How to Play Solo Whist

By Jaques of London · Est. 1795 · Updated 2026-08-17

Solo Whist is a trick-taking card game for exactly four players using a standard 52-card deck. Players bid to win a specified number of tricks, sometimes playing alone against the other three and sometimes in a temporary partnership, with a different point value attached to each level of contract. The combination of bidding judgement and card play gives the game genuine depth without excessive complexity.

It is well regarded as a sociable but mentally satisfying game, popular in British pubs, clubs and family kitchens for generations. Because every hand involves a fresh auction, no two deals play out the same way, and the tension of backing your own hand against three opponents keeps players engaged throughout an evening's session.

A little history

Solo Whist developed in Britain during the latter half of the nineteenth century, most likely as an adaptation of the Belgian game Whist de Gand, which introduced individual bidding to the older partnership Whist. It was widely documented in British card-game references by the 1890s and quickly became one of the most played card games in England. Beyond that broad outline, its precise origins are unclear.

Setting up

1. Seat four players around a table.
2. Choose a dealer by any agreed method, for example cutting for the highest card.
3. The dealer shuffles the deck thoroughly and offers it to the player on their right to cut.
4. Deal all 52 cards clockwise, one at a time, so each player holds 13 cards.
5. Turn the final card face up before picking it up; this card's suit is the proposed trump suit and remains visible until the auction begins.
6. The dealer picks the turned card into their hand once all players have seen it.

How to play

1. BIDDING: The player to the dealer's left speaks first; bidding proceeds clockwise.
2. Each player must either make a bid higher than any previous bid or pass. Once you pass you may not re-enter the auction.
3. The bids in ascending order of rank are: Proposal (Prop), Cop (acceptance of a Proposal), Solo, Misere, Abundance, Misere Ouverte (Open Misere), and Abundance Declared (Slam).
4. Proposal: the bidder asks for a partner, offering to win at least 8 tricks with an ally. Any later player (not the dealer last unless no one else has) may call Cop to accept. Prop and Cop is played as a partnership of two against two, using the turned suit as trumps.
5. Solo: the bidder contracts to win at least 5 tricks playing alone against three opponents, using the turned suit as trumps.
6. Misere: the bidder contracts to win NO tricks at all, playing alone with no trump suit.
7. Abundance: the bidder contracts to win at least 9 tricks alone, and names any suit as trumps (including the turned suit) after all others have passed.
8. Misere Ouverte (Open Misere): the bidder contracts to win no tricks, playing with their hand face up on the table after the first trick is played. No trumps.
9. Abundance Declared (Slam): the bidder contracts to win all 13 tricks alone. They lead to the first trick immediately; no trump declaration is needed as the bidder names trumps or plays no-trumps at their discretion depending on house rules. Commonly played as a named-trump contract.
10. If no one bids, the hand is thrown in and the next player deals.
11. PLAY: The player to the dealer's left leads to the first trick, except in Abundance Declared where the declarer leads.
12. Players must follow suit if able. If unable to follow suit, they may play any card including a trump.
13. The highest card of the suit led wins the trick unless a trump is played, in which case the highest trump wins.
14. The winner of each trick leads to the next.
15. Play continues until all 13 tricks are played.
16. Count tricks won and determine whether the contract was made or defeated.

Winning and scoring

Solo Whist is normally played for a fixed number of deals or until an agreed time or points target is reached. Standard scoring values widely used are: Prop and Cop, 2 points per side (defenders pay 2 each to each of the two partners if the contract makes, or the partnership pays 2 each to each defender if it fails); Solo, 2 points from or to each opponent; Misere, 3 points from or to each opponent; Abundance, 4 points from or to each opponent; Open Misere, 6 points from or to each opponent; Abundance Declared, 8 points from or to each opponent. A declarer who overtricks or undertricks still wins or loses a flat rate: there are no bonus points for extra tricks in most standard forms. Chip or scoring-pad equivalents of these point values work equally well. The player with the highest cumulative score at the end wins.

The fine points

Revoke (failure to follow suit when able) is the most common dispute. The standard ruling is that a revoke discovered before the hand ends must be corrected: the offending card is taken back, may be penalised as an exposed card, and the trick is replayed if the error has not caused two subsequent tricks to be played. A revoke discovered after two subsequent tricks have been played is established: the revoking side or player loses three tricks, transferred to their opponents, regardless of the final trick count. If this changes the outcome of the contract, the result stands on the corrected count.

In Prop and Cop, a player may not signal interest in accepting a Proposal by hesitation or gesture; Cop must be stated clearly. If two players both attempt to call Cop simultaneously, the one nearest to the dealer's left in the bidding rotation takes precedence. In Abundance Declared, if the declarer holds a void suit, they are still obliged to lead to the first trick before opponents see the hand. Some schools allow the declarer in Abundance to nominate no-trumps instead of a suit, ranking it between Abundance and Open Misere; this should be agreed before play begins.

How to win more often

• Before bidding, count your quick tricks (aces and near-certain winners) and your trump length separately. A Solo bid needs at least 5 reasonably secure tricks; be honest with yourself about tenuous holdings.
• In Prop and Cop, accept a Proposal only if you can realistically contribute 3 or 4 tricks independently. A weak Cop acceptance burdens your partner and wastes a good contract opportunity.
• When defending a Solo, the three defenders should lead through the declarer's likely long suits early. Communication through the opening lead matters: a low card usually suggests a desire for that suit back, a high card suggests a switch.
• In Misere, eliminate your dangerous mid-range cards as early as possible. Lead your shortest suits first to create voids, so opponents can feed you low cards in suits where you cannot win.
• Managing your trumps in Abundance is critical. Draw opponents' trumps early if your side suit winners are solid enough to stand alone, but hold a trump in reserve if you need entries back to your hand.

Variations

Misere Ouverte without a lead restriction

In the standard game, the declarer's hand is exposed after the first trick. Some groups expose the hand before the opening lead, giving defenders maximum information from the start. This increases the difficulty of the contract slightly and is worth agreeing in advance as a house rule.

Abundance in No-Trumps

Some schools insert a No-Trump Abundance between standard Abundance and Open Misere in the bidding ladder. The declarer contracts to win 9 tricks with no trump suit. Scoring is typically set at 5 points, one more than a suited Abundance, reflecting the added difficulty. It must be agreed before the session starts as it is not part of the traditional base game.

Scoring by stakes rather than points

In many pub and club settings, chips or coins replace the written score. Each player starts with an equal stack, and point values translate directly into chip transfers after each hand. This makes the score immediately visible and adds a tactile element to the game without changing any rule of play.

Compulsory deal on no bid

Rather than simply redealing when no player bids, some groups apply a compulsory Solo: the dealer is required to bid Solo on a no-bid hand, whether they like their cards or not. This eliminates dead hands and increases pressure on the dealer position throughout the session.

Solo Whist: frequently asked questions