The final card, which would be landing on the dealer to make their 13th card, is instead revealed and placed in the center for all to see. The dealer then deals each player’s hand one at a time, starting from the left and working around until each player but the dealer has 13 cards. Deal the DeckĪfter the deck is shuffled by the player on the dealer’s left, it is to be cut by the player on the dealer’s right. Partners then must sit opposite one another. Note: contrary to the above depiction of card ranks, the Ace is the lowest card in this scenario. The highest two cards are paired as a team while the lower two cards are the other. Choose pairs by having each player draw a card from the deck at random. Separate yourselves into two pairs, and select one dealer. Pairing Your Playersįor a traditional game of Whist, it is necessary to have four players playing, although there are other versions that offer alternatives in player numbers. Cards are ranked from lowest to highest with an Ace high. If you prefer to speed the game up, it is not unheard of to have another deck on hand with different card backs to be shuffled while the other deck is dealt.

To play this game, which at one time was far more popular than blackjack, begin with a standard 52-card deck and minus the jokers.

2 player whist rules