Whist score sheet
Only tricks past six score in Whist: the side that took more of the 13 tricks gets 1 point for each one beyond 6. Some tables add points for honours. The first side to 5 wins the game, and two games win the rubber. A Whist score sheet only needs each side’s points, deal by deal.
- 4 players, 2 teams
- One standard deck
- First side to 5
- Best of three games
Tabletales is free on iPhone and iPad.
This is the real app screen, live. Each deal is a hand on the Scorepad, typed under one partner of each side.
Whist
The classic English partnership trick-taking game and the ancestor of bridge, where only the tricks a side wins beyond six score and the first side to 5 points wins the game.
Whist on BoardGameGeek.
How to play Whist, in brief
Bridge grew out of Whist, the old English partnership game: four players in two teams, partners opposite, try to win most of the 13 tricks, and the first side to 5 points wins.
- Deal 13 eachDeal out the whole 52-card deck. The dealer’s last card is turned up: its suit is trump for the hand.
- Play 13 tricksA trick is one card each. The player left of the dealer leads, and everyone follows suit if they can. The highest trump wins, or else the highest card of the suit led, and the winner leads next.
- Count the tricksThe side that won more tricks scores for each one past the first 6. The deal passes left.
- Play a rubberKeep dealing until a side reaches 5. Many tables play best of three games, called a rubber.
Six tricks are free. Every one after scores.
Only the side that took most of the 13 tricks scores for them, and its first six count for nothing. Each trick past six, an odd trick, is worth 1 point. Honours, if your table plays them, can add 2 or 4.
What a deal is worth
| Result | Points |
|---|---|
| Each trick past sixOnly for the side that took 7 or more | 1 |
| All 13 tricks | 7 |
| All four honours (A, K, Q, J of trumps)Held between the two partners | 4 |
| Three of the four honours | 2 |
| Honours for a side that began the deal on 4 | 0 |
- Count the tricksThe side that took 7 or more of the 13 tricks scores 1 for each trick past six. The other side scores nothing for tricks.
- Add honours, if you play themA side whose partners held all four of the ace, king, queen and jack of trumps scores 4; three of them scores 2.
- No honours on 4A side that began the deal on 4 points can’t score honours. It needs an odd trick to win.
- Tricks come firstScore tricks before honours. If the tricks take a side to 5, the game is over and the other side’s honours don’t count.
- First to 5, best of threeThe first side to 5 wins the game. The first side to win two games wins the rubber.
Deal 1: eight tricks and three honours.
You and Sam are Team A, Dev and Anya Team B, playing short whist to 5 with honours. Hearts are trumps. Dev and Anya take 8 of the 13 tricks, and between them they held the ace, king and queen of hearts. This is hand 1 on the Scorepad above.
| Team | Tricks and honours | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Dev and Anya | 8 tricks · A♥ K♥ Q♥Two tricks past six, and three honours: 2 + 2 | 4 |
| You and Sam | 5 tricks · J♥Fewer than 7 tricks, and only one honour | 0 |
Short games, a whole rubber in one night.
Tabletales is a scorepad and scrapbook for game night. For Whist, pick Teams as the scoring and play to a score of 5. Type each deal as you go, and the Scorepad keeps each side’s count.
- Two sides, one countTap a letter to put partners on Team A or B. The teams bar adds up each side and puts the trophy on the higher total.
- One line per dealUnder one partner, type the deal’s points, or type the odd tricks plus honours, like 2 + 2, and Tabletales adds it up. You work out the honours by the rules, and Tabletales keeps the count.
- 5 sits at the topThe target stays at the top of the Scorepad while you play, so everyone can see which side is one odd trick away.
- And the rubber is keptAdd another game to the night for each game of the rubber, and save it with who played and a photo from the table. Who wins the rubber is yours to keep track of.
- Everyone who was there
- Photos from the table
- Whist, with its scores
Common Whist scoring mistakes
- Counting every trickOnly tricks past six score, so 8 tricks is 2 points, not 8.
- Scoring honours on 4A side that began the deal on 4 points can’t score honours. It needs an odd trick to win.
- Letting honours beat tricks to 5Tricks are scored first. If they take a side to 5, it wins, even when the other side’s honours would get there too, so leave those honours off.
- Counting honours from one hand onlyHonours count when the two partners held them between them.
Whist scoring, answered
- How do you score Whist?
- After each deal, the side that took more tricks scores 1 point for every trick beyond six. Some tables also score honours, and the first side to 5 points wins the game.
- How many points is a game of Whist?
- 5 in British short whist. Pagat gives 7 as the usual American target, and Long Whist plays to 10.
- What is a rubber in Whist?
- A match of up to three games. The first side to win two games wins the rubber.
Whist score sheet
Print one for the table: two sides and twenty deals, enough for a rubber, with the odd tricks, honours and a running total.
Score another game
Tables differ: many no longer count honours, American whist is played to 7 and Long Whist to 10, and Bicycle’s page gives only the trick scoring. Rules checked on 19 October 2026 against Pagat, Wikipedia and Bicycle Cards.
Keep score tonight. Keep the night for good.
Tabletales adds up every hand, then saves the whole night: the games, the scores, the photos and who was there.
