There is an optimal way of playing blackjack and it is called ‘basic strategy’. This is independent of card counting, which is an add-on strategy. Likewise advanced strategy is an improvement over basic strategy. But if you play for money it is necessary to use at least basic strategy otherwise your game will be leaking extra cash on a consistent basic. Basic strategy is an awesome tool for blackjack players. Playing it perfectly can lower the house edge from 2-5% to 0.5%. But you must play it exactly for the house edge to come down.

In a nutshell what basic strategy means is that statistical analysis of the game was conducted long time ago by statisticians. For any two cards that you have and given a face up card for the dealer, they discovered that there is an optimal play. This play is optimal is the sense that if that hand was to be repeated a large number of times, this is the play with the best result on average. This assumes a random full single deck or a number of decks of cards, but does not take into account the cards already played.

To make things easier, all the information necessary to play basic strategy is summarized in a so-called blackjack chart that any player can use even in live casinos.

How to learn basic strategy then you may ask. Playing perfect basic strategy means playing every single one of your hands according to what the chart says. No deviating no matter what your brain is telling you. And while it is perfectly legal to carry a basic strategy chart with you into a casino or use one online, the quality of your blackjack games can improve if you can play without the chart.

There are a few ways that you can learn basic strategy so that you don’t have to carry a chart around.

You can practice playing at online casinos in their free play mode. Just keep playing, trying to remember what play you’re supposed to make without looking at the chart. The repetitive nature of learning this way will allow you to learn while playing. This method tends to take longer.

Another method is to sit down and study the chart. Try memorizing a line a day. It’s even recommended to make flash cards. Put the dealer’s up card versus a player’s hand on one side; on the back side write down what the correct play is. Keep running through the flash cards until you can name the correct play to make without hesitation. Every so often take a blank sheet of paper and recreate the entire basic strategy chart—see how much of the chart you have memorized. Keep recreating the chart until you have the entire thing right.

Having the basic strategy chart memorized will help speed up the game when you play. You will also know that you are making the best play possible when at the blackjack table or online.

To continue with basic strategy here is a list of the best hands to double down on. Blackjack is usually played from a defensive position. You make your playing decisions based on what the dealer’s up card is. Think about it. When you’re looking at your basic strategy chart you are seeing what to do in the situation that the dealer is showing X card.

However, there are some instances when we blackjack players get to go on the offensive. And those times are when we are dealt a starting hand total of 9, 10 or 11. When we have one of those three starting hand totals, usually our best move is to double down. And doubling down is an offensive stance. When you are doubling down you are telling the dealer that you have a better chance of out-drawing him—that your hand is stronger than his.

Having a starting hand of 11 you have the most opportunities to double down. Basically it’s best to double down if the dealer is showing a 2 through 10. The only time you don’t is when the dealer has an Ace showing. If you have 10, double down against a dealer’s 2 through 9. And if you have a 9, double down 3 through 6.

When you double down you only receive one more card. If that last card is a 10 you now have 19, 20 or 21—all of which are strong hands. And because you doubled down on a hand in which you have a better chance of out drawing the dealer, you have a better chance of doubling your winnings. If you can’t have a natural blackjack or a hard 20 or 19, an 11 would be the hand to wish for next.

Poker rooms – Success through addiction

Every second person in this world is very much familiar with the poker game, as this is a very famous game among the peoples, numerous numbers of players plays that game on daily basis, and earns very big amount of profit daily through them. The poker game is played into a room or lobby, which is dedicated fully to the players of this game, are termed as poker rooms. These rooms are very much similar to the cards room as well. One will find a very reasonable and appropriate environment there to play its game with calm mind, and have a suitable environment available there for him to just focus perfectly on his game. These rooms are almost in each casino’s, as the players love to play their games there in these rooms. There are also online poker rooms like Titan Poker (you can download Titan Poker here) but we won’t be talking about them in this article.

Are poker rooms addictive?

