Whist, a game at cards, believed to be of English origin; probably a development of the game of trump (or triumph), which was played in England at least as early as the time of Henry VIII. Trump is mentioned in a sermon delivered by Latimer on the Sunday before Christmas 1529. The game of trump is also mentioned by Shakespeare punning on the word triumph in Antony and Cleopatra, act iv. scene 12. The game of whist is not mentioned by Shakespeare, or by any writer of the Elizabethan era.
The earliest mention of whist (or whisk) is in the poems of Taylor the Water-poet (1621). In the first edition of Cotton's Compleat Gamester (1674) whist is described as a game 'commonly known in England.' Cotton says that 'the game of whist is so called from the silence that is to be observed in the play;' this derivation was adopted by Dr Johnson, to the extent of explaining whist to be a game requiring silence, and it has been generally accepted by modern etymologists.
Whist was formerly played nine-up. The change to ten-up took place about the first quarter of the 18th century. Whist played ten-up is called long whist. About 1785 the experiment of dividing the game into half was tried, and short whist was the result. The short game soon came into favour; and in 1864 the supremacy of short whist was acknowledged by the adoption as the standard of the laws of short whist framed by committees of the Turf and Portland clubs.
Edmond Hoyle (q.v.), the first writer of any celebrity on whist (commonly called the father of the game), published his Short Treatise in 1742. He used to give lessons in whist at a guinea a lesson. His Short Treatise ran through many editions during his lifetime; and since his death his works have been reproduced in numberless ways. Hoyle died in Welbeck Street, Cavendish Square, on August 29, 1769, at the age, so it is said, of ninety-seven.
The game of whist is played by four persons, two being partners against the other two. The partners sit opposite to each other. The partnership is determined by cutting. The two lowest are partners against the two highest, and the lowest has the deal and the choice of seats and cards. In cutting, the ace is lowest. Each player has a right to shuffle the pack once before each deal, the dealer having the privilege of a final shuffle. The shuffling being concluded, the player to the dealer's right cuts the pack. The dealer, having reunited the packets, is bound to deal the cards one at a time to the players in rotation, beginning with the player to his left. He turns up the bottom card (called the trump card). The deal being completed, the players sort their cards, and the player to the dealer's left (or leader) plays a card face upwards on the table. The other players follow in rotation, being bound to follow suit if they can. When all have played, the trick is complete. It is then gathered and turned over by the winning side. The highest card wins the trick. The ace is highest in playing; and the other cards reckon in the order king, queen, knave, ten, &c., down to the deuce, or two, which is lowest. If any player cannot follow suit (i.e. has none of the suit led), he may play any card he pleases. If he plays a card of the suit turned up (called trumps), he wins the trick, unless another player also, having none of the suit led, plays a higher trump. The player who wins the trick becomes the leader for the next trick, and so on till the whole hand (consisting of thirteen tricks) is played out.
After scoring, the player to the last dealer's left deals in his turn; and in subsequent deals each player deals in turn, the rotation going to the left.
Scoring.—The side winning more than six tricks reckons one for each trick above six; and the side holding, either separately or conjointly, more than two of the following cards, ace, king, queen, and knave of trumps (called honours), reckons as under: If they hold any three honours, they score two; if they hold four honours, they score four. Players who are at four cannot score honours. The side first reaching five, in one hand or in a succession of hands, scores a game, valued thus: a single, if the adversaries have already scored three or four; a double, if they have scored one or two; a treble, if they have scored nothing.
A rubber consists of the best two games out of three. If the same players win two consecutive games, the third is not played. The winners of the rubber score in points the value of the games they have won; when the rubber has consisted of three games, the value of the loser's game is deducted. And whether two or three games are played, two points are added for the rubber. Thus, if A B (partners) win a single and a double, they win three points on the games, and they add two for the rubber, making five points. Had A B won the same, but Y Z (their opponents) won a treble, they would have to deduct three points, the value of the opponents' game, and would win only two points.
Whist is a mixed game of chance and skill. The chance resides in having trumps and other good cards dealt. The skill consists in the application of such knowledge as shall, in the long run, turn the chances of the cards in the player's favour. At the commencement of the hand, the first lead presents a problem of almost pure chance; but as the hand proceeds observation of the fall of the cards, inference therefrom, memory and judgment come in, so that the end of a hand often presents a problem of pure skill. It is these ever-varying gradations of skill and chance that give the game its chief interest as a scientific pastime.
