Dealing the Cards

1. Dealing: In Whist, each player receives an equal number of cards. The game starts with 4 rounds where each player is dealt 8 cards. The number of cards dealt then decreases gradually (7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 card per player) and subsequently increases again (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 cards) until returning to 4 rounds of 8 cards per player.

Winning Hands

The basic rule for winning a hand in Whist is as follows:

1. Starting Player: After reviewing their cards, the first player declares how many hands they think they will win in that round—this is called the bid. Each subsequent player, in clockwise order, must also declare their bid.

2. Playing the Cards: The starting player selects a card from their hand and plays it. The game proceeds in a clockwise direction, with each player playing one card per turn.

3. Lead Suit and Trump: The suit of the first card played in a hand is considered the lead suit. If a player has cards in the lead suit, they must play one of them (e.g., if the first card is a diamond, the following players must also play diamonds if they have them). In rounds with fewer than 8 cards per player, a trump suit is chosen randomly before the round begins. If a player cannot follow the lead suit but has a card in the trump suit, they must play a trump card. If they have neither the lead suit nor a trump card, they can play any card.

4. Winning the Hand: The player who plays the highest card in the trump suit wins the hand. If no trump cards are played, the hand is won by the highest card in the lead suit. The winner then starts the next hand. 

Gameplay

Whist is played over several rounds, with the number of cards dealt varying as described above. In rounds with 8 cards per player, there is no trump suit. Points are awarded based on how accurately a player's performance matches their bid:

1. A player who wins the exact number of hands they bid scores:

   • 50 points for matching their bid + 10 points for each hand won.​​

   • For example:

     • If the bid was 0 and they win no hands, they score 50 points.​

     • If the bid was 1 and they win 1 hand, they score 60 points.

     • If the bid was 2 and they win 2 hands, they score 70 points.

2. A player who fails to match their bid loses points:

   • 10 points for each hand over or under their bid.​

   • For example:

     • If the bid was 2 and they win 4 hands, they lose 20 points.​

     • If the bid was 2 and they win 1 hand, they lose 10 points.