Whist
Classic 18th-century English 4-player partnership trick-taking card game — direct ancestor of Bridge. 52 cards, 13 tricks per hand; last card determines trump; simple scoring based on tricks over 6. Historically dominant card game 1700s-1900.
What is Whist?
Whist is a classic English 4-player partnership trick-taking card game that dominated European + American card play from ~1700 to early 1900s before being superseded by Bridge. Origins: evolved in 17th-century England from earlier games like Ruff and Honours + Trump. Standardized 1742 with Edmond Hoyle's 'A Short Treatise on the Game of Whist' — one of first written rules of any game + basis for the phrase 'according to Hoyle'. Peak popularity 1800s: played by nobility, in gentlemen's clubs (London's famous Portland Club codified rules), literature (Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins wrote about Whist frequently). Direct ancestor of Bridge (developed 1890s from Whist mechanisms). Rules: 4 players in 2 partnerships (partners opposite); deal 13 cards each from standard 52; LAST CARD OF DEAL turned face-up as trump suit (visible to all until first trick begins). Play: must follow suit; highest card of led suit wins UNLESS trump played; highest trump wins. Scoring: partnership takes tricks beyond 6 ('over the book') = 1 point each; also 'honours' (top 4 trumps A, K, Q, J) bonuses in some versions. Games typically 5-9 points (English), 7 points (American), or 'to 100' in point-Whist variants. Simple + elegant — foundation for all Whist-family games including Bridge, Spades, Hearts, Euchre, Boston, Solo Whist, Preference. Still played in traditional venues + Whist drives (charity card events); has undergone revival in modern card game hobby community. Estimated 5-10 million recreational players globally.
Quick facts
Category
Card Games
Type
Team sport
Players
4–4
Duration
~60 min
Where played
indoor
Field / court
card table
Country of origin
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Estimated origin
17th century England; standardized 1742 by Edmond Hoyle's treatise; dominant card game 18th-19th century; superseded by Bridge ~1900
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
How it works
Objective
Take more tricks than opposing partnership; first partnership to target score (typically 5 or 9 points) wins.
Match structure
Deal 13 cards to each of 4 players; last card of deal turned face-up as trump. Play 13 tricks — must follow suit; highest trump or highest card of led suit wins. Score points for tricks over 6. First partnership to target score wins the 'rubber' or match.
Rules
Basic rules
4 players in 2 partnerships
Partners sit opposite each other (N-S vs E-W); scores combined.
Deal 13 cards each
Full deck dealt one at a time; each player gets 13 cards.
Last card = trump suit
Dealer's last card turned face-up; its suit is trump for that hand. Card remains face-up until first trick.
Play 13 tricks
Player to dealer's left leads first; must follow suit if able; highest card of led suit wins UNLESS trump played.
Must follow suit
Play card of led suit if you have one; if not, may play any card including trump.
Trumps beat non-trumps
Any trump card beats any non-trump; among trumps, highest rank wins.
Score tricks over 6 ('the book')
First 6 tricks = 'book'; each trick above 6 = 1 point for winning partnership.
Play to target (5 or 9)
English Whist typically to 5 points; American Whist to 7. First partnership to target wins the game.
Advanced rules
Honours bonus (English Whist)
Partnership holding 3 of top 4 trumps (A, K, Q, J) = 2 bonus points; 4 honours = 4 bonus. Not in American Whist.
Rubber format
Rubber = best 2 of 3 games; adds 2 bonus points for winning rubber.
Revoke penalty
Failing to follow suit when able = revoke; caught = 3-trick penalty transfer OR 3 points opponent per revoke.
Grand Slam
Taking all 13 tricks in one hand = extra bonus in some variants.
Little Slam
Taking 12 of 13 tricks = smaller bonus.
Solo Whist (Solo)
Variant with each player playing individually + bidding to take specific number of tricks (5-13); no fixed partnerships.
German Whist (2-player)
2-player variant with cards drawn from remaining stock as pool; different scoring.
Bridge Whist
1890s transition variant introducing bidding for trump suit instead of turning last card; developed into modern Bridge.
Boston Whist
American variant with bidding for tricks + complex scoring; popular 1800s USA.
Whist drive scoring
In social whist drives: play 3-4 hands per table, winners move up, losers stay; overall trophy winners have highest cumulative points.
Scoring
1 point per trick above 6 for winning partnership; honours bonuses in English Whist; first to 5 or 9 points wins game.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Trick above 6 taken | 1 pt per over-trick |
| 3 honours (A, K, Q, or J of trump held between partners) | 2 pts (English Whist) |
| 4 honours (all top 4 trumps between partners) | 4 pts (English Whist) |
| Winning rubber (best 2 of 3 games) | +2 pts bonus |
| Grand slam (all 13 tricks) | Bonus varies by variant |
| Revoke (failure to follow suit) | 3-trick penalty or 3-point deduction |
Win condition · First partnership to target score (typically 5 English or 7 American) wins the game.
