Unit 546 | Lesson 4

Today your child learned and played the game Whist. Whist is a partnership game, played with 4 players, that dates back to the 17th century. It is a game that encourages higher level thinking. Partners sit opposite one another. Students learned to be polite and supportive of their partners, to not talk during the game, and not to give away clues about their hands while playing. Proper etiquette is an important aspect of the game of Whist.

Deal
The cards are shuffled by the player to dealer's left and cut by the player to dealer's right. The dealer deals out all the cards one at a time so that each player has 13. The final card, which will belong to the dealer, is turned face-up to indicate which suit is trump. The card is then immediately placed back in the dealer's hand.

It is traditional to use two packs of cards. During each deal, the dealer's partner shuffles the other pack and places it to the right. The dealer for the next hand then simply needs to pick up the cards from the left and pass them across to the right to be cut. Provided all the players understand and operate it, this procedure saves time and helps to remember whose turn it is to deal because the spare pack of cards is always to the left of the next dealer.

Play
The player to the dealer's left leads the first trick. Any card may be led. The other players, in clockwise order, play a card to the trick. Players must follow suit by playing a card of the same suit as the card led, if they can. A player with no card of the suit led may play any card. The trick is won by the highest trump in it - or if it contains no trump, by the highest card of the suit led. The winner of a trick leads the next trick. Play all 13 tricks in this manner.

Scoring
When all 13 tricks have been played, the side that won more tricks scores 1 point for each trick they won over six tricks.