Learn the game
Bid Whist rules
Learn the Bid Whist rules used in DeNiro Card: the deal, legal moves, scoring and how to win. House rules vary; these are the rules at DeNiro Card tables.
Choose a Bid Whist tableHow to play Bid Whist
- You and the seat across from you are partners. The deck has 54 cards: a standard deck plus the Big Joker and Little Joker. Everyone gets 12 cards and 6 go to the kitty.
- Bidding goes once around, starting left of the dealer. A bid is a level from 4 to 7 (books over six) plus Uptown, Downtown or No-Trump. A higher level beats a lower one; at the same level only No-Trump beats a suit bid. If the first three players pass, the dealer must bid.
- The bid winner names the trump suit (Uptown or Downtown) or, in No-Trump, chooses high or low. Downtown reverses card order, but the Ace stays highest.
- The bid winner takes the 6 kitty cards, discards 6 face down, and leads.
- Trump order: Big Joker, Little Joker, then Ace down to 2 of trump. In No-Trump the jokers never win a trick and may only be led as your last cards. Follow the led suit if you can; a joker counts as following trump.
- The kitty counts as the bidders' first book. Make the bid and your team scores every book over six. Fall short and your team loses the bid level. No-Trump doubles either result. Defenders score nothing, whatever they take.
- The game ends when a team reaches +7, or falls to −7 and the other team wins.
- Your clock: at a coin table against the computer you get up to 90 seconds for each move, and the table header counts down the exact time left. If it runs out, the table plays that move for you on the merits. You are not forfeited, nothing extra is charged, and your stake and payout are unchanged. Each of your first three missed moves keeps the full clock; miss a third in a row and the rest of the hand runs at computer speed, about two thirds of a second a turn, which in practice finishes it for you. Making one move yourself puts the full clock back. An Online table against real people runs its own, separate clock; watch the same countdown there.
Common questions
How many cards and players are in Bid Whist?
You and the seat across from you are partners. The deck has 54 cards: a standard deck plus the Big Joker and Little Joker. Everyone gets 12 cards and 6 go to the kitty.
How does bidding work?
Bidding goes once around, starting left of the dealer. A bid is a level from 4 to 7 (books over six) plus Uptown, Downtown or No-Trump. A higher level beats a lower one; at the same level only No-Trump beats a suit bid. If the first three players pass, the dealer must bid.
How do you score and win?
The kitty counts as the bidders' first book. Make the bid and your team scores every book over six. Fall short and your team loses the bid level. No-Trump doubles either result. Defenders score nothing, whatever they take. The game ends when a team reaches +7, or falls to −7 and the other team wins.
Playing in DeNiro Card
An account and an internet connection are required to play. Choose a coin stake before joining a table. Leaving an active game forfeits the stake and adds a 10% leaving fee. Play coins have no cash value and cannot be cashed out.
Choose a Bid Whist table