
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,170
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Bridge
- 4 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 3.9/5
- 1925

Rules assistance for Whist
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Whist is a board game released in 1663 for 2–4 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. Its main mechanics are Team-Based Game and Trick-taking.
Whist is a trick taking standard deck playing card game that was played widely in the 18th and 19th centuries and is often mentioned in literature from that time period. The most basic version of the game features fixed partnerships with no bidding. The game uses a single deck, and follows the basic mechanics of most trick taking games: the starting player leads a suit, and then the other players are forced to follow unless they have none of that suit left, in which case they are allowed to either toss a useless card of another suit, or to play a trump. The object of Whist is to acquire tricks in excess of 6, each 1 of which scores 1 point. In this basic form the game usually goes to 5, though 7 and 9 point variations were also common. The trumps in standard Whist were determined by facing the last card to be dealt. In addition, like most card games, there are a large variety of variants. A common one involves pre-determing the trump suit, and running them in order from hand to hand. (For instance: Hearts first, then Diamonds, Spades, and finally Clubs, and then start over again) Another, less popular and luck oriented variant involves giving a 4 point bonus to a partnership if it held the 'Honours' run of A - K - Q - J in the suit that was trump for that hand or 2 points if it had 3 of the 4. As this is based on the cards as dealt it is a very luck based option, and as such has fallen out of common use though it was once considered a standard way to play the game. Other variants include bidding (quite common, and turn the game into something closely resembling Spades) and two player adaptations.
Whist supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Whist is 60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Whist for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Whist has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Whist belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Team-Based Game and Trick-taking. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The catalogue lists Whist as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.