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. The highest card of the led suit wins it, unless someone plays a trump. Your team scores 1 point for each trick you win beyond 6, and the first team to reach 7 points wins the game.

The game requires strategic thinking, careful card play, and team coordination to win tricks. Communication between partners is limited to their card play. Whist is the ancestor of Bridge, which adds bidding for an extra layer of strategy. For a trick-avoidance twist, try Hearts.

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!

Whist at a glance

A classic trick-taking game, simple rules with room for real skill.

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

You win by being the first team to reach 7 points. Each trick your team takes beyond the first 6 is worth 1 point.

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 hand. 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!

The rules in practice

A trick is just four cards, one from each player, and the highest card of the led suit takes them all unless a trump appears. Say diamonds are trump and someone leads the King of Hearts. You play the Ace of Hearts, the highest heart, and the trick looks like yours. But if the next player has no hearts, they can throw the 2 of Diamonds, and that lowly trump beats your Ace. That's why going void in a suit is so valuable in Whist.

The trump suit comes from the deal itself. The dealer's last card is dealt face up, and its suit is trump for the whole hand. That card stays on the table until the dealer plays their first card, so everyone starts the hand knowing one exact trump in the dealer's hand. If the 9 of Clubs is showing, you know clubs are trump and you know the dealer holds that 9.

Scoring only counts the overflow. There are 13 tricks in a hand, and your team earns 1 point for each trick beyond 6. Win 7 tricks and you score just 1 point while the other team scores nothing. Win all 13 and you score 7 points, enough to win the game in a single hand. Most games build up over several hands on the way to 7 points.

Strategy basics

A few habits will win you more tricks from your very first game.

• Lead from your strongest suit early, while everyone still has cards to follow with.
• Watch what your partner plays. Their leads and discards are the only signals you get.
• Don't trump a trick your partner is already winning.
• Count the trumps as they're played. Once the opponents run out, your remaining trumps are sure winners.
• Remember the dealer's face-up card. It tells you one card in the dealer's hand for free.
• You can lead trumps at any time. If you're long in trumps, leading them drains the opponents' trumps and protects your high cards in the other suits.

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.

Frequently asked questions

Who leads the first trick in Whist?

The player to the dealer's left. After that, whoever wins a trick leads the next one.

How is the trump suit decided?

The dealer's final card is dealt face up, and its suit becomes the trump suit for that hand. The card is part of the dealer's hand and stays visible until the dealer plays their first card. A new hand means a new deal and usually a new trump suit.

Can I lead a trump card?

Yes, at any time. Unlike Spades, Whist has no rule about "breaking" trumps, so you can lead a trump on the very first trick if you want to.

How many tricks does my team need before we score?

Your team needs at least 7 of the 13 tricks before anything counts. Each trick beyond 6 is worth 1 point, so winning 10 tricks scores 4 points.

What does the TRAM button mean?

"The Rest Are Mine." It appears when your remaining cards are guaranteed to win every remaining trick, and clicking it ends the hand right away by giving those tricks to you.