Whist
You and North are partners against West and East. The dealer’s last card is turned up for trumps; win tricks, and every trick your side takes over six scores a point.
Also try Spades → Also try Belote → Also try Minibridge → Also try Skat →
How to play Whist
Deal and trumps
Each player gets 13 cards. The dealer’s last card is turned face up and its suit is trumps for the hand; the card belongs to the dealer, who takes it into their hand when it is their turn to play to the first trick. The deal moves one seat to the left each hand, and the player on the dealer’s left leads first.
How to play
Follow the suit that was led if you can. If you can’t, you may play a trump or any other card. The highest trump wins the trick, or else the highest card of the suit led, and the winner leads to the next trick. You and North, across the table, play as partners.
Scoring
The first six tricks a side takes are its book and score nothing. Each trick over six scores 1 point, so taking 9 tricks scores 3. The first side to reach 5 points wins the game. Honours are not scored here, and a game is a single game, not a rubber.
Controls and tips
Tap a card to lift it and tap it again to play, or drag it to the middle; with a mouse, a click plays it. Cards you can’t play are dimmed. With a keyboard, use the arrow keys and Enter. Tips: second hand low, third hand high, return your partner’s suit, and lead trumps when you hold five or more.
Questions
How do you play whist?
Four players in two partnerships each get 13 cards, and the dealer’s turned-up last card sets the trump suit. Players follow suit when they can; the highest trump, or else the highest card of the suit led, wins the trick. Tricks over six score a point each, and the first side to 5 points wins.
What is a book in whist?
The book is a side’s first six tricks, which score nothing. Only tricks beyond the book count: a side that takes 8 of the 13 tricks scores 2 points for that hand, and the other side scores none.
How is whist different from bridge?
Bridge grew out of whist. In bridge the players bid for a contract, the auction chooses trumps, and one hand is laid face up as the dummy. In whist there is no bidding and no dummy: the turned-up card sets trumps and every trick over six scores.
What is a good whist strategy?
Lead from your longest suit, starting with the top card of a sequence like K-Q. Play low second hand and high third hand, cover an honour with an honour, return the suit your partner led, and lead trumps when you hold five or more to draw the opponents’ trumps. The Hint button follows these rules and explains each suggestion.
Is there a daily whist game, and do the computer players cheat?
Yes: the daily game deals everyone the same cards each day against Medium computer players. No player cheats: each one decides from its own cards, the turned-up trump card and the cards played so far. The Hard players think ahead by trying out many possible layouts of the cards they can’t see.