Minnesota whist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Minnesota whist (card game) | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Type | trick-taking |
| Players | 4, in partnerships |
| Deck | 52 |
| Cards | Anglo-American |
| Play | Clockwise |
| Card rank (highest to lowest) |
A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 |
| Origin | Scandinavian immigrants of Minnesota |
| Related games | Tuppi, Norwegian whist, Whist |
Minnesota whist is a simplified version of whist in which there are no trumps, and the goal of the game is to take 7 of the 13 tricks. Four-handed whist is played with two teams. The players of each team sit opposite each other at the table. One person is elected to keep score. Typically the scorer's team is labeled as "Us" and the other team labeled as "Them". In this game, the ace is high. This style of whist is sometimes referred to as Norwegian Whist as it has been passed forward to the Upper Midwest by Norwegian immigrants.
Contents |
[edit] Order of Play
- Everyone cuts the deck and high card is dealer.
- Cards are dealt one at a time starting with the person to the left of the dealer and moving clockwise until all cards are dealt. Each person should have 13 cards.
- Each person analyzes his/her hand and determines whether to go "grand" or not. If a player wants to go "grand" (play high), he lays down a low black card; otherwise, a low red card.
- After all 4 players have laid down their cards, players flip up their cards in turn, starting with the person just left of the dealer.
- As soon as a black card is flipped up, no one else has to flip their card up.
- If all cards are red, the goal is to take 6 or fewer tricks.
- If any cards are black, the goal is to take at least 7 tricks.
- Play begins with either (1) the person to the left of the person who granded, or (if playing low) (2) player to the left of the dealer.
[edit] Taking Tricks
Basically, the person who leads lays down a card from his/her hand. Everyone must follow suit if they can. If a player cannot, he lays down any other card. Highest card of the lead suit takes the trick. Whoever takes the trick leads the next one. Each team pools their tricks, so only one player from each team needs to collect the winning tricks. Play continues until all cards are gone. Dealer moves one to the left.
[edit] Scoring
If the goal is to lose tricks, the team gets a point for every trick under 7 total. If the goal is to win tricks, the team gets a point for every trick over 6 total if the team granded. Get 2 points for every trick over 6 total if the opposite team granded.
The game continues until one team reaches a pre-designated point total, typically 13.
[edit] Scoring samples
- Us: Granded, got 10 tricks
- Them: got 3 tricks
- High game, "Us" makes 4 points (10 - 6)
- Us: Granded, got 5 tricks
- Them: got 8 tricks
- High game, "Them" makes 4 points (8 - 6) x 2
- Us: got 9 tricks
- Them: got 4 tricks
- Low game, "Them" makes 3 points (7 - 4)
[edit] Strategy
- When granding, if you have doubts about your hand and you are the first (or even second) person to flip, you may think twice about laying a black card. You may want to go low and hope the other team grands instead.
- When you run out of a suit and have to throw off, lay down a suit that you would like your parnter to lead if they get control. This is called "inviting". Example: You have A and K of clubs. Hearts was lead (and you have no hearts). Lay down a low club to "invite" your partner to play that suit. (In SE Minnesota and Wisconsin, this "invite" technique is called "South Dakota Whist". For Minnesota/Wisconsin whist, when one can't follow suit, one "sluffs" from the suits you do NOT want played. This is slower to convey the invite sometimes, but preserves your suit.)
- When playing "high", the first lead from the non-granding team may also "invite" their partner by playing the lowest card in their longest and strongest suit. Alternately, when playing "low", the first lead from the non-granding team should "invite" their partner by playing their highest card in their shortest and weakest suit.
[edit] Variations
- No cards are laid down after the hands are dealt; each player instead has the option to either pass or grand. If everybody passes, the hand is played as low, like in the main rules.
- If a player grands, then the player to the right of the player who grands leads the first trick.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- ISBN 1-4116-3324-5 Norwegian Whist book
