A 19th-century whist marker by the British printing Co. De La Rue. | |
Origin | England |
---|---|
Type | Trick-taking |
Players | 4 |
Skills required | Tactics, strategy |
Cards | 52 |
Deck | French |
Play | Clockwise |
Card rank (highest to lowest) | A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 |
Playing time | 30 min |
Random chance | Medium |
Related games | |
Auction bridge, Contract bridge, Wendellhead, Solo whist, Tarneeb |
Whist is a classic English trick-taking card game which was widely played in the 18th and 19th centuries. Although the rules are extremely simple, there is enormous scope for scientific play.
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Whist is a descendant of the 16th century game of trump or ruff. Whist replaced the popular variant of trump known as Ruff and Honours. The game takes its name from the 17th Century whist (or wist) meaning quiet, silent, attentive, which is the root of the modern wistful.
According to Barrington, Whist was first played on scientific principles by a party of gentlemen who frequented the Crown Coffee House in Bedford Row, London, around 1728. Edmond Hoyle, suspected to be a member of this group, began to tutor wealthy young gentlemen in the game and published A Short Treatise on the Game of Whist in 1742. It became the standard text and rules for the game for the next hundred years and led to the game becoming fashionable.
In 1862 Henry Jones, writing under the pseudonym 'Cavendish', published The Principles of Whist Stated and Explained, and its Practice Illustrated on an Original System, by Means of Hands Played Completely Through, which became the standard text. Many subsequent editions and enlargements of this work were published using the simpler title Cavendish On Whist. By this time Whist was governed by elaborate and rigid rules covering the laws of the game, etiquette and play which took time to study and master.
In 1873 Jules Verne depicted Phileas Fogg, the protagonist of 'Around the World in Eighty Days', as an enthusiastic Whist player.
In the 1890s, a variant known as Bridge Whist became popular which eventually evolved into Contract Bridge. The traditional game of Whist survives at social events called whist drives. There are many modern variants of Whist played for fun.
A standard 52-card pack is used. The cards in each suit rank from highest to lowest: A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2. Whist is played by four players, who play in two partnerships with the partners sitting opposite each other. Players cut or draw cards to determine partners, with the two highest playing against the lowest two, who have seating rights. The players then cut for deal. It is strictly against the rules to comment on the cards in any way. One may not comment upon the hand one was dealt nor about one's good fortune or bad fortune. One may not signal to one's partner.
The cards can be shuffled by any player, though usually the player to dealer's left. The dealer has the right to shuffle last if he wishes. To speed up dealing a second pack can be shuffled by the dealer's partner during the deal and then placed to the right ready for the next hand. The cards are cut by the player on dealer's right before dealing. The dealer deals out all the cards, one at a time, face down, so that each player has thirteen cards. The final card, which belongs to the dealer, is turned face up to indicate which suit is trumps. The turned-up trump card remains face up on the table until it is the dealer's turn to play to the first trick. The deal advances clockwise.
The player to the dealer's left leads to the first trick. He may lead any card in his hand. The other players, in clockwise order, each play a card to the trick and must follow suit by playing a card of the suit led if they have one. A player with no card of the suit led may play any card, either discarding or trumping. The trick is won by the highest card of the suit led, unless a trump is played, in which case the highest trump wins. The winner of the trick leads the next trick.
Play continues until all thirteen tricks are played, at which point the score is recorded. If no team has enough points to win the game, another hand is played.
Part of the skill involved in the game is one's ability to remember what cards have been played and reason out what cards remain. Therefore, once each trick is played, its cards are turned face down and kept in a stack of four near the player who won the trick. Before the next trick starts, a player may ask to review the cards from the last trick only. Once the lead card is played, however, no previously played cards can be reviewed by anyone.
After all tricks have been played, the side which won more tricks scores 1 point for each trick won in excess of 6. When all four players are experienced, it is unusual for the score for a single hand to be higher than two. A game is over when one team reaches a score of five. There are so-called 'Hotel Rules' variations where other numbers are agreed to be played to in advance such as 'American' and 'Long', where the games are played to seven and nine respectively. The 'Long' version is normally combined with 'Honours.'
In longer variations of the game, those games where the winning score is not the standard 5 points, honours are points that are claimed at the end of each hand. Honours add nothing to the play of a hand. Honours serve only as an element of luck that speeds up games, and they are often omitted these days. Serious players disdain honours because it greatly increases the element of chance. A team that was dealt the top four cards (A,K,Q,J) in the trump suit collect extra points. A team who holds three of the four honours between them claim 2 points, a team who holds all four honours between them claim 4 points. Tricks are scored before honours. Honours points can never be used for the last point of a game. Consider the following example: A game is being played to 9 points. The score is tied at 6. A hand is played and the winner of that hand took seven tricks and claimed honours. That team would receive 1 point for the 7th trick and only 1 point for honours. The score would then be 8 to 6.
