How to play Bid Whist

Bid Whist is the partnership card game of family reunions, cookouts and long Saturday nights. Two teams of two sit across from each other, bid for the right to name trump, and then try to take the books they promised. It is a game of bold bids and table talk, played with a full deck plus two jokers.

The deal

• 54 cards: a regular deck plus a Big Joker and a Little Joker.
• Everyone gets 12 cards. The last 6 cards go face down in the middle: the kitty.
• You and your partner sit across from each other. Your books count together.

Bidding

• Starting left of the dealer, each player gets one chance to bid or pass.
• A bid is a number from 3 to 7, the books over six your side will take, and a direction: Uptown (high cards win), Downtown (low cards win) or No Trump.
• Every bid must be higher than the last. At the same number, Downtown beats Uptown and No Trump beats both.
• The dealer bids last and may take the bid at the same number. If everyone passes, the dealer must bid.

The kitty and trump

• The winner of the bid picks up the kitty, then buries 6 cards face down. The buried cards count as the first book for that side.
• For Uptown or Downtown, the winner names trump. The two jokers join that suit as its highest cards: Big Joker, Little Joker, then the ace.
• Uptown runs A, K, Q down to 2. Downtown runs A, 2, 3 up to K. The ace is high either way.
• In No Trump, the winner says whether high or low cards win, and the jokers are worth nothing.

Playing

• The winner of the bid leads the first book. Follow suit if you can; if you cannot, play anything, including a trump.
• The highest trump wins the book, or else the best card of the suit that was led. The winner leads next.

Scoring

The bidding side needs six books plus its bid: a bid of 4 means 10 books, the kitty included. Make it, and the side scores every book over six. Fall short, and it loses the amount it bid. No Trump scores double either way. The other side scores nothing that hand. The first side to 7 wins, and a side that sinks to minus 7 loses.

Tips

• Count your sure books before you bid: jokers, aces, and a long suit with the top cards.
• Bury short side suits so you can trump them later.
• When your side has the bid, lead the jokers and top trumps first to draw out the other trumps.
• If your partner is already winning a book, play your lowest card.

Questions

Can I play with my family? Yes. Invite them with a link from Settings; everyone plays on their own phone, and the computer fills empty seats.

Is there a daily deal? Yes: everyone gets the same hand each day with the same computer players, and you can compare how your side did.