There are many different games played in the poker rooms, since these games are played player against players, instead of the player against some group of people or some other. In-fact this game is too addictive, people loves to play this game and earns a lot through this game. One can earn a handsome amount of money through this game without having to work for several hours in your office to earn money; there is a huge majority of peoples that daily plays poker game on the website online through the internet, and also in the casino’s against unknown players. The feeling, to be on the top on the rankings will also mold one to explore more and more field and techniques in this game. The casinos have their board of rankings, in which the top ranked players are listed.

They key is to be calm and balanced

Some tips should be kept in mind, while playing poker game .Have a less talk during your poker game, as the much you talk the more you are going to be distracted by other’s, so less talk during poker tournament is better for you, even though if you are sincerely tiresome to make over a comment on other then there is still a chance that others might sense your technique. During your hand don’t even dare to say anything, if there is something important to say then say it after your hand even if you are folded and short of the hand. Particularly sidestep the criticism on any other person way of playing.

The poker tournaments are a very significant part of the poker’s game. When there are a lot of things at the stake, most of the people’s lose their patience and self-possession which is observed very often among the different people. This wasn’t in the past few years before. But due to such adequate revolution of this game a lot of people are playing it and have their much interest in this game, so the competition has increased among them very much, as it’s also a very sensitive game because on the stock is your all money, some bad beats and it is all gone that’s the main reason this game is crucial and it requires a proper technique to play it, without having a perfect strategy or technique, one may lose his all of the money and will become bankrupt.

Competition is a report of the type of players playing at an online poker room. Competition is important to you as a player because it will tell you if the players are at your level or beneath you, or much more skilled than you which is a major factor in determining productivity at a poker website. Poker rooms should create a look of very competitive environment.

The History of Computer Solitaire

The history of Poker is believed to have progressed over more than ten centuries from numerous games, all encompassing the simple rules of ranked card or domino combinations and the use of ‘bluffing’ to deceive opponents.

One widespread belief is that a game parallel to poker was first conceived by the Chinese shortly before 969 A.D, when The Emperor Mu-tsung is described to have played “domino cards” with his wife.

There are those who also believe that “poke” most likely came from “hocus-pocus”, a term commonly used by magicians. The game of Poker later changed to include 32 cards, and finally the modern day deck of 52, not counting the two Jokers.

Egyptians in the 12th & 13th centuries are understood to have used a form of playing cards, and in 16th century Persia “Ganjifa” or “Treasure Cards” were used for a selection of betting games. A Ganjifa deck contained of 96 elaborate cards, usually made of paper thin slices of ivory or precious wood.

A French game called “Poque” and a German game called “Pochen” became very common in the 17 & 18th centuries, both evolved from the 16th century Spanish game called “Primero” which involved three cards being dealt to each player. Bluffing, or betting high stakes whilst holding poor cards to mislead challengers, was an essential part of the game. Primero goes back to 1526 and is often mentioned to as “poker’s mother” as it is the first verified form of a game directly related to modern day poker.

In 1834, Jonathan H. Green made one of the first written mentions to poker when in his writings he references rules to the “cheating game,” being played on Mississippi riverboats. The Cheating Game” rapidly started to oust the popular card game of the time known as 3-card monte. Gamers welcomed the new game as it was seen as a more stimulating and ‘honest’ gamble than the infamously rigged 3-card game.

Throughout the Wild West era of United States, a bar with a Poker table could be found in almost every settlement from coast to coast. It was tremendously popular during the Civil War when the combatants of both armies played.

Nowadays, Poker is prudently controlled by gambling laws, and saloons have given way to casinos and card rooms, nevertheless Poker is the most popular card game the world. It has evolved into a sporting event, with contests and competitions all over the world. Tournaments take place almost every week of the year somewhere in the world.

If you compare the awards of major sporting events around the world, you will find that the financial reward of any given event in Poker would stack up. Poker nowadays is one of the swiftest growing, but hardly acknowledged sporting events. The height of the poker world, the world serious of poker, entices players from all over the world every year to contest for currency and titles as the world’s top Poker players.

Poker will always be around and will continue to develop and flourish like so many other past times. There will always be a game to play, money to be won, and crowns to be worn.