Deal: One card at a time is given to each player by the dealer starting with the player on the dealer’s left and proceeding clockwise until the deck is fully distributed.
Dealer: The player who deals the cards for a hand.
Deck: Standard playing-card deck consisting of 52 cards in four suits.
Dummy: In some variations of whist, a hand is turned face up and is played from by the player seated opposite. This allows for whist to be played by three players.
Finesse: The play of a lower honour even though holding a higher one, hoping that the intermediate honour is held by a player who has already played to the trick. To give an example: you hold the ace and queen of hearts. Your right-hand antagonist leads a heart, from which you infer that he holds the king of the same suit and wishes to draw the ace, in order to make his king. You however play the queen, and win the trick; still retaining your ace, ready to win again when he plays his king.
Game: Reaching a total score agreed beforehand to be the score played up to.
Grand Slam: The winning, by one team, of all thirteen tricks in a hand.
Hand: Thirteen tricks. (52 cards in the deck divided by four players equals thirteen cards per player.)
Honours: In some variations of whist, extra points are assigned after a game to a team if they were dealt the ace, king, queen, and jack (knave) of the trump suit.
Lead: The first card played in a trick.
Pack: See Deck.
Rubber: The best of three games.
Small slam: The winning, by one team, of twelve tricks in a hand.
Tenace: A suit holding containing the highest and third-highest of the suit or (the 'minor tenace') second- and fourth-highest.
Trick: Four cards played one each by the players.
Trump: The suit chosen by the last-dealt card that will beat all other suits regardless of rank. When two cards are played from the trump suit, the higher card wins the trick.
The name 'whist' has become attached to a wide variety of games based on classic whist, but often with some kind of bidding added, for example:
A whist drive is a social event at which progressive games of whist are played.
'[...] Whist has long been noted for its influence upon what is termed the calculating power; and men of the highest order of intellect have been known to take an apparently unaccountable delight in it, [...]'
'[...] His only pastime was reading the papers and playing whist. He frequently won at this quiet game, so very appropriate to his nature;[...]'
'[...] By an eerie green storm lantern
Three ghouls were playing whist [...]'
'[...] Bob liked to play his poker, pinochle, whist, and euchre.[...]'
The basics
-Number of players: four
-Playing time: 1 hour (per rubber)
-Cards: standard pack, no jokers
-Ranking: Ace high, then King down to deuce. Suits are equal.
-Deal: partners, who sit opposite each other and play as a team, are decided by any convenient means. A common method is for all players to cut (when Ace is traditionally ranked low), those drawing the two higher cards playing those drawing the two lower.
The entire pack is dealt out, one card at a time to each player in turn. The last card (dealer’s) is exposed to determine the trump suit: alternatively, the suit is nominated before each deal.
History
The origins of Whist go back 400 years. It was long one of Britain’s most popular games until superseded by its more sophisticated offspring, Bridge. Whist remains an ideal introduction to trick-taking games in general. Despite its simple rules, the game demands a high degree of skill.
Object of the game
To take more tricks than the opposition and to be the first team to win two games.
Play
Eldest leads to the first trick, each player in turn (clockwise from Eldest) contributing a card. In lead, a player is free to choose any card from hand. Players must follow suit; that is, play a card of the same suit as that led. If unable to do so, a player may trump (play a trump card) or discard (play a card from another suit). The highest trump takes the trick. If no trump card is played, the highest card of the suit led takes the trick. Either player of the winning partnership picks up the trick (four cards) and places the packet face down in front of them. The player who won the trick leads into the next trick. Subsequent tricks are overlapped so that they may be easily counted. The penalty for a revoke is 3 points.
The offended partnership can add these to their score, deduct them from the opponents’, or take three of the opponents’ tricks.
Scoring
The winning side of a hand score one point for each trick in excess of six. The first side to reach or exceed five points winds the game and the first side to win two games wins the rubber.
A more elaborate scoring system is sometimes used when the game is played for stakes. The winners of a game score according to the number of points earned by the opponents:
No points = triple game (3);
One or two points = double game (2);
Three or four points = single game (1).
In addition, the team that wins the rubber scores two additional game points. Thus the maximum a partnership can win by in a rubber is eight (two triple games), and the minimum is one (two single games against opponents’ triple game).
Conventions
-First player (if holding the top honours in a plain suit):
First lead | Second lead | |
AKQJ | K | J |
AKQx | K | Q |
AKxx | K | A |
In trumps, lead lowest of the top honours (AKQJ, lead J).
-Second player (if a low card is led, and holding top honours):
AKQx | Q |
AKJx | K |
AKxx | K |
If an honour is led, cover it with a higher honour is possible. On other leads, play a low card unless there is a good reason to play high.
