Bid Whist

A card game dating from the Civil War era, traditionally played by African Americans, that had roots in the games of bridge and whist. While the game of bid whist remains a staple of black culture—particularly among urban professionals and southern families—it is virtually unknown outside the African American community.

In bid whist, two pairs of partners compete, playing their cards and bidding. Points are earned by taking enough “tricks” (the cards played and won in a turn) to fulfill the players' bids. Points are lost when partnerships do not win as many tricks as they bid or predicted they would win. There are three distinct aspects of the game that differentiate it from bridge—a single round of bidding, instead of multiple rounds; the option of making a “downtown” bid, which reverses the ranking of cards; and a “kitty,” played for four to six cards randomly removed from the deck before cards are dealt to the players. The highest bidder is allowed to trade cards in the kitty for cards in hand.

While variations of bid whist can be traced as far back as 1864, the rules were constantly modified through the late 1930s and even into the 1940s and 1950s, when the game reached its peak of popularity. From the Reconstruction era onward, the game was often played at African American family gatherings, in meetings among friends at cafés and taverns, and in organized bid whist tournaments. The game became a staple of “rent parties”—neighborhood gatherings at which families would earn extra money to help pay their landlords on time. While moralists and other detractors often criticized the game since it involved gambling, bid whist also served as an excuse to socialize, and for most players, the chance to see family and friends was more interesting than the money involved.

In recent years, bid whist has received a good deal of exposure on the Internet, where novices can visit sites to learn the rules, and experienced players can master new strategies. There are also computer versions of the game. Tournaments have also become fund-raisers for African American organizations, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the National Association of Black Journalists.