Card Games
Whist
Whist is a traditional English card game where two pairs of partners compete to win the most tricks in each hand.
Key points
- Players must follow suit if they can; the trick is won by the highest trump or highest card of the led suit.1
- The winner of a trick leads to the next one; after 13 tricks, the side with more tricks scores for tricks above six.1
- Classic whist has no bidding; later variants like Solo Whist and Bid Whist add bidding and solo-play structures.2
- Regional variants include Minnesota Whist, Danish Whist, and Israeli Whist, each with its own rule set.4
How to play whist
- Deal all 52 cards so each player has 13. The last card dealt is turned face up to determine the trump suit for that hand.1
- The player to the dealer's left leads any card. Each player in turn must follow suit if possible; otherwise, they may play any card.1
- The trick is won by the highest trump card played, or if no trumps, by the highest card of the suit led. The winner leads the next trick.1
- After 13 tricks, the side that took more than 6 tricks scores 1 point for each trick over 6. The first side to reach a target score (often 5 or 7) wins the game.1
Types of whist
| Variant | Players | Key feature |
|---|---|---|
| Classic Whist | 4 | Fixed partnerships, no bidding, trump determined by last card |
| Bid Whist | 4 | Includes bidding phase; players bid on number of tricks they expect to take6 |
| Solo Whist | 4 | Individual play with bidding for solo or partnership contracts2 |
| Minnesota Whist | 4 | No trumps; uses standard ranking; often played with 52 cards4 |
| Israeli Whist | 4 | Bidding variant with specific scoring rules3 |
Common questions
What is bid whist?
Bid Whist is a variant of whist that includes a bidding phase. Players bid on the number of tricks they expect to take, and the highest bidder chooses trump or no-trump.6
What is whist card game?
Whist is a traditional English card game for four players in fixed partnerships. The goal is to win more tricks than the opposing pair, with scoring based on tricks taken above six.2
How do you play whist?
Deal 13 cards each, turn the last card for trump. Players follow suit if possible; the highest trump or highest card of the led suit wins the trick. Score 1 point per trick over 6; first to reach a target wins.1
Is whist a word?
Yes, 'whist' is a word in English. It is the name of the card game and also historically meant 'silence' or 'hush', reflecting the game's traditional quiet play.5
Where this term is used
Not the same as
- Whist vs bridge — a more complex trick-taking game with bidding and dummy play, whereas whist has no bidding and all four players play each hand
- Whist vs spades — a trick-taking game with bidding and fixed trump suit (spades), whereas whist's trump is determined by the last card dealt
- Whist vs hearts — a trick-avoidance game where hearts are penalty cards, whereas whist aims to win tricks
- Whist vs euchre — a trick-taking game with a smaller deck and a different trump mechanism, whereas whist uses a full 52-card deck
Related terms
Sources
- Whist bicyclecards.com Provides the basic rules and scoring for classic whist.
- Whist - card game rules - Pagat pagat.com Offers comprehensive rules for classic whist and its variants.
- Israeli Whist - card game rules - Pagat pagat.com Details the rules of Israeli Whist.
- Minnesota Whist - card game rules - Pagat.com pagat.com Describes Minnesota Whist, including card ranking and deal.
- Whist en.wikipedia.org Provides the definition and history of whist.
- Bid whist en.wikipedia.org Provides details on Bid Whist.
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.