If two players tie on highest number of tricks these players must cut for who decides trumps. This time each player gets six cards each. In round two the person with the highest number of tricks in round one chooses trumps after the hands are dealt. Players may over trump or put a higher trump on a lower trump to win the trick provided they have run out of the lead suit. The rules are: if you can follow suit you must, if you can not follow suit you can play a trump to beat all non-trump cards, or discard a non-trump card which will not be a winner.

In whist, the collection of played cards once a round is completed is called a trick. That is, the dealer plays a card followed by the person to their left round the table until everyone has played one card. The cards are played out as tricks round the table where normal whist rules apply. Once trumps are chosen the player to the right of the dealer leads. This is likely to be the most numerous suit.

Your strongest suit dictates your choice for trumps. On the first round everyone cuts the remaining deck and the winner-that is the person with the highest card, aces high, chooses trumps. Organise them by suits so hearts, clubs, spades and diamonds are kept together in the hand in ascending order. Knockout whist follows the rules of whist: after shuffling the deck each player gets seven cards which they hold as a hand. This is one of only a few card based games to be covered in this book.

Knockout whist shuffle