Klondike solitaire, or merely Solitaire, is perhaps the most well-known solitaire game in the world. The rules of this game are recognised by almost everyone. Not all every game of Klondike solitaire is solvable. Playing Klondike game contains a lot of guesswork and this is the primary reason why you do not win the vast majority of the games.

In this article I will cover some basic strategy tips that that helped me to improve my win/loss ratio.

A good tip is to turn up the first card off the deck prior to making any additional moves. This works because it increases the opening number of conceivable moves and gives you the opportunity to make a better choice. Another useful tip is to always try move an Ace or Deuce to the foundation row every time it is possible. This rule is clear and rational and does not need any further explanation.

Uncover hidden cards. If you have a selection from numerous possible moves that expose concealed cards, always choose the column with the highest number of unseen cards. Delay the moves that are not significant. The finest move is one that delivers you with the chance to make other moves or reveal hidden cards.

Do not exhaust a tableau pile if you are lacking a King to put it in. You gain zilch if you get a vacant pile. A space in Klondike solitaire can only be occupied by a King or a structure starting with a King, so leave your options open.

If you have the opportunity to fill an empty pile with either a black King or a red King, be thoughtful with your decision. Look at the colour of the obstructive cards and make a fitting colour choice.

Do not assemble cards on foundations except if doing so assists in uncovering a facedown card. Not assembling the cards on foundations allows other cards to be built upon them on the tableau.

If you play the electronic form of Klondike, you can use the limitless undo function as many times as you want in order to try different choices and to increase your chances of winning.

These strategies are simple, but so is Klondike. It will provide you with hours of play, but soon you will crave something a little different.

Check out our single player card game guides for more help!

Knowing when to call, fold or raise is a key part of being a successful Texas hold ‘em player.

A standard strategy in a game with several players is to drop with bad hands and call or raise with good or medium hands. Try not to become too straightforward to read by always playing the best hands the same way, but you should generally get active with any high pair by raising.

If somebody raises in prompt position, you must presume he has a motive for doing so. Don’t presume that he’s bluffing — in a big game, bluffing from an early seat is a truly risky play, so don’t stay in with a borderline hand. The feebler premium hands aren’t worth playing if you have to call a raise— if you haven’t called yet and have to put in two bets to match a call and a raise.

If you’re overdue to play and no one has called the big bet, feel free to call or raise with any loosely appropriate hand. You may be able to pinch the blinds, and you have some odds to win if the other players stay in. The more players who fold or just call before the flop, the better your chances of winning the hand with a bet.

Unless your suspicious of a bluff, don’t call a raise without a hand that you may have thought of raising with.

If you raise the bet and confront a re-raise be especially careful before remaining. Ensure that the pot odds are in your favour (covered later in this article).

When one player raises the blind and another player re-raises, the reraiser is essentially saying is that he thinks he has a fantastic hand — as was the first player with his raise. If you raise and another player re-raises, you ought to just call except if you know you have the better hand. If you raise with a hand that’s not a winning hand, and then another player re-raises, take an extensive look at your hand to see if it’s worth calling and paying off or if you should fold.

Making the right decision

Of course your judgement as to whether to remain in the hand before the flop depends on how likely you think you are to enhance your hand by the flop. A good way of doing this is to look at the mathematics of Hold ’Em in some detail.

One of the most usual calculations you have to execute in Hold ’Em is calculating the likelihood of you improving your hand with a good flop, turn, or river. You also have to attempt to gauge what hands your rivals may have, and whether they can make their hands. However, when first starting to play, stick to, studying only your own hand’s odds.

The following list gives you an idea for the calculations you may need to figure out at the table (these should be done in your head). For all the calculations that follow, it shouldn’t shock you that the prospect of making your hand on the river (the fifth community card) is roughly half of what it is when going from the flop to the turn (the fourth community card). The reason is that after the flop, you have two possibilities to draw a magic card; after the turn, only one.

- If you have a pair, the odds that you’ll make a three of a kind on the flop are 1 in 9. If you don’t make it on the flop, you have 1 chance in 12 of making trips on the turn or river.