To become a skilful player it is necessary to bear in mind that the game is not one of any given player's hand against the other three, but a combination of two against two. In order that two partners shall play their hands to the best advantage, they must strive, as much as possible, to play the two hands as though they were one. To this end it is advisable that they should pursue some uniform system of play, so that each partner shall understand the plans of the other, and be placed in the most favourable position to assist him in carrying them out. The experience of a hundred and fifty years has developed a system of play tending to this result.
1. The first, or original, lead should be from the player's strongest suit. A strong suit is one that contains either a large number of cards (four or more) or several high cards. The suit containing the largest number of cards (numerical strength) is the one to be mostly preferred. The object aimed at in opening the strongest suit is to exhaust the cards of that suit from the other hands. When this object is accomplished, the cards of the suit which remain in the leader's hand (called long cards) obtain a value which does not intrinsically belong to them. They often become of great service, for when led they either compel the adversary to trump or they make tricks. And when trumps are all out the player who has the lead makes as many tricks as he has long cards. On the other side, by opening weak suits there is considerable risk of sacrificing partner's strength, and of leaving long cards with the opponents.
2. Some players are prone to lead single cards, but experience shows that weak leads, as a rule, do more harm than good. Sometimes a trick or two is made by playing a trumping game; but the chances are that such tactics sacrifice partner's hand, and clear the suit for the adversaries.
3. The leader should open with the lowest card of his strong suit, in expectation that the third hand will play his highest, and so assist in clearing the leader's strong suit. Moreover, if the leader keeps the best cards of his suit in his own hand, he has a fair chance of getting the lead again when his suit is nearly or quite established. But with ace and four or more small ones it is advisable to begin with the ace, lest the ace be trumped on the second round. Also, with a high sequence in the strong suit it is best to lead one of the sequence first, lest the adversaries win with a very small card.
4. For the ordinary leads from high sequences any elementary work on whist may be consulted. For refinements on the American system of leading, and also for the cases in which the fourth-best card should be led in preference to the lowest, the more advanced treatises of 'Cavendish' may be referred to.
5. After the first trick the lead may remain with the first leader. His best play, as a rule, is to continue his suit. If the lead falls to another player, his play will be, in most cases, to open his best suit; and so on. If the lead falls to the first player's partner, he has choice of two modes of play. If he has a very strong suit of his own, he would often be right to open it; if not, he would generally do well to continue the suit his partner first led, or, as it is commonly called, to return his partner's suit. The object is to strengthen partner by assisting to clear his strong suit.
6. When returning a suit, if the player has only two cards of it remaining in his hand, he should return the highest; if more than two, the lowest. The exception is, if he has the winning card, he should return that irrespective of the number of cards in the suit. The reason is that with but two cards of the suit remaining the player is weak in the suit, and he is therefore bound to sacrifice his good card to support his partner. But with three or more remaining after the first round he is strong, and is therefore justified in calling on partner to support him.
7. This rule of play is most important. It should be carefully observed with even the smallest cards, as it enables partner to determine the situation of the remaining cards. For example: A leads a suit in which B (his partner) holds ace, three, and two. In returning A's suit, after winning with the ace, B is bound to return the three, and not the two. When B's two falls in the third round A will know that his partner has no more of the suit. But suppose B's cards to be ace, four, three and two. In returning the suit B is bound to choose the two. Then after the third round A will conclude with certainty that B has at least one more card of the suit.
8. Late in a hand the considerations with regard to the lead vary. If there is no indication to the contrary, it is best for each side to continue the suits originally opened by them. But the fall of the cards may show that it is disadvantageous to persevere in the suits first led. In such cases the player must have recourse to other and weaker suits. The general rule to be observed here is to choose a suit in which there is reason to infer that the right-hand adversary is weak, or—but this is less favourable—one in which the left-hand adversary is strong. In either case, if the suit chosen contains but three cards, none higher than knave, or only two cards, it is in most cases right to lead the highest.
9. The second player, as a rule, should play his lowest card, in order to preserve his strength in the leader's suit. The first trick in the suit is left to partner, who has an even chance of holding a better card than the third player. But if the second hand has a strong sequence, he should play the lowest of the sequence, by which partner's hand may be saved, and a high card still remain over the original leader.
10. When a high card is led it is sometimes advisable for the second player to cover it with a higher one. For details of the play of the second hand, as regards playing a high card, or covering the card led, some systematic treatise should be studied.
11. When the second hand has none of the suit led he should trump, if he has but two or three trumps; but he should not trump a doubtful card if he has more than three trumps. This will be further explained when treating of the management of trumps.
12. The third hand, as a rule, plays his highest card in order to support partner in his suit. The exceptions are: with ace, queen, &c. the queen is to be played; and if partner has begun with a high card, it is often right to pass it.
