Bid Whist
The Classic African American Partnership Card Game
What is Bid Whist?
Bid Whist is a partnership trick-taking game that's been a cornerstone of African American social gatherings for generations. Two teams of two compete to win "books" (tricks) by bidding for the right to name the trump suit.
What makes Bid Whist unique is the uptown/downtown system - you can choose whether high cards or low cards rank highest in trump! This adds a layer of strategy not found in other trick-taking games.
Bid Whist uses a 54-card deck: standard 52 cards + 2 Jokers (Big Joker and Little Joker). The Jokers are always the highest trump cards!
Setup & Deal
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Form Two TeamsPartners sit across from each other. You and your partner work together against the opposing team.
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Cut for DealHigh card deals first. Aces are high for cutting. Deal rotates clockwise each hand.
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Deal the CardsDeal 12 cards to each player (3 at a time). The remaining 6 cards go face-down in the center - this is the kitty.
The kitty is crucial! Whoever wins the bid gets to pick up these 6 cards and improve their hand before naming trump.
Card Rankings
Bid Whist has TWO different card rankings depending on whether "uptown" or "downtown" is called:
Uptown (High)
Cards rank from high to low:
Big Joker → Little Joker → A → K → Q → J → 10 → 9 → 8 → 7 → 6 → 5 → 4 → 3 → 2
Downtown (Low)
Cards rank from high to low (reversed!):
Big Joker → Little Joker → A → 2 → 3 → 4 → 5 → 6 → 7 → 8 → 9 → 10 → J → Q → K
No matter uptown or downtown, the Big Joker and Little Joker are ALWAYS the two highest trump cards. The Ace is always third highest.
The Bidding Phase
Starting with the player to dealer's left, each player gets one chance to bid or pass.
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Bid StructureBids range from 3 to 7, representing books OVER 6 you promise to win.
- Bid 3 = promise to win 9+ books (3 + 6)
- Bid 4 = promise to win 10+ books
- Bid 5 = promise to win 11+ books
- Bid 6 = promise to win 12 books
- Bid 7 = promise to win all 13 books (rare!)
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Uptown vs Downtown BidsDowntown bids outrank uptown bids of the same number.
- "4 Uptown" < "4 Downtown"
- "4 Downtown" < "5 Uptown"
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No Trump BidsA "No Trump" bid outranks both uptown and downtown of the same number. In No Trump, Jokers cannot be played!
Each player bids once. If all pass, cards are re-dealt. Dealer CANNOT pass if everyone else passed.
Naming Trump & The Kitty
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Pick Up the KittyThe winning bidder takes the 6 kitty cards into their hand (now 18 cards).
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Name TrumpDeclare the trump suit (Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, or Spades) and whether it's Uptown or Downtown (or No Trump if that was bid).
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Discard 6 CardsDiscard 6 cards face-down. These cards count toward your team's books at the end!
Smart players discard cards that give them "voids" (no cards in a suit), allowing them to trump early. The kitty discard counts as 1 book!
Playing Tricks
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Bidder Leads FirstThe player who won the bid leads the first trick.
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Follow SuitYou MUST play a card of the suit led if you have one.
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Can't Follow? Play AnythingIf you're void in the led suit, you may play any card including trump.
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Highest Card WinsHighest trump wins. If no trump played, highest card of the led suit wins.
In trump contracts, Jokers are trump and beat everything. In No Trump, Jokers CANNOT be played - you must follow suit or discard them!
Understanding Books
Each trick won is called a "book." There are 12 tricks played plus the kitty discard (which counts as 1 book for the bidding team) = 13 total books.
Bid Values & Requirements
Scoring Points
If Bidding Team Makes Their Bid
Example: Bid 4, won 11 books = +11 points
If Bidding Team Fails (Gets "Set")
Example: Bid 4, won only 8 books = Bidders get -4, Defenders get +5 (their books)
If EITHER team wins ALL 13 books, they "Boston" the opponents! This is worth 7 points (or automatic win in some versions).
Winning the Game
First team to reach 7 points wins the game!
Some groups play to different targets (5, 11, or 21 points) or play best-of-3 games. Agree before starting!
Bidding Strategy
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Count Your Sure TricksJokers, Aces, and Kings in long suits are usually sure tricks. Count these before bidding.
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Factor in the KittyThe 6 kitty cards often add 1-2 useful cards. Don't overbid, but expect some help.
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Consider DowntownIf you have lots of 2s, 3s, 4s in one suit, downtown might make them powerful! Downtown bids also outrank uptown.
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Trust Your PartnerIf partner passes, they likely don't have much. If they bid, they're showing strength - consider supporting!
A 3 uptown bid only needs 9 books to make. If you have both Jokers and an Ace, you can often safely bid 3.
Kitty & Discard Strategy
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Create VoidsDiscard entire short suits to create voids. This lets you trump opponents' winners!
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Keep Trump and WinnersNever discard trump cards or Aces (unless making a void in that suit).
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Discard LosersMiddle cards (7-10) in off-suits are usually losers - get rid of them!
Playing Strategy
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Lead Trump Early (As Bidder)If you have strong trump, lead it early to pull out opponents' trump. This protects your side winners.
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Lead Partner's SuitIf partner won a trick in a suit, lead that suit back to them!
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Count TrumpTrack how many trump cards have been played. Once all trump is out, your off-suit winners are safe.
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Defend by Leading VoidsAs defender, lead suits where you or partner are void - this forces the bidder to use trump.
Common Mistakes
The kitty helps, but don't expect miracles. Getting set (-bid) while opponents score their books is devastating!
In downtown, that King you're holding is the LOWEST card! Don't lead it expecting to win.
Bid Whist is a partnership game! If partner leads strong, play high to help them win. Don't hoard your good cards.
Popular Variations
A faster, more dramatic scoring variant:
- If you make your bid: Score only your bid value (not all books)
- If you get set: Opponents score YOUR bid value + their books
- Makes getting set much more costly
- Encourages conservative bidding
Play with a standard 52-card deck:
- No Jokers - Aces are always highest trump
- Kitty has 4 cards instead of 6
- Deal 12 cards each (48 total)
- Slightly more predictable gameplay
Enhanced No Trump rules:
- No Trump bids are worth double points
- Much higher risk and reward
- Jokers must be discarded in the kitty
- Requires very strong off-suit holdings
Ultimate victory condition:
- If any team takes ALL 13 books, they instantly win the game
- Regardless of score
- Very rare but extremely exciting!
- Encourages aggressive defense to prevent it
For more aggressive gameplay:
- Minimum bid is 4 instead of 3
- Forces more action and risk-taking
- Games tend to be shorter
- Popular in some regions