- If you possess two cards to a flush in your hand and the flop comes up with two cards in that suit, the chances that you’ll complete your flush on either the turn or the river are just better than 1 in 3.

The flush odds are very comparable to the chances that you can finish an open-ended straight, where you have four cards in sequence after the flop, and you can complete the straight with two different cards on the turn or the river (7-8-9-10, for example). The odds here are just less than 1 in 3.

- If you’re drawing to an inside straight — one that you can complete only with a specific draw (7-8-10-J, for example), the odds are 1 in 6 that you’ll make your straight on the turn or the river.

Remaining in a hand until the river when your odds of winning change on drawing to an inside straight is a common rookie error. You normally throw good money after a bad draw.

The mathematics of the draw on the turn or the river are particularly significant when you have to gauge what your odds of winning the pot really are, and how much you can present to gamble on the chance.

Measuring pot odds

Once you can appreciate your chances of turning a poor hand into a brilliant hand by enhancing your hand on the flop, the turn, or the river, you can then apply your calculations in the middle of a hand.

The mathematics of Hold ’Em become significant when you haven’t finished your hand but hope to draw to do so. E.g. let’s say you’re in a pot of £60 with three players are left. The way the betting has progressed so far, you’d figure that both rivals have one or two pairs. The last bet was £20, and your hole cards are Ace of Spades with the Jack of Spades with the community cards coming King of Clubs, 9 of diamonds, 10 of Spades and the 2 of Spades. Would you stay in or fold?

To remain in the pot, you need to estimate that your £20 bet will take the pot up to £80. Thus, to stay in, you should balance the bet you need to make, to the size of the pot after you make it. Since the bet is £20 and the pot will be £80, you need odds of 1 in 4 (20 ÷ 80) to stay in. The chances mean that if you win once and lose three times, you put up four bets of £20 but get back a pot of £80 when you win, for a break-even.

There are 46 cards persisting (as you can see six of them), and you trust that you’ll win if any of the remaining nine spades come up or if any of the three other queens appear — note that you’ve counted the Queen of Spades once already, so you can’t do so again. These 12 cards (the nine spades and three queens) are known as your outs — if you get one of them, you’ll win the hand. You have 12 chances in 46 to win the pot — more than a quarter — and it costs you one quarter of the pot to stay in. Hence, you should call the bet.

With the identical hand but with the flop having the 10 of Diamonds as a pose to the 10 of Spades, you couldn’t make a flush. Therefore a is required queen to make your straight, is your only out, the chances of this is just 4 in 46, clearly not the required odds.

Never use the reason that you may get lucky, so you should risk the odds. The way to be victorious in Hold ’Em is to use the odds.

With a minimal decision, you may choose to stay in when simple mathematics says to drop. Though, you should only do so only if the last bet is fairly small compared to the pot size and if it can only cost you one bet.

Staying in or dropping out after the flop

With most hands, the flop is going to manifest your hand into either a decent or poor hand. When that is the case, it is an obvious decision as to what you should do. But sometimes the flop leaves you in an uncertain situation. If this is the case you need to learn some basic strategy.

When you have are left with just three cards to a flush or a straight, don’t hold out hope to get lucky; the odds of finalizing your hand are slight. To continue winning ways, start forecasting for the next hand — or even better, watch the conduct of the other players at the table — and drop out. To stay in, you ought to have a good hand or have a good chance to draw a good hand.

If you begin with a high pair or high cards for your hole cards but don’t improve, you may want to stay in if nothing on the board suggests others have drawn well enough to defeat you.

Remember that more frequently than not, the flop won’t provide the cards you need. If you have finished a straight or a flush, you’ll surely stay in and raise the betting. But consider some more complex positions.

Facing tough post-flop decisions

If you possess a three of a kind with a pair in the hole and one card on the flop, you’re in good form. If you have only one card of the three down and a matching pair on the board, you’re still well positioned. Though, if your other hole card is low, a player with the fourth matching card and a higher card overcomes you. Nevertheless, you want to bet powerfully until you’re convinced that someone has a greater hand than you.

