German Whist, or German Poker, is a fantastic card game for two players that takes place over two rounds.
Learn how to play this game in a few simple steps.
| Number of players | 2 |
| Game length | 15 minutes |
| Game difficulty | Easy |
| What you need to play | A standard deck of playing cards |
If you enjoy German Whist, check out this list of the top games to play with a deck of cards.
Object of the Game
German Whist game where players aim to build their hand with good cards in the first round and then use those cards to win as many tricks as they can in the second round.
Setting Up the Game
- One player is chosen as the first dealer. After this, the dealer alternates between the two players for each new round. The dealer shuffles the standard 52-card deck and deals 13 cards to each player. The remaining cards form a central face-down stockpile. The top card of the stockpile is revealed but kept on top to determine the trump suit for the round. For example, if the revealed card is the 7 of Spades, the trump suit is spades.
- Card ranking is crucial in German Whist. The cards are ranked as follows, from highest to lowest: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2.
Playing the Game
A game of German Whist is divided into two parts: the first part focuses on collecting strong cards, while the second part involves using those cards to win tricks.
First Part: Gathering Good Cards
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The player who did not deal the cards plays a card from their hand.
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The second player must follow suit if possible; otherwise, they can play any card.
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The highest trump card wins the trick, or if no trumps were played, the highest card of the led suit wins.
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The winner of the trick discards it face-down and draws the top card from the stockpile.
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The loser also draws the next card from the stockpile, keeping it hidden from the opponent.
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The next card in the stockpile is revealed, and the winner of the last trick leads the next one.
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This process continues until all 13 cards have been played by each player, and each player now has 13 new cards.
Second Part: Winning Tricks
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Both players should now have 13 cards in hand, which they gathered in the first part. The objective in this phase is to win as many of the 13 tricks as possible.
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Tricks are played in the same manner as in the first part, with the highest trump or highest card of the led suit winning each trick. Once the last trick is won, the round concludes.
Winning the Game
The player who has won the most tricks in the second part of the game wins. If a player manages to win all 13 tricks, this is called a sweep.
Frequently asked questions
Winning all 13 tricks in German Whist often comes with a bonus or extra points. The specific bonus amount may vary depending on house rules.
While there is an element of luck in the initial card distribution, German Whist is also a game of skill. You can improve your chances of winning by playing smartly and remembering what cards your opponent has left to play.
Strategies include trying to remember what cards your opponent still has left to play so that you can play cards to be counteract their moves.