Bridge whist, often called straight bridge, is the original card game that the single word bridge once named, before auction bridge and contract bridge took over the name. Four players sit in two fixed partnerships and play under the trick-taking rules of short whist. The difference from whist is that no card is turned up for trumps. The dealer either names the trump suit or passes, in which case the dealer's partner must choose, and either of them may instead call biritch, meaning the hand is played without trumps. Opponents can then double the value of the tricks, and the declaring side can double again. The dealer's partner lays the hand face up as dummy and the dealer plays both hands. The earliest known description is a small booklet titled Biritch, or Russian Whist, registered and published on 9 July 1886 by John Collinson, an engineer who had met the game in Constantinople between 1880 and 1884, where it was linked to the Russian community. Bridge whist is not the modern game called Bridge, which grew from it by way of auction bridge.
Facts
Sport
Game Type (category) Game Type (category) Classification
Player Count Connections
Derived From
Whist, Games Source Pagat (John McLeod): Biritch or Russian Whist
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Source Pagat (John McLeod): Biritch or Russian WhistIntroduction, Collinson letter of 1906Quote, Introduction, Collinson letter of 1906
was attributed to the Russian colony at Constantinople
Sources
1. Pagat (John McLeod): Biritch or Russian Whist
Introduction, Stationers Hall registration
the booklet containing the promised rules was published on 9th July 1886
Method of playing
There are four players as at short whist, the cutting for partners, shuffling and dealing is the same
Value of the cards
The value of the cards is the same as at short whist.
Value of the cards [game-type-category]
Tricks are taken in the same manner, and the odd tricks, over and above six, are counted as at short whist.
Introduction, Collinson letter of 1906
was attributed to the Russian colony at Constantinople
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