With two pairs, your position can vary massively; with what you think to be the two top pairs, you may still be defeated by anybody who can create a three of a kind from the pair on the board. If you have two pairs but have established that somebody may have a higher top pair, be cautions.

Bluffing

A bluff is a bet or raise made in effort to gain a pot with little or nothing as far as a decent hand goes. The aim of the bluff is to get your rival to fold instantly, since you’ll lose if he makes the call. A good tip in most situations is to not attempt to bluff.

Bluffing is glorified in limit Hold ’Em. The other participants can call your bluffs for the first few of betting rounds without spending too much, thus they have a higher possibility to catch a hand that defeats the one you have. Once players are on a draw or have finished a pair (even if it’s the lowest pair possible), they often desire to see what the next card will bring, particularly in loose game. In other words, when playing in a loose game, penalize the other participants for continuing to play with poor hands when you have a decent hand. Make them pay, not receive, for their natural tendencies. At no-limit, the chances for bluffing are somewhat better because you may be able to brow-beat players into folding rather more easily. However, the penalties for failure are more costly.

Don’t bluff bad players as they don’t automatically know when they’re beaten. Even though you may present a respectable case for holding a good hand, they may basically not notice” Also don’t attempt to bluff when a great number of players are still in the game; the odds of them all dropping is too low, because someone figures to have enough of a hand to call you. The greatest time to bluff is when you have just one rival who isn’t betting strongly.

You must measure how tight or loose the players left in the game are. The tighter the challengers, the more likely a bluff is to work. You have to know your adversaries, which is why working out their temperaments is so important. If you’re a tight player, it may not be so dangerous to bluff promptly and get caught. Everybody else will recall it, and maybe they’ll stay in on your good hands!

In contrast to a full-out bluff, a semi-bluff has more to provide. A semi-bluff is alike to a bluff in that you bet, check-raise, or raise minus the best hand at the table, but you don’t exactly have a terrible hand.

A semi-bluff has a couple more ways to win than a bluff does. With a semibluff, you can win if your enemies fold, or you can enhance your hand to make it the best at the table.

One significant purpose a bluff serves, particularly in a late position, is the stealing of the blinds posted by the first two players after the dealer and any players in early position that call with marginal hands, or limp in.

Stealing Blinds

While bluffing may not be such an excellent strategy for limit Hold ’Em, stealing blinds which is somewhat similar to the strategy of bluffing — can be a great way to boost your profits.

In a normal game of limit Hold ’Em, you usually get decent enough pot odds to show a profit if your steal victories is close to half your attempts. Even if an alternative player calls your stealing bet to stay in, you still have an attempt to win the pot: You may get a great flop, or your adversary may get a poor one, and you win the hand with a bet right there on the flop. The flop may also bring a seemingly intimidating card (typically an ace or a king). Now you can win the pot by betting and signifying believably that you have a big pair.

Part of your edge in stealing is positional. In last-minute position, if you don’t win the hand outright, you get to bet late on following rounds and are expected to get called when you have a good hand if you’ve built a name for yourself as a bluffer.

Another reason to try steal blinds is because it inserts a further element of dishonesty to your general game. If you only call and raise with justifiably playable hands, you become simple to read and will certainly not get any action from your bets, thus you won’t win as much as you might on your good hands. One bright side to becoming easy to read is that you can steal blinds with bad hands by swapping your approach. And if somebody discovers you in a steal, you’re unexpectedly unpredictable!

The most understandable moment to steal blinds is when you’re the dealer or small blind and everyone has folded to you. You raise from this position to persuade the other blind or blinds to fold. If you get a call, you may need to depend on the flop to help you out. If you get a raise from one of the blinds, you should generally hold on to your hand, even if you’re attempting to steal with a weak hand. Except if you’re playing no-limit (in which calling a raise is basically tossing money away if the raiser goes all-in after the flop), a re-raise from the blind often gives you sufficient pot odds to see the flop. And if you fold here, your opponents may start re-raising you more often!

