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Summary: Learn about common conventions in whist in this free video series that will have you mastering this card game in no time.
Views: 238 | Tags: rules, cards, deck, playing, games, clubs, shuffling, spades, diamonds, bid, hearts, pinochle, whist
About the Expert
Joe Andrews Joe Andrews is an avid collector of playing cards, and card memorabelia. He founded the Grand Prix "live" Tournaments Organization nine years ago. Joe has bee... read more
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Questions & AnswersMuch like Bridge and Spades there are conventions that can be applied to bid Whist. For example, some people will say if they're the partner of the dealer. They'll say "Okay, if I bid one." I really don't expect to take that hand and if they allow me to say direction like one uptown or one downtown, which is popular. If I say, one downtown, then I'm telling my partner that I have a good all around hand and tendency toward low cards. If I say, one uptown, then I have maybe three suits with a tendency towards uptown cards. If I say two, then I'm a little stronger in one particular suit and I really want to take the hand if I can but use judgment. I'm telling you if I bid two uptown I've got a good strong suit and perhaps this may be of some help to you. Remember, in Strait Whist there's no kitty so your partner?s high cards will probably come in to play. Your partners never going to discard or cut your suit in the kitty. Another convention of course, if you partner is leading say trump or an off suit. You indicate you give him the count. For example, if he's leading spades, ace, king of spades. You play the nine first and then the three to show that you only have two. Where is as if you have three spades, then you would play the two and then the three to show him that you have three. If your partner leads an ace of hearts and you like the hearts suit. You're going to play a high card like the ten, to show him that you have a desire for him to return hearts. If you happen to play an unusually low heart, like the deuce or the three, then you would discourage that suit and suggest that he change the suit. Now, I know that some people when they are playing Party Whist you can do the little bit of body language and you can slam the card down. Well, that's okay for social games but if you're in a tournament it's really discouraged because that's what we call table talk. If your partner leads trump and he puts you in the lead what he wants you to do is cash out your aces or kings for him that are good. Then return trump to get the trump out. That's another common convention. We don't have all the fancy gadgetry that we have in Bridge. We don't have some of the stuff that we have in Spades. But we do have an advantage to work together with partner by developing conventions and understandings.
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