-Third player: Play your highest card unless finesse is desirable; if you are unable to beat previous card, play low. If you hold onours, play lowest or lower card of a sequence (KQJx, play J)
-Fourth player: Take the trick if possible, otherwise play low.
Tips on how to win
At the start of a hand of Whist you and your partner know nothing about each other’s cards. In order to play your cards intelligently it is therefore essential to exchange as much information with your partner as possible. This is done by the means of conventions, a large number of which have been developed during the long history of the game. A few of the more common ones have been shown earlier. Conventions should always be followed unless there is an excellent reason for deviating. Common sense is assumed: you don’t for example trump a trick that your partner is winning.
When first leading, play a card from your longest suit (the suit in which you have the most cards), but do not lead trumps unless you have at least five. If your lack top honours, lead your fourth highest card. If you have two suits of equal length, open with your strongest.
Return your partner’s lead when able to do so, normally playing the highest card in the suit. With long trumps it is usually good to lead with them in order to draw your opponent’s trumps.
Do not lose sight of the fact that you and your partner are a team: it does not matter which of you wins a trick. It is often true that your weak suit is your partner’s strongest.
A useful device is the peter. When you have only two valueless cards left in a suit you discard the higher one first. When you follow this with the lower one, partner will know you are void in the suit and are ready to trump. Conversely, a cardinal rule is to note carefully every card your opponents play. This should guide you as to what to lead to subsequent tricks.
A good memory is invaluable in Whist. If you cannot recall every card played (good players can) then try to keep a running tally of how many cards are left in each suit, particularly trumps, together with the controlling (top-ranking) cards in each case.
An example hand of Whist
As in Bridge, the players are traditionally designated by the cardinal points, North and South playing East and West.
South dealt and turned over the last card, 4 of Clubs, so clubs are trumps. The underlined card of each trick takes it and the owner leads to the next (see picture below).
West | North | East | South | |
Trick 1 | Queen of Diamonds | Jack of Diamonds | 9 of Diamonds | 3 of Diamonds |
Trick 2 | King of Diamonds | 10 of Diamonds | 4 of Diamonds | 6 of Diamonds |
Both North and East have petered, so West knows the last diamonds, the seven, lies with South.
Trick 3 | Ace of Diamonds | 2 of Clubs | 6 of Clubs | 7 of Diamonds |
Trick 4 | 8 of Hearts | 3 of Hearts | 10 of Hearts | Jack of Hearts |
South reasons North has the King of Hearts but doesn’t want to return East’s lead.
Trick 5 | 3 of Spades | 2 of Spades | 4 of Spades | Ace of Spades |
Trick 6 | 5 of Spades | King of Spades | 6 of Spades | 9 of Spades |
Trick 7 | 3 of Clubs | 5 of Clubs | Jack of Clubs | 4 of Clubs |
North wants to clear trumps before promoting hearts. East finesses successfully. West does not peter since there is nothing to gain – and the 8 could earn a trick over trumping South.
Trick 8 | 8 of Clubs | 5 of Hearts | 2 of Hearts | 2 of Hearts |
East, who knows that North has the trump K, would prefer West to lead the suit.
Trick 9 | Queen of Spades | 7 of Hearts | 7 of Spades | 9 of Clubs |
North does not wish to trump as this would bare the K. Anyway, “second hand low”.
Trick 10 | 2 of Diamonds | 9 of Hearts | Queen of Clubss | Ace of Hearts |
Trick 11 | 5 of Diamonds | 7 of Clubs | Ace of Clubs | 10 of Clubs |
East had hoped the K would fall but has the consolation of netting two trumps.
Trick 12 | Jack of Spades | King of Clubs | 8 of Clubs | 6 of Hearts |
North knows that the King of Clubs is the last trump and that the King of Hearts is good.
Trick 13 | 8 of Diamonds | King of Diamonds | 10 of Spades | Queen of Hearts |
East-West win by the odd trick (1 point).
Variants
In some circles, points for honours are awarded, although the practise is dying. The honours are AKQJ of trumps.
If one side holds all four, they receive four points at the end of the game; if three, two points (i.e. one point for every honour held in excess of those held by the opponents). All the honours can be in one hand or split between partners. However, a side that is within one point of game at the start of a deal cannot score honours.
There are many Whist variants. German Whist is a simple game for two players. Each player is dealt 12 cards, as in the normal game. The next card is turned up to determine the trump suit for the hand.
Elder leads: the winner of the trick takes the exposed trump; the loser takes the card off the top of the stock with the next card turned face up beside it. Play continues in this manner, with the winner of a trick always taking the exposed card, until the stock is exhausted.
The tricks are then discarded and the game proper beings, only the last 13 tricks counting. The object of the first stage is to improve one’s hand, with the players seeking to win the trick if the up card is desirable and lose it if it is not.
Related External Links
There is a great Classic Whist guide on the Pagat website