Whist

Player`s qualities

Trained memory is the player`s main quality. Experienced players appreciate skilled memory and the ability to fix attention. Develop your memory to follow trumps, sloughs of the other players: Follow and fix in your mind! The beginner should be attentive and careful. Experience doesn`t come at once. One day the other players` cards become transparent!

The beginner willing to become one of the whist players shouldn`t be afraid of mockery. Whist is an intellectual game and the players are proud of this fact. Be sure to analyze the game. Seeing your genuine interest, the experienced players will put their trust in you, let you observe the game and will comment on your moves afterwards.

Try not to change your coaches (at least during the night), be permanent and you will learn the rules of whist, the most English game among all.

Exposed cards in whist

In a classical whist there are four players. Sometimes it is played by two or three players. In this case the absent players are substituted by exposed cards. There may be five or six players, but one or two should go out of the game when needed.

Rules are the same for any number of players.

Cards order and robbers

1. In whist two packs of 52 cards are used.

2. The cards in each suit rank from highest to lowest: A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2.

3. The first five cards: ace, king, queen, jack, ten, nine are called honors.

4. Robber consists of 2 games.

5. After the first game the dealer may change the pack.

6. The partners who finished 2 games (or 2 out of 3) win robber.

7. Each game is 5 points up, each robber is 10 points.

Deal and partnership

1. There are two rounds in the game. There are four players in two fixed partnerships.

2. Partners sit facing each other.

3. Players change places, so partners change.

4. Players can not choose the partner: partners are determined by the card from the pack.

5. Minor card plays with minor one, major card - with major one.

6. The one who has the lower card becomes the first dealer.

7. The cards are cut by the player to the dealer`s right.

8. The dealer deals out all the cards starting from the player to his left.

9. The final card, which will belong to the dealer, is turned face up to indicate which suit is trumps.

10. In case the dealer looks at the last card or shows it to the players (intentionally or deliberately), he loses his right to be the dealer.

11. Nobody tries to see or take cards during dealing.

12. The dealer may shuffle cards.

13. If a card is exposed during dealing, the dealer must deal over.

14. The game dealt out by the player who didn`t observe his turn is invalid if circumstance was overlooked and the trump is exposed.

15. There`s no penalty for the card that has fallen under the table. If the card fell face up it may lay exposed. The players lead or take a trick.

16. The dealer who made a mistake loses the right to deal.

17. The payer to the dealer`s left leads first; the one who took a trick leads second.

Suits and tricks

1. A player may slough the suit, but he is not obliged to beat it.

2. If you do not have the needed suit, slough any cards you like or head a trick.

3. The one who gives the highest cards takes a trick.

4. In case a player is found out to have the suit, but he soughs other suits or heads a trick, the penalty is five scores in his opponent`s favor or three scores in his partners` favor.

Making notes

1. A player making notes enumerates honors and penalties above the horizontal line, tricks are noted under it.

2. Five tricks are needed to end a game, i.e. 10 scores should be noted under the line.

3. Honors: five picture-cards in a player`s hand or in partners` hands are five honors. They are equal to 5 scores, 4 scores are given for 4 honors, 2 scores for 3 honors.

4. Any additional trick (above 6 fixed ones) brings 2 scores.

5. Twelve tricks taken by partners are called "small slam". In this case 12 scores are given for tricks and 10 scores for honors.

6. 13 tricks are "big slam". 14 scores are given for tricks and 20 scores for honors.

7. Lost games are noted above the line, won games are listed under the line. For instance,

  26  - for losers,

16 - for winners.

8. In order get a full robber, 2 games should be won. Partners may win a game, but have fewer scores than their opponents.

For instance:

Partners A - Partners B

12           5

6             4

5             5

8             5

5             6

5              6

On the whole, the former have 41 scores, the latter have 31 scores. 31 are deducted from 41, the former have 10 scores that are noted above the line:

    10  

The latter note the following:

           
     0

9. 5 scores are given for side cards: ace-king-queen, 10 scores for trumps; 10 scores for side ace-king-queen-jack, 20 for trumps; 20 scores for side ace-king-queen-jack-ten, trumps get 40; 5 scores are given for each side card from ace to eight, 10 scores are added to trumps.