Playing area
Called
card table
Dimensions
Standard card table with 4 seats; partners sit opposite (N-S vs E-W).
Round or rectangular table for 4. 52-card deck; scorepad. Traditional venues: gentlemen's clubs, whist drives (charity events with rotating players).
Equipment
Standard 52-card deck
Standard playing cards, no jokers used.
Card table + 4 seats
Partners sit opposite each other.
Scorepad + pencil
Track tricks made per partnership per hand + running totals.
Whist markers (traditional)
Ivory or wooden pegs used in traditional Whist to mark points visually.
Two decks (traditional)
Alternate decks between hands for pace; dealer uses one while previous hand's cards shuffled.
Officiating
Self-officiated; honor system for revoke calls + accurate reporting. Traditional whist clubs have designated 'chairs' at rules disputes.
Strategies
Count high cards + trumps
Count aces, kings, and trump distribution; estimate likely tricks before play.
Lead partner's suit
If partner shows strength in a suit through play, lead that suit to develop tricks.
Draw trumps early
If holding many trumps, lead high trumps to remove opponents' trumps; then plain suits protected.
Signal high-low with discards
High card discard = 'I like this suit'; low card = 'I don't have strength here'.
Fourth-highest lead
When leading long suit, lead 4th highest — signals length + strength to partner.
Rule of 11
When partner leads 4th highest, subtract from 11: gives number of higher cards in opponents' hands.
Save honours
Don't waste top trumps (A, K, Q, J) on small tricks; save for critical moments + honours bonus.
Force opponents to trump
Lead long suit forcing opponents to trump; weakens their trump holding.
Terminology
- Trick
- One round of 4 cards played.
- Trump
- Suit that beats all others; determined by last card of deal.
- Book
- First 6 tricks; scoring starts on 7th trick.
- Over-trick
- Trick beyond the 6-trick book; each = 1 point.
- Honours (English Whist)
- Top 4 trumps: Ace, King, Queen, Jack.
- Rubber
- Best 2 of 3 games; +2 bonus points for winning.
- Revoke
- Failing to follow suit when able; penalty 3 tricks or 3 points.
- Grand slam
- Taking all 13 tricks in one hand.
- Little slam
- Taking 12 of 13 tricks.
- Follow suit
- Playing card of same suit as led card (mandatory if able).
- Trumping / Ruffing
- Playing trump card on non-trump suit to win trick.
- Long suit
- 5+ cards in one suit — likely to develop late tricks.
- Short suit / Void
- 0-2 cards in suit — opportunity to trump early.
- Whist drive
- Social whist event with rotating tables + partners; charity fundraiser common in UK.
- Cavendish rule
- Various Whist strategy rules named after 19th-century authority.
- According to Hoyle
- Phrase from 1742 Whist rulebook; means 'by the official rules'.
Major competitions
No professional world championship — casual + club game
n/a · n/a
Whist Drives (traditional UK charity card events)
regular local events · UK, Ireland, Isle of Man, historically North America · since 1800
American Whist League (historic, 1891-2003)
annual · USA (defunct) · since 1891
Manx Whist (Isle of Man competitions)
annual · Isle of Man · since 1950
Where it is played
Governing bodies
No modern global governing body — historical Portland Club rules used
Founded 1815 · London, UK (Portland Club historic seat)
Various whist club networks (UK + Ireland + Isle of Man)
Founded 1900 · UK/Ireland
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Edmond Hoyle (1672-1769) — codified Whist rules 1742; 'According to Hoyle' phrase originates
- Cavendish (Henry Jones, 1831-1899) — Victorian Whist authority; wrote The Laws of Whist (1863)
- William Pole (1814-1900) — Whist theorist; wrote The Theory of the Modern Scientific Game of Whist (1870)
- Ely Culbertson (1891-1955) — later Bridge champion; started as Whist player
- No professional Whist players in modern era — casual game only
Records
First codified rulebook
Edmond Hoyle — 'A Short Treatise on the Game of Whist' — 1742 (1742)
Peak popularity era
Whist as dominant social card game — 1750-1900 (before Bridge) (1850)
Displaced by Bridge circa
Bridge Whist → Auction Bridge → Contract Bridge — ~1900-1930 (1900)
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1
Learn basic trick-taking
Follow suit if able; trump beats non-trump; highest wins. Simplest of trick-taking families.
- 2
Understand honours + scoring
Score only over the book (6 tricks); honours bonuses for holding A/K/Q/J of trump.
- 3
Play a few practice hands
Family or club game; whist is very forgiving for beginners due to simple rules.
intermediate
- 1
Fourth-highest leads + Rule of 11
Classic Whist convention still used in Bridge; enables partner-signaling.
- 2
Trump management
When to lead trumps (many high trumps) vs preserve (few but strong trumps).
- 3
Try Whist drives
Social events; rotate partners; low-pressure improvement path.
advanced
- 1
Study Whist classics (Hoyle, Cavendish, Pole)
18th-19th century Whist literature — foundation of trick-taking theory.
- 2
Solo Whist + variant learning
Solo Whist involves individual bidding; deeper strategy + rewards accurate hand evaluation.
- 3
Consider Bridge transition
Bridge = modern evolution of Whist; adds auction + dummy hand; more strategically deep.
Frequently asked
How do you play Whist?+
4 players in 2 partnerships (partners opposite). Deal 13 cards each from 52-card deck. LAST card of deal turned face-up as trump suit. Play 13 tricks: must follow suit if able; highest card of led suit wins UNLESS trump played (trumps beat non-trumps). SCORING: 1 point per trick above 6 ('the book') for winning partnership. Honours bonus (holding top 4 trumps A/K/Q/J) in English Whist. First partnership to 5 (English) or 7 (American) points wins the game. Simple, elegant — the ancestor of Bridge.
How is Whist different from Bridge?+
Bridge is the modern descendant of Whist. Key differences: (1) BIDDING — Whist trump determined by last card of deal; Bridge trump determined by auction of bids. (2) DUMMY — Bridge has 'dummy' partner whose hand is exposed after opening lead; Whist all 4 hands hidden throughout. (3) COMPLEXITY — Bridge has extensive bidding conventions (Standard American, 2/1, Precision, etc.); Whist bidding-free. (4) SCORING — Bridge complex scoring with contracts, doubling, redoubling, vulnerability; Whist simple 1-point-per-over-trick. (5) TOURNAMENT INFRASTRUCTURE — Bridge has WBF world championships; Whist casual only. Both share partnership skills + trick-taking depth.
Is Whist still played today?+
Yes but far less than during 1700s-1800s peak. Still active in: (1) UK 'Whist drives' — charity card events at village halls, still common in England, Ireland, Isle of Man; (2) Traditional gentlemen's clubs (Portland Club London historic); (3) Family + generational play (grandparents to grandchildren); (4) Isle of Man especially strong Whist tradition; (5) Card-game hobbyist community revival. Largely displaced by Bridge (1900+) in tournament + serious play + by Spades in USA casual play. Estimated 5-10 million recreational players globally.
Who was Hoyle?+
Edmond Hoyle (1672-1769) — English writer who wrote 'A Short Treatise on the Game of Whist' (1742), one of the first written rulebooks for any game. His authority was so complete that 'according to Hoyle' became English idiom for 'by the official rules', used to this day. Hoyle also wrote treatises on Backgammon, Chess, Piquet, Quadrille. His Whist book was so influential that Whist became codified worldwide within decades. Hoyle's name is now trademarked (US Playing Card Company owns 'Hoyle Games') and used for rule books + game apps.
What are the popular Whist variants?+
SOLO WHIST — no fixed partnerships; players bid individually to take specific number of tricks (5-13). BID WHIST — African-American variant with bidding + jokers as high trumps; very popular in Black American communities. BOSTON WHIST — 1800s USA variant with complex bidding + scoring. GERMAN WHIST — 2-player variant with stock pile card draw. NORWEGIAN WHIST — includes nil bid option. PREFERENCE — Russian 3-player variant. CUTTHROAT WHIST — 3-player individual. Each region developed local variants over 200+ years — Whist enormously prolific 'game family'.
How is Whist related to Bridge?+
Bridge is the direct evolution of Whist through several transitional forms: WHIST (1700s) → BRIDGE WHIST (1890s — added bidding for trump) → AUCTION BRIDGE (1904 — full auction system, but only won tricks count for contract) → CONTRACT BRIDGE (1925 — modern format, contract-based scoring). Harold Vanderbilt introduced Contract Bridge on 1925 cruise ship; codified 1927 laws. By 1930s Contract Bridge fully displaced Whist in tournament play. Bridge retained Whist's core mechanics (4-player partnership, trick-taking, follow-suit rules, trumps) but added the auction + dummy + complex scoring that made it the most complex mainstream card game.
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Whist— Wikipedia
- Hoyle's Games — Whist rules— Hoyle Games