History of Bid Whist

Bid Whist is an international card game that is played around the world in a variety of forms. It is thought by many that Whist originated in Turkey where the British, who brought the game to the United States during slavery, learned to play. It seems quite evident that each individual culture that learns to play Whist modifies the game. Whist is the predecessor of, perhaps better known card games such as, Bid Whist, Spades, and Bridge.

During slavery, plantation owners forbid slaves to learn to read and write in fear that that would lead to uprisings and revolting. However, to allow the slaves to learn to count, thus keeping better track of the cotton barrels and other harvest, slaves were allowed to play cards. Whist was the game of the century as most plantation owners desired to be considered nobility and played the game taught them by the Europeans. Slaves put their own spin on Whist and Bid Whist lives on today.

The card game Bid Whist as we know it today, is the form of the game popularized by black Pullman porters who served well-to-do white passengers in luxury sleeper cars on U.S. railroad transportation. The Pullman Palace Car Company was established in 1867, and by the 1920’s; it employed more African Americans than any other business in the country.

During this period of time, the porters on the Pullman sleeper train cars were among the few African Americans who enjoyed stable employment in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These men, some of whom were college educated, were accorded a high level of respect among the members of the black community. The porters played Bid Whist during their runs, which was fun and helped pass the time as the train rolled from town to town across the country. Consequently, much of the lingo used to describe game maneuvers is travel language. For example, the cross-country run from the West Coast to Boston was "going all the way." In the game when a team takes all the books it is called "running a Boston." During the process of bidding, indicating whether the value sequence of the cards will be from high to low or low to high is referred to as "going uptown" or "going downtown." The trash talking that was so much a part of Bid Whist was an essential part of the porters' enjoyment of the game, and this is still one of the most enjoyed features of the game today.

Although the game of Whist originated in England, the game Bid Whist is virtually unknown among European Americans. Bid Whist is especially popular among African Americans. The status of Bid Whist is most likely the result of the black community's admiration of Pullman porters, who, under the leadership of A. Philip Randolph, organized the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the first black trade union. Learning to play Bid Whist was nearly a "rite-of-passage" among black college students and the Congressional Black Caucus members, who host an annual Bid Whist tournament. During the 1920’s Chicago had a population of more than a million African Americans. The game was so popular; a major daily paper included a column on Bid Whist.

The game of Bid Whist continues to grow and flourish, particularly among African Americans as a favorite pass time. Friends meet together and play on a regular basis. Bid Whist groups and social clubs are formed in cities and towns across the country. It is good, clean, old school, trash talking, down to earth, off the chain fun. Through this channel, a rich heritage is being passed on.

Courtesy of the National Bid Whist Association