13. Management of Trumps.—With strength in trumps (i.e. with four or more) they should not be used for trumping, if it can be avoided, but should be kept together, in hopes of establishing a suit, and of remaining with the long trump, with which to get the lead after the other trumps are out, and so to bring in the suit. Thus if the opponents lead a losing or doubtful card it is better, as a rule, not to trump it when holding four trumps. But if the opponents lead a winning card it is generally advisable to trump it, though holding four trumps.
14. With five trumps the chance of succeeding in exhausting the opponents' hands, and of remaining with the long trump, is so considerable that a player having five or more trumps should lead them; and as number is the principal element of strength, he should not be deterred from leading trumps merely because the fourth hand has turned up an honour.
15. With four trumps only, first lead the strong suit. When the adversaries' hands are cleared of that suit, or so far cleared that the holder of the long cards in that suit commands it, it is, as a rule, safe to lead from four trumps.
16. A player is only justified in leading from weak trumps if he holds winning cards in every suit; if the adversaries are both trumping a suit; or if the game is lost unless partner has strength.
17. It is most important to return partner's trump lead at once, unless he has led from weakness; for partner, by leading trumps, declares a strong game, and it is then the best policy to abandon one's own plans, and to support his.
18. It follows that a player should seldom lead a card for his partner to trump, unless he has four or more trumps; for with less than four trumps he is weak; if he forces his partner to trump, partner is weakened also; and the chances are that by weakening partner under such circumstances the command of trumps will remain with the adversaries.
19. But a player may force his partner, although weak himself, if partner has already been forced, and has not afterwards led trumps; if partner has already declared weakness in trumps, as by trumping a doubtful card second hand; if two partners can each trump a different suit; and when one trick from partner's hand wins or saves the game.
20. The same considerations which make it inexpedient to force partner when weak one's self show the advantage of forcing a strong trump-hand of the opponents.
There are yet some general rules of play to be explained.
21. The second, third, and fourth players should always play the lowest of a sequence. The rule here given is in conformity with the play that would naturally be adopted in playing cards that are not in sequence; and by keeping to a uniform plan players are enabled to infer what cards their partner does or does not hold. It is true that the adversaries often gain the same information; but it is found by experience that it is of more advantage to inform partner than to deceive the opponents.
22. As a rule, it is advisable to lead out the winning cards of partner's suit. The presumption is that he has led from his strong suit; and by leading out the winning cards the suit is cleared for him, and his long cards are not obstructed. The reverse applies to suits led by the adversaries. It is mostly right to retain the winning cards of such suits as long as possible, in order to stop the establishment of the suit.
23. When a player has none of the suit led, he should throw away from his weakest suit; for by discarding from a strong suit its numerical power is damaged. But when the adversaries have shown great strength in trumps it is not advisable to keep small cards of a long suit, as it is not likely that it can ever be brought in. Under such circumstances the player should throw away from his best protected suit, and keep guards to his weaker ones.
24. Players should watch the cards as they are played, and endeavour to infer from them where the others lie. Thus, if a player wins a queen with an ace it may be inferred that he has not the king, the rule being to win with the lowest; if a player leads trumps at starting it may be inferred, as a rule, that he is strong in trumps, or has a very fine hand. By recording in this way, and by counting the number of cards played in each suit, skilled players will often, towards the close of a hand, know the position of all the important cards remaining in; and by means of this knowledge they will be able to play the end of the hand to the same advantage as though they had seen all the cards.
25. And lastly, players should play to the score. Thus, wanting but one trick to save or win the game, a winning card should be played at once. The example is stated as for one trick; but it should always be kept in mind how many tricks are requisite to win or save the game, or even a point, and the play should be varied accordingly.
ILLUSTRATIVE HAND.
The following example is given to show how the play at whist is conducted in accordance with the preceding general rules, and also how inferences from the fall of the cards may be drawn and used. The example is of the simplest kind, and is not intended to exhibit any fine stroke of play. A, Y, B, and Z are the four players; they sit round the table in the order of the letters, A B being partners against Y Z. A is the first leader, and Z the dealer. We will suppose the reader to be A, the score to be love-all, and Z to have turned up the two of hearts.
A'S HAND.
Ace, 2 of.....Spades.
Queen, 8, 7, 4 of.....Hearts.
9, 6, 5 of.....Clubs.
Queen, Knave, 7, 2 of.....Diamonds.
[Note.—It is a great assistance to inexperienced players to sort A's hand from a pack, and play a card to each trick from the remainder of the pack, as would be done in actual practice.]
THE PLAY.
