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How to play Bid Whist (2026): Bid Whist is a four-player partnership trick-taking game played with a 54-card deck: a standard 52 plus two jokers. It is a family-reunion and cookout favorite, especially in African American communities, and it rewards good partnership and bold bidding. This guide covers the deck, the deal, the uptown, downtown and no-trump bids, the kitty, play and scoring to seven.
Cards you need: Bicycle Rider Back Playing Cards (12-pack)
Each deck includes jokers, which Bid Whist uses as its two top trumps. A 12-pack means you can mark one joker as big and one as little in a dedicated deck, and still have spares for the next table.
Price band: $20–$30 (about $25) · Check today’s price on Amazon
Bid Whist players, deck and goal
- Players: four, in two partnerships. Partners sit across from each other.
- Deck: 52 cards plus two different jokers. One is the big joker and one is the little joker, so mark them clearly.
- Tricks are called books. There are 13 books per hand: 12 played out plus the six-card kitty, which counts as the first book for the bidding team.
- Goal: be the first team to reach a score of 7 or more, or force the other team down to minus 7.
Dealing the hand and the kitty
Deal one card at a time, clockwise, until each player has 12 cards. Along the way, the dealer places six cards face down in the middle as the kitty. The kitty cannot include the first four or last four cards dealt. After each hand, the deal passes to the left.
Bidding uptown, downtown or no trump
Bidding goes around the table once, starting left of the dealer. A bid is a number from 3 to 7 plus a direction. The number is how many books above six your team promises to take, so a bid of 5 means at least 11 books.
- Uptown (high): you will name a trump suit and high cards win.
- Downtown (low): you will name a trump suit and low cards win.
- No trump: there is no trump suit; you choose uptown or downtown after winning the bid.
Each bid must beat the last. A higher number always wins, and no trump beats uptown or downtown of the same number. Uptown and downtown at the same number are equal, so one cannot overcall the other. If the first three players pass, the dealer must bid, usually the minimum 3.
Card ranking: uptown vs downtown
| Contract | Trump suit, high to low | Other suits, high to low |
|---|---|---|
| Uptown | Big joker, little joker, A, K, Q, J, 10 … 2 | A, K, Q, J, 10 … 2 |
| Downtown | Big joker, little joker, A, 2, 3, 4 … K | A, 2, 3, 4 … K |
| No trump | No trumps; jokers cannot win a book | Uptown or downtown order, as chosen |
Notice that the ace is the best natural card in both directions. In no trump, the jokers are worthless; you may play one only when you cannot follow suit.
Playing out the books
- The winning bidder names trump (or the direction for no trump), picks up the kitty and discards any six cards face down. Those six count as the team’s first book.
- The bidder leads the first book. Any card may be led.
- Everyone must follow suit if able. If you cannot, you may trump or throw off another suit.
- The highest trump wins; if no trump was played, the best card of the suit led wins.
- The winner of each book leads the next.
Failing to follow suit when you could is a renege. The penalty is that three books pass from the reneging team to the other team.
Scoring Bid Whist hands
Count books at the end of the hand. Each book over six is worth one point. If the bidding team makes its bid, it scores every point it took, not just the bid. If it falls short, it is set and loses the amount it bid. The defenders neither gain nor lose points.
No-trump hands are doubled. Win 11 books on a 4 no trump bid and you score 10 points; fall short and you lose 8. The game ends when a team reaches 7 or falls to minus 7.
Bid Whist strategy for new partnerships
- Count your sure books. Jokers, aces and long suits are your bidding strength; count them before you speak.
- Use the kitty wisely. Discard short suits so you can trump in early.
- Lead trump to pull jokers. If you hold the top trumps, pulling the opponents’ trumps protects your long suit.
- Agree on house rules. Many tables add a boston (all 13 books) bonus or a different kitty rule; settle these before the first deal.
- Like partnership games? Try Spades or Euchre next, and browse our trick-taking card games guide.
Bid Whist rules questions
How many cards does each player get in Bid Whist?
Twelve, with six more in the kitty.
What does a bid of 4 mean in Bid Whist?
Your team promises at least 10 books: six plus four.
Do you need jokers for Bid Whist?
Yes. Standard decks like the Bicycle Rider Back 12-pack include two jokers.
