Whist is a 4-player trick-taking card game played in partnerships. It is one of the oldest and most influential card games in history, serving as the direct ancestor of Bridge, Hearts, Spades, and Euchre. Here is a complete guide to the rules so you can start playing immediately.

What You Need

  • Players: Exactly 4
  • Deck: Standard 52 cards (no jokers)
  • Seating: Partners sit opposite each other (North/South vs East/West)
  • Score sheet: Paper or a scoring app

Card Rankings

Cards rank from Ace (high) to 2 (low) in every suit:

A > K > Q > J > 10 > 9 > 8 > 7 > 6 > 5 > 4 > 3 > 2

There are no special cards. Every card’s power depends only on its rank and suit.

The Deal

  1. Cut for deal: Each player draws a card. The highest card deals first. In case of a tie, the tied players draw again.
  2. Shuffle and cut: The dealer shuffles. The player to the dealer’s right cuts the deck.
  3. Deal: Cards are dealt one at a time, clockwise, beginning with the player to the dealer’s left. Each player receives 13 cards.
  4. Set trump: The last card dealt (the dealer’s 13th card) is turned face-up on the table. Its suit is the trump suit for this hand.
  5. Pick up: The dealer picks up the face-up card after all players have seen it. The dealer now holds 13 cards like everyone else.
Step Action
1 Cut for first deal
2 Shuffle and cut
3 Deal 13 cards each, one at a time, clockwise
4 Turn last card face-up → trump suit
5 Dealer picks up trump card

Playing a Hand

Step 1: The Opening Lead

The player to the dealer’s left leads the first trick. They may play any card from their hand.

Step 2: Follow Suit

Each player, going clockwise, must play a card. The critical rule:

You must follow suit. If you have a card of the suit that was led, you must play one. If you have no cards of the led suit, you may play any card.

Step 3: Determine the Winner

The trick is won by:

  • The highest card of the suit led, unless a trump was played
  • If one or more trumps were played, the highest trump wins

The player who wins the trick leads the next trick.

Step 4: Repeat

Play continues for all 13 tricks. Each player plays exactly one card per trick, and each hand uses all 52 cards.

Example Trick

Suppose Hearts is trump, and the lead player plays the King of Clubs:

Player Card Played Result
West (lead) K♣ Led suit is Clubs
North 4♣ Followed suit
East 7♥ Trumped (no clubs)
South 3♣ Followed suit

East wins with the 7♥ (a trump) even though West led the King of Clubs. The trump suit beats any non-trump card regardless of rank.

Scoring

After all 13 tricks are played, each partnership counts the number of tricks they won.

  • The first 6 tricks are the “book” — they earn no points.
  • Each trick above 6 scores 1 point.
Tricks Won Points Scored
6 or fewer 0
7 1
8 2
9 3
10 4
11 5
12 6
13 (sweep) 7

Game is typically played to 5 points (English rules) or 7 points (American rules).

The Rubber

A rubber is a best-of-three-games match. The first partnership to win 2 games wins the rubber. After each game, the deal passes to the left, and a new game begins.

Key Rules Summary

  1. You must follow suit if you can.
  2. Trumps beat non-trumps — always.
  3. Highest card wins within the same suit.
  4. The trick winner leads the next trick.
  5. No bidding — play begins immediately after the deal.
  6. No talking — partners communicate only through card play.

Revokes (Penalties)

A revoke occurs when a player fails to follow suit despite holding a card of that suit. This is the most serious error in Whist:

  • The offending partnership loses 2 points (or 2 tricks are transferred, depending on house rules).
  • The revoke can be corrected if caught before the trick is turned over.
  • Once the trick is complete and turned face-down, the penalty applies.

Dealing Rotation

After each hand, the deal passes clockwise to the next player. A new trump suit is set with each deal. Partnerships remain the same throughout the game.

Tips for Your First Game

  • Watch the trump card carefully when it’s revealed — remember the suit.
  • Count trumps as they’re played. There are 13 in the deck, and knowing how many remain is critical.
  • Follow suit honestly — a revoke is embarrassing and costly.
  • Lead your strongest suit to force opponents to follow or waste trumps.
  • Pay attention to partner’s plays — they are trying to tell you something with each card.

What’s Next?

Once you’re comfortable with the basic rules, move on to: