Card Games
Whist vs spades
Whist vs spades is a comparison between two trick-taking card games: Whist, where trump is set by the last card dealt, and Spades, where spades are always trumps and players bid on tricks.
Key points
- Whist is the older game; trump suit is determined by the final card turned up after the deal.1
- Spades is a later American variant in which spades are always trumps and each player bids before play.23
- Scoring in Whist is based on odd tricks over six; in Spades, scoring depends on whether a partnership makes its bid.43
Where this term is used
Related terms
Card games
Spades
The modern trick-taking game with fixed spades trump and bidding.
Card games
Whist
The classic trick-taking game where trump is set by the last card dealt.
Card games
Ace of spades
The highest card in the spades suit, often used as a trump card.
Card games
Jack of spades
A card in the spades suit, sometimes with special significance in certain games.
Card games
Whist vs bridge
Comparison between Whist and Contract Bridge, a more complex trick-taking game.
Card games
Whist suit
The trump suit in Whist, determined by the last card dealt.
Sources
- Whist en.wikipedia.org Provides the definition and rules of Whist, including trump determination and scoring.
- Spades (card game) en.wikipedia.org Provides the definition and rules of Spades, including fixed trump and bidding.
- Spades - card game rules pagat.com Provides detailed rules for Spades, including player count and bidding mechanics.
- Whist bicyclecards.com Provides official rules for Whist, including scoring based on odd tricks.
Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.