If you raise and get called prior to the flop, you get an opportunity to see the flop. You can now choose whether to persist the bluff. Understanding your rivals is key here; it helps to have a feel as to how probable they are to call, no matter what they have — and whether you have a status as a tight or a loose player.

If you’re the small blind, you can steal with nearly everything. From the other positions, flush-draw hands are reasonable for an attempted steal. Good draws give you two chances to win — you may draw to complete your hand if you don’t drive the other players out.

I hope these tips and tricks helped you and you will start to enjoy Texas Hold ‘Em even more!

Don’t Gloat

At some point, you’ll feel the excitement of triumph, whether you win the game or just make a elegant play. When one of these magnificent flashes hits you, you must fight the drive to declare your success from the highest mountaintop.

Never rejoice when you secure a great result, no matter how irritating your foes are, and even if they’ve won all the games that night. When you commemorate a victory, you display that you have a deficit of control, which can be good material for your adversaries to use against you in upcoming match-ups.

Moreover, delighting openly about a win doesn’t give you nearly the same kick as resting confidently in the understanding that you just accomplished something great. Frustrating your challengers with a win proves substantially more pleasing than aggravating them with your mannerisms or comments.

Imagine Your Opponents’ Cards

When you initially begin playing a card game, you may have your hands full just retaining the basics. As you become more relaxed with the play, you ought to start contemplating about what cards your adversaries may hold. You can gradually compile a picture of the other players’ cards by noting the clues that they give:

- Observe their body language. Numerous less-tricky players clearly display their dissatisfaction about weak cards and don’t hide their delight over good cards. If you know a particular player responds this way, examine him closely. Though, don’t forget that a truly savvy player may try to throw you off the track by swindling you with a untruthful reaction.

- Heed the bidding. If your game has a bidding phase, take the chance to get knowledge about your opponents’ cards. Your rivals generally base their bids on the cards they truly hold.

Know When to Stop

If you’re playing for currency, don’t try to recuperate your losses by anxious gambling. Rushing to get back to even only makes your situation shoddier.

If you have a designated limit and you lose that quantity, stop playing. Don’t even contemplate going out to get supplementary money and trying to recover your losses. And don’t play for stakes greater than you can afford to lose. If you do, the suggestion of losing makes you so uncomfortable that you don’t play your best.

Even if you aren’t playing for cash, keep in mind that the secret to a long life is appreciating when it’s time to go. If you’re not having a good night with the cards, don’t hesitate to call it quits.

Keep it Real

Nearly all card games include some component of chance, so remember that you can’t be flawless at a game; you should aim for your best, but don’t get annoyed with yourself if you make an error, it tends to weaken your judgment as well as lessen the amount of pleasure you get from playing.

You can’t win them all. Numerous times in the course of a card game, you’ll make an incorrect move, or the dealer may give you the utter worst cards possible. If fate puts a difficulty in your way, just proceed on to the next hand without comment or a second thought. Your capability to admit bad results without comment may throw off your rivals.

Repeat the Cards to Yourself

Mentally speak the cards you see to yourself as they’re played. By expressing the cards (within), you get an unconnected part of the brain working on the cards. The more ways you can set the cards in your mind, the higher the chance you have of recalling them.

Don’t move your lips as you do your cerebral record of the cards. Your fellow players will certainly not let you live it down if they see you miming all the cards. Furthermore, you don’t want to give away how you’ve acquired such a good recollection for cards – the other players may understand your trick and start to do it too, consequently eradicating your advantage.

Know When it isn’t Your Day

You can’t be in your best form constantly. From time to time, you simply may not have enough time or vitality to dedicate yourself fully to the game. Or maybe you just don’t feel like playing.

Whatever the reason, if you can’t give yourself fully to the game, don’t play, especially if the game includes money. If your spirit isn’t in the game, you won’t play well, and the people you play with won’t have any fun.

