Whist
Classic English trick-taking game, precursor to bridge.
Whist is a classic English trick-taking card game that was widely played in the 18th and 19th centuries. Although the rules are simple, there is scope for strategic play. The game takes its name from the 17th-century word whist (or wist) meaning quiet, silent, attentive, which is the root of the modern wistful.
- Origin
- England
- Governing bodies
- The Portland Club (London) and The Whist Club (New York)
- Replaced by
- Bridge in the early 1890s
Lore & Background
Whist evolved from the 17th-century game Ruff and Honours, itself a descendant of Triumph. Whist was a simpler, more staid version with the twos removed and a 10 point game. By the 18th century, Whist, played with a 52-card pack, superseded Ruff and Honours. It became the standard text and rules for the game for the next hundred years. Short Whist, played with a rubber of two 5-point games in Britain, and a game of 7 points in American Whist grew in popularity and eventually replaced long whist. Jones outlined a comprehensive history of Whist, suggesting its ancestors could include a game called Trionf, mentioned by a sixteenth century Italian poet named Berni, and a game called Trump (or Triumph), mentioned in Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. By the later 19th Century, official rules of Short Whist were maintained by The Portland Club in London and The Whist Club in New York.
Reader's Guide
Whist's significance lies in its role as the dominant English card game of the 18th and 19th centuries and as the direct precursor to modern bridge. It established many conventions of trick-taking play, including the ranking of cards (ace high), the mechanics of following suit and trumping, and the scoring of odd tricks. Whist also introduced strategic elements such as signaling to one's partner through the choice of lead cards, a concept that evolved into the bidding systems of bridge. Although quickly replaced by bridge in clubs in the early 1890s, Whist persisted as a social game, in club individual duplicate cardplay competitions, and at charitable whist drives. The game's legacy includes the development of the Portland Club and Whist Club as governing bodies, and its terminology—such as 'trick,' 'trump,' 'honours,' and 'rubber'—remains in use in bridge and other card games.
Did You Know?
- Whist takes its name from the 17th-century word whist (or wist) meaning quiet, silent, attentive.
- In the early 1890s, Whist was quickly replaced by the new game of Bridge in clubs.
- The superior American system of leads and signals was adopted in the last edition of Cavendish.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Whist?
Whist is a classic English partnership trick-taking card game that dominated parlor entertainment across the 18th and 19th centuries. Four players use a standard 52-card deck, competing to win tricks by playing higher cards of the trump suit or otherwise outbidding their opponents.
Where does the name 'Whist' come from?
The title traces back to a 17th-century English word meaning quiet, silent, or attentive — the same root that gives us the modern word 'wistful.' It likely described the hushed, focused demeanor players were expected to maintain at the table.
What eventually replaced Whist as the dominant partnership card game?
Bridge, which grew out of Whist's mechanics in the early 1890s, steadily displaced it in both social clubs and competitive circles. Whist's traditional governing bodies, including London's Portland Club and New York's Whist Club, saw their memberships shift toward the newer game.
Why is Whist considered important in card-game history?
It established the partnership trick-taking framework and strategic bidding logic that still underpin modern competitive card play, most directly through its successor bridge. Its deceptively simple rules also made it one of the most widely taught and played pastimes in English-speaking households for over two hundred years.
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