Rules for Norwegian Whist

Whist is one of the great classics among Scandinavian card games. It is a partnership game for four players, where two pairs compete against each other. The rules are simple, but the game offers plenty of room for tactics and teamwork.

A single round usually takes 5-10 minutes. You need a standard 52-card deck (no jokers) and something to keep score with.

The goal is to win the most or the fewest tricks together with your partner, depending on what is declared. There are no trumps in this version of Whist.

Four players form two teams. Partners sit opposite each other at the table. Teams can be decided by drawing cards or by agreement.

The entire deck is shuffled and dealt one card at a time. Each player receives 13 cards. Ace is the highest card, followed by King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, down to 2 as the lowest.

Players sort their cards by suit (♠️♥️♦️♣️) and keep them hidden from the other players.

Each round starts with a bidding phase. The player to the left of the dealer bids first. There are only two possible bids:

• Pass: The player wants to play a pass game, where the goal is to take as few tricks as possible.
• Grand: The player wants to play a grand game, where the goal is to take as many tricks as possible.

Players bid in turn, clockwise. As soon as someone bids grand, the bidding is over and a grand game is played. If all four players pass, a pass game is played.

Grand is risky: you can win a lot of points, but if the opposing team takes more tricks, they receive double points.

After the bidding round, tricks are played. There are no trumps in Whist.

Who leads:

• In a grand game: The player to the right of the one who bid grand.
• In a pass game: The player to the left of the last player to pass (i.e. the dealer).

How a trick works:

1. The lead player plays any card from their hand.
2. The other players each play one card in clockwise order.
3. You must follow suit if you can. If you have a card in the same suit as the lead card, you must play it.
4. If you have no cards in the suit led, you may play any card. However, you cannot win the trick with a card from a different suit.
5. The highest card in the suit led wins the trick.

The trick winner collects the four cards, places them face down in front of them, and leads the next trick. This continues until all 13 tricks have been played.

Scoring works differently in grand and pass games:

Grand game:
A team's first six tricks are called base tricks. They do not count. Tricks beyond six are called draws, and only draws score points.

• If the team that bid grand has the most tricks: 1 point per draw.
• If the opposing team has the most tricks: 2 points per draw to the opposing team.

Example: The team that bid grand takes 9 tricks. That gives 9 minus 6 = 3 draws = 3 points. If the opponents instead take 8 tricks, they get 2 draws times 2 = 4 points.

Pass game:
Each team receives 1 point for every trick fewer than six they take.

Example: A team takes 4 tricks in a pass game. They get 6 minus 4 = 2 points.

After all 13 tricks have been played, the round is over. Points are recorded, the dealer role passes to the next player clockwise, and a new round begins.

The game continues over multiple rounds. You can agree on a fixed number of rounds or set a point target. For example, the first team to reach 13 or 25 points wins.

The team with the most points when the game ends is the winner.

Whist is played with many local variations in Scandinavia. Here are some of the most common ones:

• Point target: A common variant is to play to 13 or 50 points. The first team to reach the target wins.
• Forced grand with strong cards: Some play that you must bid grand if you have very strong cards (for example, three or more aces).
• Doubling on grand: In some groups, points are automatically doubled if the opposing team wins a grand game.
• Fixed number of rounds: Some play a set number of rounds (for example, 10 or 20) and total the points at the end.

Agree on house rules before you start, so everyone plays by the same rules.

The bid is the most important decision you make in Whist. Here are some guidelines:

Bid grand when you have:

• Three or more aces.
• A long suit (five or more cards) with high values.
• Multiple suits where you have control with ace, king or queen on top.

Bid pass when you have:

• Lots of low cards and no aces.
• Short suits (one or two cards) that you can quickly run out of.
• A weak hand with no clear strength in any suit.

Remember that you are bidding for the team, not just for yourself. Your partner contributes their cards too. Sometimes it is right to bid grand even with a moderate hand, because your partner may have the strength you need.

In a grand game, you and your partner want to take as many tricks as possible. Here are some good principles:

Leading:

• Start with your longest and strongest suit. This forces opponents to spend cards they need elsewhere.
• Play your aces early to secure tricks. If you wait, you risk opponents running out of the suit and discarding unwanted cards.
• If you have ace and king in the same suit, lead with the ace first. This tells your partner you also hold the king.

Working with your partner:

• Follow up on what your partner leads. If your partner opens with a suit, it usually means they have strength there.
• Play high in third seat. If you are the third player in a trick, you should generally play your highest card to help your partner.

In a pass game, the goal is to avoid taking tricks. Entirely different principles apply:

Leading:

• Start with low cards in suits where you have many cards. This is safer than leading from short suits.
• Try to get rid of dangerous cards (aces, kings) early, while opponents still have cards in the suit and can take the trick from you.

Voiding a suit:

• Try to empty yourself of a suit as quickly as possible. Once you have no cards in a suit, you can discard low cards from other suits when that suit is led.
• Discard high, dangerous cards when you get the chance. An ace you throw away on a suit you are void in is an ace you will not have to win a trick with later.

Teamwork:

• Help your partner by taking tricks with low cards in suits where you know your partner is weak.
• Watch which suits the opponents are trying to lead. They may be trying to force you to win tricks.

These tips apply whether it is a grand or pass game:

• Remember which cards have been played. In Whist there are no trumps to bail you out. Keeping track of what has been played, especially aces, kings and queens, gives you a significant edge.
• Count tricks as you go. Keep track of how many tricks each team has taken. This helps you adjust your play towards the end.
• Watch for short suits. A player who runs out of a suit early signals something about their hand. Use that information.
• Play with your partner, not against them. Whist is about cooperation. Observe what your partner does and adapt your play to match.
• Do not be afraid to bid grand. Many beginners pass too often. Grand offers more points and keeps the game exciting. If you have a reasonably strong hand, give it a try.