How to Play Whist: Card Game Rules & Interactive Tutorial

Whist is a 4-player "trick-taking" card game where players work in two-player teams with partners sitting across from each other.

A trick consists of each player playing one card, and it's won by playing either the highest card of the suit that was led or the highest trump card. Teams score points for tricks won beyond 6 points. So taking 8 tricks would earn your team 2 points. The first team to reach 7 points wins the game. Teams must carefully coordinate their play, using strategy to outmaneuver their opponents.

The game requires strategic thinking, careful card play, and team coordination to win tricks. Communication between partners is limited to their card play.

When a trick is led, players must follow suit if possible. This means playing a card of the same suit as the first card played. If a player cannot follow suit, they can play any card. Trump cards add an extra layer of strategy, as they can win tricks even when not of the led suit.

Below you'll find a thorough explanation of the rules, and above, you'll find an interactive tutorial to help you learn how to play Whist. Whichever way you choose to learn the game, you should be well-acquainted with the rules in no time.

Once you're familiar with the rules, it's time to Play Whist Online. You can play directly at World of Card Games, either by yourself against bots or multiplayer with other people. We recommend playing a couple of games against computer opponents before challenging human players, but that's up to you.

Got a trick up your sleeve? Join a Whist table!

Rank of cards

In Whist, cards follow a straightforward hierarchy. From highest to lowest, each suit ranks: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.

Objective

Victory in Whist is achieved by being the first team to accumulate 7 points. Every trick beyond the initial 6 points counts towards your team's score.

Deal

A random player is chosen to be the dealer.

Each player is dealt 13 cards from a standard deck of 52 cards. The final card is dealt face-up to the dealer. This card's suit becomes the trump suit for the round. This trump card remains visible until the dealer plays their first card.

The player to the dealer's left leads the first trick.

Play

The player leading a trick can play any card. The other players must follow suit if they can. Which means that they must play a card of the same suit as the lead card. If they don't have that suit, they may play any card, including a trump.

The highest card of the led suit wins the trick, unless someone plays a trump card. Any trump card beats all non-trump cards, and the highest trump played wins the trick.

The winner of each trick leads the next one. Unlike Spades, in Whist you can lead with a trump at any time.

TRAM

If your remaining cards are guaranteed to win all remaining tricks (for example, holding all high trumps), you'll see a TRAM button ("The Rest Are Mine"). Using this option speeds up play by automatically taking all remaining tricks.

Scoring

Scoring in Whist is delightfully straightforward. Teams earn 1 point for each trick they win beyond the initial 6 tricks. For instance, win 8 tricks, and you'll score 2 points.

Game End

The first team to reach 7 points emerges victorious, crowned as the Whist champions!

History

Originating in the 18th century, Whist was a predecessor to the more complex Bridge. While competitive play has largely moved to Bridge, Whist remains a beloved social game, particularly popular in British card-playing circles.