Whist
Whist is the classic partnership trick-taking game — the ancestor of Bridge and
Spades — played with a full 52-card deck and no bidding. Trump is set by the
dealer's turned last card; the rest is pure card play and partnership reading.
Objective
As a partnership, win more tricks than the opposing pair. Only tricks beyond the
first six (the book) score. The first side to reach 5 points (short whist)
wins the game.
Partners sit opposite one another: Team 1 is players 1 & 3, Team 2 is
players 2 & 4.
The Deck
A standard 52-card French deck. Rank within each suit, high to low:
Ace → King → Queen → Jack → 10 → 9 → 8 → 7 → 6 → 5 → 4 → 3 → 2
Setup
•
Deal all 52 cards one at a time clockwise, 13 to each player.
•
The dealer's last card is turned face up. Its suit is trump for the
hand. That card stays visible on the table and joins the dealer's hand when it
is the dealer's turn to play to the first trick.
•
There is no auction and no choice of trump.
•
The deal passes one seat to the left after every hand.
•
The first dealer rotates between games: Player 1 deals the first game, Player 2
the next, and so on round the table.
Playing the Tricks
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The player to the dealer's left (eldest hand) leads to the first trick.
•
Play proceeds clockwise. Each player plays one card.
•
You must follow the led suit if you can. If you are void, you may play any
card, including a trump.
•
A trick is won by the highest trump played, or, if no trump is played, by
the highest card of the suit that was led.
•
The winner of each trick leads to the next. Thirteen tricks are played per hand.
Scoring
After all 13 tricks:
1.
Each partnership counts the tricks it won.
2.
The first six tricks a side wins form its book and score nothing.
3.
Each trick beyond six scores 1 point (so 7–13 tricks score 1–7 that hand).
4.
Because 13 tricks are split between two sides, at most one side scores per
hand.
The first partnership to reach 5 points wins (short whist). Long whist to 7
and rubber play are common table variants but are not used in this digital
edition.
Honors (optional variant — not enabled)
In some parlor rules, the Ace, King, Queen, and Jack of trump are honors. A
side dealt three honors between the partners scores 2 extra points; all four
score 4. Honors are off by default in Gameweave Whist.
Win / lose
The first partnership to reach the game target wins immediately after hand
scoring. There is no draw within a hand — tricks always produce a split.
Strategy tips
•
Remember which trumps and high cards have fallen — Whist rewards memory.
•
Second hand plays low; third hand plays high is a classic starting guide.
•
Lead from your strong suits, and try to establish partner's long suit when you
can read the table.