There are four players in two fixed partnerships. Although the rules are extremely simple there is enormous scope for scientific play, and in its heyday a large amount of literature about how to play whist was written.

The classic game of whist is a plain-trick game without bidding for 4 players in fixed partnerships.

Danish Whist, which exists in two forms: one with fixed partnerships, and one in which partners are chosen by calling an ace.German Whist (a British two-player adaptation of Whist without bidding).

Israeli Whist (another game related to Oh Hell, in which players try to bid the exact number of tricks they will take).

Romanian Whist (another game in which players try to predict the exact number of tricks they will take - similar to Oh Hell!).

Nomination Whist (a British game, also called Noms for short, in which the highest bidder chooses a partner by calling a card also used in Britain for various versions of Oh Hell! in which players predict how many tricks they will take).

Minnesota Whist (in which there are no trumps, and hands can be played to win tricks or to lose tricks - also the very similar game of Norwegian Whist).

Bid Whist (a partnership game with bidding, played in the USA).

Whist (Wiezen) and Suit Whist (Kleurenwiezen) (Belgian games similar to Solo Whist, but more elaborate).

Solo Whist (played in Britain a game where individuals can bid to win 5, 9 or 13 tricks or to lose every trick).

Knockout Whist (a children's game in which a player who wins no trick is eliminated).

Nowadays there are many other games called whist - the name has become attached to a wide variety of games based on classic whist, but often with some kind of bidding added, for example: Nevertheless, Whist continues to be played in Britain, often in local tournaments called 'whist drives'. Whist was derived from the older game Ruff and Honours, and in the twentieth century, Bridge has displaced Whist as the most popular card game internationally among serious card players. This page describes the classic game of Whist which was played widely in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Signal card game rules