German Whist Card Game
German Whist is the classic two-player version of whist. The first half of the hand is a battle for the cards in the stock; the second half, played with everything you collected, is where the tricks actually count.
How to play German Whist Card Game
- Two players get 13 cards each from a standard 52-card deck. The other 26 cards form a face-down stock, and its top card is turned face up. The suit of that first upcard is trump for the whole hand.
- The non-dealer leads to the first trick. The other player must follow suit if possible; otherwise they may trump or throw away any card. The highest trump wins, or the highest card of the suit led. Aces are high.
- Drawing half: the winner of each trick takes the face-up card from the stock and the loser takes the hidden card under it (the loser's card is shown only to them). A new card is then turned up and the trick winner leads.
- Tricks in the drawing half do not score. Use them to win good cards: sometimes it is worth losing a trick on purpose when the upcard is a low card.
- Scoring half: once the stock is gone, both players have 13 cards again and play them out. Only these last 13 tricks count.
- The player who wins more of the last 13 tricks scores one point for every trick over six. First to the target (10 points by default) wins the game.
Controls
- Tap or click a card to play it; cards you cannot play are dimmed. The card you just drew is outlined.
- Arrow keys or Tab move between cards; Enter or Space plays the focused card.
- Choose an easy or hard computer and the game length from the toolbar. Last trick shows the previous trick.
Tips
- Before playing to a trick, look at the upcard: is it worth winning? A low card is not worth spending an ace or a trump on.
- Every card you see is information. By the end of the drawing half you can work out every card the computer holds, because the only unknown cards are the ones you saw it take.
- Collect trumps and long suits for the scoring half. A long suit with the top cards is worth several tricks at the end.
- The hard computer counts cards perfectly and plays the final tricks exactly. Beat it by winning the important upcards earlier.
FAQ
How do you play German Whist?
Deal 13 cards each, turn up the top card of the stock to set trump, and play tricks. In the first half the trick winner takes the upcard and the loser the next hidden card. When the stock runs out, the last 13 tricks are played for points.
How is German Whist scored?
Only the last 13 tricks count. The player who wins the majority of them scores one point for each trick over six, so winning 9 tricks scores 3.
Do tricks in the first half count?
No. The first 13 tricks only decide who gets the face-up card from the stock. They are worth winning only when that card will help you later.
Is German Whist a two-player game?
Yes. It was designed for two players and is one of the best two-handed trick-taking games, sometimes called Honeymoon Whist.