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HOW TO PLAY WHIST THE CARD GAME

"My son, aged 9, has seen his elders playing Whist and now wishes to learn the game. Can you recommend to me some simple game I can teach him, which will serve as an introduction to Whist?" The editor replied,

"Yes, I can recommend such a game. The game is Whist."

The fact is that the rules of Whist are simple and few. They can be learned in two minutes. Whist is just about the simplest of all card games to play at. What is not so easy is to play Whist well, for its extraordinary scope for skillful play lets the expert pull miles ahead of the beginner.

WHIST

Number of Players: 4, in partnerships. Cards: Each receives 13 cards, dealt one at a time. The last card of the deck, belonging to the dealer, is exposed to all the players. This card decides the trump suit for that hand. Rank: In every suit the cards rank

(Highest) AKQJ 10 98765432 (Lowest)

The Play: The player at left of the dealer makes the first lead. The hands are played out in tricks. A player must follow suit to the lead if he can. Otherwise he may play or lead as he pleases. A trick is won by the highest trump in it, or, if it contains no trump, by the highest card of the suit led. The winner of a trick makes the lead for the next trick. One member of each partnership gathers together all the tricks won by his side. The tricks are not thrown together in a single pile, but are overlapped so that each batch of four cards remains separated from the others. Object of Play: To win as many tricks as possible.

Scoring: The side that wins a majority of the tricks scores 1 point for each trick over 6. These are called odd tricks.

In addition, points are scored for honors. The honors are the A, K, Q, and J of trumps. If two honors were dealt to each side, there is no score. If one side received 3 honors, it scores 2; for all 4 honors, the score is 4. Remember that honors are scored by the side to which they are dealt, not won in play. Both sides may score in the same deal, one side winning a majority of tricks and the other side holding a majority of honors. Game: Points for odd tricks and honors are accumulated, and the side first reaching a total of 7 points wins a game.

Related terms include bridge card game and catan card game.