Don’t Give in to Pressure

Play the game at your own speed, not that of the overbearing player at the table. Lots of players get a buzz from playing swiftly and push other players to match their rhythm. Don’t fall into their traps; keep your own time, except for if everyone at the table is so clearly happy with a faster pace than your own that you can see that you are slowing everyone down.

If you are a speedy player, you can play at that tempo and hope to persuade your opponents to follow. Yet at the same time, don’t try to hasten your adversaries by tapping your fingers or otherwise making them uncomfortable.

Know Where the Cards Are

Knowing how many cards your rivals have in a particular suit can help in some games. Count back from 13 if you’re missing just a few cards in a specific suit.

Maintaining a count on all the suits can be draining. Seek to work out the important suits at the start of the hand and emphasis on those, not on all the suits.

Value Your Partner

If participating a game with a partner, such as Euchre or Canasta, you may feel at times that your associate is really playing for the opponents. He may totally misunderstand what cards you want played, or he may thoughtlessly lead a card that the rivals have been anticipating for the whole game.

No matter what transpires, never disparage your partner at the table; he wants to do as well as he can! If you distress him, you wind up with a companion who may not be pulling his weight for your team, and you may rest your adversaries.

Enjoy Yourself!

Remember that you’re playing a game, and don’t take things too sincerely, which not only reduces the other players’ pleasure, but also impacts on your game. The more stress you put on yourself, the more weary and irritated you become and so you play worse.

On the surface a deck of playing cards are just 52 pieces of patterned pasteboard, however, a deck of cards have a sense of mystery and wonderment to them, the simple fact that every time you shuffle a deck of cards, the order they fall in has likely never existed on this earth before, makes every time you play a game with your friends and family special.

A good game of cards entails a combination of memory, bluffing, strategy, opportunity and cunning, but at the same time, you don’t have to play cards with extreme concentration to enjoy yourself.

No matter who you are, where you’re from, what you look like or who you’re playing with, everyone enjoys a good game of cards, maybe you like two person card games, or maybe one person card games, either way, our fun and interesting card game guides will tell you exactly how to play them!

A good game of cards entails a combination of memory, bluffing, strategy, opportunity and cunning, but at the same time, you don’t have to play cards with extreme concentration to enjoy yourself.

Playing cards casually allow you to make friends with both the people you’re playing with, and against. A deck of cards opens up a hobby where the ability to communicate is often a vital skill.

The basics

-Number of players: four

-Playing time: 1 hour (per rubber)

-Cards: standard pack, no jokers

-Ranking: Ace high, then King down to deuce. Suits are equal.

-Deal: partners, who sit opposite each other and play as a team, are decided by any convenient means. A common method is for all players to cut (when Ace is traditionally ranked low), those drawing the two higher cards playing those drawing the two lower.

The entire pack is dealt out, one card at a time to each player in turn. The last card (dealer’s) is exposed to determine the trump suit: alternatively, the suit is nominated before each deal.

History

The origins of Whist go back 400 years. It was long one of Britain’s most popular games until superseded by its more sophisticated offspring, Bridge. Whist remains an ideal introduction to trick-taking games in general. Despite its simple rules, the game demands a high degree of skill.

Object of the game

To take more tricks than the opposition and to be the first team to win two games.

Play

Eldest leads to the first trick, each player in turn (clockwise from Eldest) contributing a card. In lead, a player is free to choose any card from hand. Players must follow suit; that is, play a card of the same suit as that led. If unable to do so, a player may trump (play a trump card) or discard (play a card from another suit). The highest trump takes the trick. If no trump card is played, the highest card of the suit led takes the trick. Either player of the winning partnership picks up the trick (four cards) and places the packet face down in front of them. The player who won the trick leads into the next trick. Subsequent tricks are overlapped so that they may be easily counted. The penalty for a revoke is 3 points.

The offended partnership can add these to their score, deduct them from the opponents’, or take three of the opponents’ tricks.

Scoring

The winning side of a hand score one point for each trick in excess of six. The first side to reach or exceed five points winds the game and the first side to win two games wins the rubber.

