How To Play Whist — Gather Together Games
Needed
52 card deck; two players; pen and paper for scorekeeping
Deal
Each player is dealt 13 cards, one at a time. The top card of the remaining deck is flipped up.
Objective
First stage – to better the 13 card hand you were dealt. Second stage - to win as many tricks as possible. A trick is created by each player playing a card into the middle. The winner of the trick is the player with the highest ranking card.
Card Rank
Highest to lowest – Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
The trump suited cards will outrank all other suited cards. The trump suit for each round is the suit of the first card flipped up from the deck after the deal.
First Stage Play
The non-dealer plays a card to lead the first trick. The opposing player is required to play a card in the same suit of the lead card whenever possible. If the opposing player does not have a card in the lead suit, any card can be played.
The player with the highest ranking trump card wins. If no trump card was played, the winner is the player with the highest ranking card in the lead suit. The winner of the trick takes the flipped up card from the deck. The loser of the trick takes the next card from the deck. The loser of the trick does not show the drawn card to his/her opponent.
The cards played to form the trick are discarded. The top card of the remaining deck is flipped up. The player that won the last trick will lead the next trick. Players will try to win or lose tricks based on the card showing. The first stage continues until the deck is gone (13 rounds).
Second Stage Play
The player that won the last trick from the first stage will lead the first trick of the second stage. The winner of the trick is the player with the highest ranking trump card (trump is still the suit of the first flipped up card). If no trump was played, the winner of the trick is the player with the highest ranking card in the lead suit.
The winner of the trick leads the next trick. Players try to win as many tricks as possible and should keep track of tricks won in the second stage play.
Scoring
The amount of tricks won by a player over six tricks will count as a point. For example, if a player wins eight tricks, he/she is awarded two points. The first player to a pre-determined amount, such as 15 points, wins the game.
