How to play Whot
Whot is a card game for 2 to 4 players where the first to get rid of all their cards wins. On your turn you play a card that matches the shape or the number on the pile, or go to market and take a card. Special cards make the next player pick, miss a turn or follow the shape you call.
Step by step
Deal the cards
Deal five cards to each player (some families deal four or six). Turn one card face up to start the pile, and put the rest face down as the market.
Match the pile
On your turn, play one card that has the same shape or the same number as the top card of the pile.
Or go to market
If you can't play, or would rather not, take one card from the market. That ends your turn.
Use the special cards
1 is Hold on (play again), 2 is Pick two, 5 is Pick three, 8 is Suspension and 14 is General market.
Call with a Whot
A Whot (number 20) can be played on anything. You then call a shape, and the next player must play that shape or another Whot.
Last card, check up!
Say “Last card” when you have one card left. The first player to play their last card says “Check up!” and wins.
The full rules
What you need
Whot is for 2 to 4 players and uses a Whot deck of 54 cards. Instead of suits there are five shapes, and five special Whot cards:
- Circles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
- Triangles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
- Crosses: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14
- Squares: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14
- Stars: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8
- Whot: five cards numbered 20
The deal
Shuffle and deal five cards to each player, one at a time. Turn the next card face up to start the pile. The rest go face down in the middle: this is the market. In our game the first card turned up is always a plain card; a special card is put back at the bottom of the market.
Your turn
Play one card from your hand onto the pile. It must match the top card by shape (a circle on a circle) or by number (a 7 on a 7). A Whot can be played on any card.
If you can’t play, or don’t want to, go to market: take the top card of the market. Your turn ends.
Play then passes to the next player.
Special cards
- 1 – Hold on. You play again straight away. If you can’t follow it, go to market.
- 2 – Pick two. The next player takes two cards from the market and misses their turn.
- 5 – Pick three. The next player takes three cards and misses their turn.
- 8 – Suspension. The next player misses their turn.
- 14 – General market. Every other player takes one card from the market. Then the next player carries on as usual.
- 20 – Whot. Play it on anything and call a shape. The next player must play that shape or another Whot.
With two players, a Pick two, Pick three or Suspension means you play again, because your opponent misses their turn.
Last card and check up
When you have one card left, say “Last card!” so everyone knows. When you play your final card, say “Check up!”: you have won. A special card can be your last card, and you still win at once.
When the market runs out
When someone needs a card and the market is empty, every card in the pile except the top one is shuffled to make a new market. In the rare case where there is nothing to shuffle, the game stops and everyone adds up the numbers on their cards (a Whot counts 20). The lowest total wins.
Tips
- Hold on to your Whot for when nothing else fits, or for your last card.
- When you call a shape, call the one you have the most of.
- If the next player is down to one or two cards, use a Pick two, Pick three or Suspension on them.
- Play a Hold on only when you have a card to follow it with.
- Play your high numbers early, in case the game ends with a count.
Other rules you may meet
Whot is played in many ways. Common variations include defending a Pick two with another 2 (so the penalty grows), the player who plays General market going again, and ending the game with a count as soon as the market runs out. Agree on the rules before you start.
Common questions
What do the special cards do in Whot?
In the common Nigerian rules, 1 is Hold on and you play again, 2 makes the next player pick two cards, 5 makes them pick three, 8 suspends the next player, and 14 is General market, where every other player takes one card. The Whot (20) is wild and lets you call a shape.
Can you play a card on top of a Pick two to defend it?
Many people play that a 2 can be answered with another 2, passing the penalty on. Our game uses the simpler rule: the next player picks two and misses their turn.
What happens when the market runs out?
In our game the pile, apart from its top card, is shuffled to make a new market. If there is nothing left to shuffle, everyone counts the numbers on their cards and the lowest total wins. Some players simply end the game and count as soon as the market runs out.
Is there a 6 or a 9 in a Whot deck?
No. There are no 6s or 9s, so nobody can mistake one for the other. Circles and triangles go up to 14, crosses and squares skip 4, 8 and 12, and stars only go up to 8.
Can I go to market even if I could play?
Yes. Taking a card is always allowed, and sometimes it is smart to hold on to a special card for later.
Where it comes from
Whot is generally said to have been created in Britain in the 1930s, where it was sold as a card game with shapes instead of suits, and was later made by the games company Waddingtons. It travelled widely and became especially popular in Nigeria and elsewhere in West Africa, where it is still played at home, at school and at gatherings. Rules vary from place to place, so agree on them before you play.
