Whist is an old English card game that was the ancestor of modern bridge. Like bridge, whist is played with a pack of 52 cards, divided into four suits—clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades (see Bridge ). The ace is the highest card, and the deuce (two) is the lowest card.
Usually, four persons play whist. Partners sit facing each other. The cards are shuffled, cut (divided), and dealt one at a time. The dealer turns the last card face up. The suit turned up is called the trump suit. Any card in the trump suit is higher than any card in the other three suits. For example, the two of trumps is higher than the aces of the other suits.
The player on the dealer’s left lays down a card. The play moves clockwise, and each player lays down a card. Each player must play a card of the suit that was led. If a player cannot follow suit, he or she may play a card of another suit or a trump card. If trumps have not been played, the highest card played in the suit that was led wins the four cards, called the trick. However, if trumps have been played, the highest trump card wins the trick. The player who wins the trick leads the first card in the next trick. Each partnership tries to win as many tricks as possible.
Each trick taken above six tricks is worth one point. Taking all 13 tricks is called a slam. The first team to score seven points wins the game.