A more elaborate scoring system is sometimes used when the game is played for stakes. The winners of a game score according to the number of points earned by the opponents:

No points = triple game (3);

One or two points = double game (2);

Three or four points = single game (1).

In addition, the team that wins the rubber scores two additional game points. Thus the maximum a partnership can win by in a rubber is eight (two triple games), and the minimum is one (two single games against opponents’ triple game).

Conventions

-First player (if holding the top honours in a plain suit):

In trumps, lead lowest of the top honours (AKQJ, lead J).

-Second player (if a low card is led, and holding top honours):

If an honour is led, cover it with a higher honour is possible. On other leads, play a low card unless there is a good reason to play high.

-Third player: Play your highest card unless finesse is desirable; if you are unable to beat previous card, play low. If you hold onours, play lowest or lower card of a sequence (KQJx, play J)

-Fourth player: Take the trick if possible, otherwise play low.

Tips on how to win

At the start of a hand of Whist you and your partner know nothing about each other’s cards. In order to play your cards intelligently it is therefore essential to exchange as much information with your partner as possible. This is done by the means of conventions, a large number of which have been developed during the long history of the game. A few of the more common ones have been shown earlier. Conventions should always be followed unless there is an excellent reason for deviating. Common sense is assumed: you don’t for example trump a trick that your partner is winning.

When first leading, play a card from your longest suit (the suit in which you have the most cards), but do not lead trumps unless you have at least five. If your lack top honours, lead your fourth highest card. If you have two suits of equal length, open with your strongest.

Return your partner’s lead when able to do so, normally playing the highest card in the suit. With long trumps it is usually good to lead with them in order to draw your opponent’s trumps.

Do not lose sight of the fact that you and your partner are a team: it does not matter which of you wins a trick. It is often true that your weak suit is your partner’s strongest.

A useful device is the peter. When you have only two valueless cards left in a suit you discard the higher one first. When you follow this with the lower one, partner will know you are void in the suit and are ready to trump. Conversely, a cardinal rule is to note carefully every card your opponents play. This should guide you as to what to lead to subsequent tricks.

A good memory is invaluable in Whist. If you cannot recall every card played (good players can) then try to keep a running tally of how many cards are left in each suit, particularly trumps, together with the controlling (top-ranking) cards in each case.

An example hand of Whist

As in Bridge, the players are traditionally designated by the cardinal points, North and South playing East and West.

South dealt and turned over the last card, 4 of Clubs, so clubs are trumps. The underlined card of each trick takes it and the owner leads to the next (see picture below).

Both North and East have petered, so West knows the last diamonds, the seven, lies with South.

South reasons North has the King of Hearts but doesn’t want to return East’s lead.

North wants to clear trumps before promoting hearts. East finesses successfully. West does not peter since there is nothing to gain – and the 8 could earn a trick over trumping South.

East, who knows that North has the trump K, would prefer West to lead the suit.

North does not wish to trump as this would bare the K. Anyway, “second hand low”.

East had hoped the K would fall but has the consolation of netting two trumps.

North knows that the King of Clubs is the last trump and that the King of Hearts is good.

East-West win by the odd trick (1 point).

Variants

In some circles, points for honours are awarded, although the practise is dying. The honours are AKQJ of trumps.

If one side holds all four, they receive four points at the end of the game; if three, two points (i.e. one point for every honour held in excess of those held by the opponents). All the honours can be in one hand or split between partners. However, a side that is within one point of game at the start of a deal cannot score honours.

There are many Whist variants. German Whist is a simple game for two players. Each player is dealt 12 cards, as in the normal game. The next card is turned up to determine the trump suit for the hand.

Elder leads: the winner of the trick takes the exposed trump; the loser takes the card off the top of the stock with the next card turned face up beside it. Play continues in this manner, with the winner of a trick always taking the exposed card, until the stock is exhausted.

The tricks are then discarded and the game proper beings, only the last 13 tricks counting. The object of the first stage is to improve one’s hand, with the players seeking to win the trick if the up card is desirable and lose it if it is not.

Related External Links

There is a great Classic Whist guide on the Pagat website