[Note.—The cards in each trick are placed in the order in which they are played, the leader's card standing first. The capital letter in front of each card shows by whom it is played.]
Remark.—A leads from his strongest suit. He leads the lowest card of it. (For reasons, see above, sects. 1, 3.)
Inferences.—B being unable to win the king, A should note that the best diamond is against him, probably in Y's hand as the rule is with ace and king to put on king second hand. Some players put on king second hand with king and one small one; but the smallest should generally be played, unless the second hand holds a sequence. B dropping the nine, and A holding queen and knave (refer to A's hand), A concludes B to have ten or no more, the rule being to play the smallest when unable to lead the trick.
It is in this way, by comparing the cards which fall with those remaining in hand, that players obtain an insight into the game to guide them in their future conduct.
Inference.—A infers clubs to be Y's strongest suit. This inference does not affect the subsequent play. But it might; and, at all events, it is an inference that A ought to draw.
Remark.—Z returns his partner's lead (for reasons, see sect. 5).
Several inferences might here be drawn as to the position of the remaining clubs—as, for instance, that B has the queen; but as they do not affect the play, they are omitted, for the sake of brevity.
Remark.—Y continues his suit (for reasons, see sect. 1).
Inferences.—Spades may be taken to be B's strongest suit. B leads his fourth-best spade, in preference to his lowest. The reasons for preferring this card (an American lead) are too long for insertion here. They must be sought for in exhaustive treatises.
Z, putting on queen second hand, probably has king (see sect. 9). Also, he may be presumed not to hold the knave, or he would play the lowest of the sequence (see sect. 21).
Remark.—A continues his suit. As a rule, with second and third best (in this case, queen and knave), one of those should be led; but B having played the nine to the king, in the first trick (refer to trick 1, and last inference therefrom), A would part with strength unnecessarily by leading a high card, as B either has the ten or will trump.
This is an example of departure from rule owing to previous fall of cards.
Remark.—B continues his suit.
Inference.—The ten falling from Y's hand, it may be inferred that he holds no more (see remark, trick 8).
Remarks.—As regards the lead of the spade here, it may seem at the first glance to be contrary to the rules of play advocated in the preceding article. It is a return of the adversary's lead, and up to the strong hand. But it must be remembered that whist is not a stereotyped game of rule; rules can only be given for the general case, and they have to be departed from more or less frequently as the scheme of the hand becomes developed. Z is bound to play to force his partner in order to make the fifth trick, and so to save the game if Y has an honour. Owing to the American lead of seven of spades (at trick 5), Z can count that B remains with three spades, all higher than the seven (the seven being his fourth best), and therefore that Y has no more spades.
A also can count that Y has no more spades. He trumps with the seven of hearts to prevent Y from winning the trick with a very small trump. As the cards happen to lie A's trump is wasted, but the play must not be judged by the result.
Remark.—Y leads the thirteenth club.
Inferences.—It is probable, from this lead, that Y has strength in trumps, such as an honour guarded. When a thirteenth card is led before trumps have been played, it generally means that the leader wants his partner to put on his best trump, in order to make trumps separately. It may be, however, that the leader only wants his partner to be led up to if the thirteenth card is trumped by the fourth hand. It is a difficult point in the game for the third hand to know whether to play a high trump on a thirteenth card or to pass it.
A further inference from this trick is that Z is weak in trumps, as he only puts on the five. If he trumps at all, he will most likely trump with his highest. Looking at the fact that if the trump lead comes from A the lead will be presumably up to a weak suit, and also that A has the best diamonds and his partner the remaining spades, A determines to lead a trump. Accordingly,
Remark.—Holding but two of the suit, A leads his best (see sect. 6).
Remark.—B returns his partner's lead of trumps. As a rule, partner's trump lead should be returned immediately (see sect. 17); but it does not follow that B is bound to return trumps here, a strengthening trump being led late in the hand. B, however, does well to return the trump in this case, as, on the whole, the best chance for the odd trick is to bring down all the trumps, and to find A with the winning diamonds.
Tricks 12 and 13.—Y (trick 12) leads a diamond (he has only diamonds in hand), and A makes the knave and queen.
A B score the odd trick.
See Laws and Principles of Whist (23d ed. 1898), Whist Developments (4th ed. 1891), and Card Games (1897), by the present writer; Clay's Short Whist (1881); Pole's Philosophy of Whist (6th ed. 1892) and Evolution of Whist (1895); Drayson's Practical Whist (5th ed. 1892); Foster's Whist Manual (1890); Courtney's English Whist (1894); and Buller's Whist Reference Book (1899).