)

whist, trick-taking card game developed in England. The English national card game has passed through many phases of development, being first recorded as trump (1529), then ruff, ruff and honours, whisk and swabbers, whisk, and finally whist in the 18th century. In the 19th century whist became the premier intellectual card game of the Western world, but bridge superseded it in this position by about 1900. Partnership whist, with four players in two partnerships, remains popular in Britain in the form of social and fund-raising events called whist drives.

Partnership whist

In the classic game each player received 13 cards from a 52-card deck ranking A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. The last card dealt (to the dealer) was shown and established the trump suit. Eldest hand (player on dealer’s immediate left) led to the first trick, and the winner of each trick led to the next. Players followed suit if possible; otherwise, they could play any card. The trick was taken by the highest card of the suit led or by the highest trump if any were played. The side capturing the most tricks scored one point per “odd trick” (over and above six tricks). If either partnership held three or four of the “honours” (ace, king, queen, and jack in the trump suit), whether in one hand or between the two partners, they scored two or four points, respectively, unless this brought them to “game” (winning score), when honours were ignored. Game was five points (British) or seven points (American), and reaching it precluded the other side from scoring for honours. The winners counted a single stake or game point if the losers made three or four points, double if the losers made only one or two points, and triple for a whitewash (“shutout”). The first to win two games added two game points for the rubber.

As now played in Britain, honours are ignored, and no card is turned for trump. Instead, the trump suit cycles through hearts, diamonds, spades, and clubs every four deals, or sometimes five deals with a no-trump turn. A predetermined number of deals are played, and the cumulative score determines the winner.

Solo whist

Solo whist, a nonpartnership game still popular in Britain, derives from whist de Gand (Ghent whist), a Belgian simplification of Boston whist.

Four players each receive 13 cards in batches of four-four-four-one; the last card dealt to the dealer is turned faceup to establish a preferred trump suit. Each player in turn, starting with eldest hand, may bid or pass. Each bid must be higher than the last, and passing prevents a player from bidding again.

The bidding rises as follows:

• 1. Proposal and acceptance (“prop and cop”). An offer to win at least eight tricks with the preferred suit as trump and in temporary alliance with whoever will accept the proposal. Bid by saying, “I propose,” or just “Prop.” Provided that no other bid has intervened, a subsequent player may accept the proposal by saying, “I accept,” or, traditionally, “Cop.”

• 2. Solo. An offer to win at least five tricks with the preferred suit as trump.

• 3. Misère. An offer to lose every trick, playing at no trump.

• 4. Abundance (“a bundle”). An offer to win at least nine tricks with any trump suit of the bidder’s choice, as yet unspecified.

• 5. Royal abundance. The same as abundance but with the preferred suit as trump.

• 6. Misère ouverte (or spread misère). The same as misère but with one’s hand of cards spread faceup on the table after the first trick has been played and gathered in.

• 7. Slam. An offer to win all 13 tricks at no trump but with the advantage of leading to the first trick.

If eldest proposes and no one accepts, eldest may (but need not) bid solo. If eldest passes and a subsequent player’s proposal is not overcalled, eldest may (but need not) accept the proposal. If all four players pass, the deal is annulled and passes to the left.

The last and highest bidder becomes the soloist in the stated contract. Dealer then takes the turned-up card into hand, and eldest leads to the first trick, or the soloist leads in the case of a slam. Play of tricks follows whist rules.

The soloist (or, in prop and cop, each partner) receives from or pays to each opponent in accordance with an agreed schedule, such as prop and cop 10, plus 2 per over- or undertrick; solo 10, plus 2 per over- or undertrick; misère 20; abundance 30, plus 3 per over- or undertrick; spread misère 40; and slam 60.

Some schools omit payments for over- or undertricks. Scores may be kept in writing. A game is any agreed number of deals divisible by four. There are many variations.

Bid whist

Bid whist is a lively partnership trick-taking game especially popular with African Americans. Four players each receive 12 cards from a 54-card pack that includes two jokers marked or otherwise differentiated as “big” and “little.” The remaining six cards go facedown as a “kitty.”

In high bids (“uptown”) cards rank A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2; in low bids (“downtown”) they rank A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K. In trump bids the top trumps are big joker, little joker, ace, and so on, downward to deuce (uptown) or king (downtown). In no-trump bids jokers are powerless and are normally discarded before play begins.

Each player in turn, starting with eldest, has one chance to bid. Each bid must be higher than the last. If the first three players pass, the dealer must bid. The lowest bid is three—a bid to take three “books” (tricks) more than six, or nine books total—with a trump suit not yet specified. A bare number represents an uptown bid. The next-lowest bid is three low, which is also a bid to capture nine books but with the downtown ranking of cards. This is beaten in turn by three no trump—whether high or low is not specified unless this bid wins. Thus, the bids from lowest to highest are three high, three low, three no trump, four high, four low, and so on. (Some variants rank high and low bids equal.)

If playing in a trump suit, the highest bidder announces trump, picks up the kitty (in most variants the declarer “sports,” or exposes, the kitty to all the players), and takes it into hand. If playing at no trump, the declarer announces high or low and takes the kitty into hand without showing it. In either case the declarer then makes any six discards facedown, and these count as the first of the partnership’s tricks. In some variants at no trump every player holding a joker must randomly swap it for a card from the facedown discards.

Declarer leads to the first of 12 tricks, played as in classic whist. At no trump a joker can never win a trick; it may be discarded only when its holder cannot follow suit, and, if one is led, the next card played establishes the suit to follow.

If successful, declarer’s side scores one point per book made above six. If not, the side loses one point per book contracted. (In some variations the opponents score one point for every book made above six.) All scores are doubled at no trump. The game ends when one side wins by reaching an agreed target (typically seven points) or loses by reaching minus the target score. Winning all 13 tricks is a “Boston” and scores 7 points (in some circles it is quadrupled, or 28 points), which is generally sufficient to win immediately.

With two jokers the lowest bid is sometimes four. Some play with only one joker and a five-card kitty. Some play without jokers and either a four-card kitty or none at all. In the latter case 13 tricks are played, and the lowest bid is one.