Bid Whist Online

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Getting Started with Bid Whist Online

Getting Setup to Play Bid Whist Online

How to Play Bid Whist Online

Getting Setup to Play Bid Whist Online

  1. Sign up for a trial account. This is when you register your name, email address, a log in/user name (the name that will identify you as a player), and a password.
  2. Download the game. Click on the second item at the Bid Whist Online Site to download the game. After you have downloaded the game, you should be able to log in from your desktop. Or, you can come to bidwhist.com and click on Start Playing.
  3. If you have problems with either of these steps, click on Help for more detailed instructions.

How to Play Bid Whist Online

  1. LOGGING IN - When you click on Start Playing, a box opens. This is where you log in. Carefully enter your user name and password in that box. (User names and passwords are case-sensitive, and must be entered as you originally set them.) When your user name and password have been verified, another larger box opens.

  2. OBTAINING ASSISTANCE - At the top of this second box are small boxes that offer help to players - Play Options (card orientation offers a choice to have the cards on the table overlap or not touch), Sound (you can mute the game sounds), Feedback (your opportunity to let us know what you think of the game or make suggestions to improve the game), Instructions (this drop-down box includes a list of the Acronyms that players use in the chat box), Game History (a history of the last game played since you logged in). We recommend that you click on each box to see what's available.

  3. BEFORE YOU JOIN A GAME - Find out what the table rules are. There are four narrow columns with the letters P, R, AS, SK. An X in one of these columns means that a particular rule applies to that table. P = Private (this is a closed table open only to players who have the password). R = Rise and Fly (losers have to move and let other players sit). AS = Automatic Set. SK = Show Kitty (if you don't want other players to see your kitty, make sure not to join a table that has an X in the SK box.

  4. JOINING A GAME - This same box also has several columns. The first column lists the table names of active games. The next four columns list the players who are participating in each game. If one of these four columns is empty, there is an opening for another player at that table. Click on the table name to join a game. In the chat box request permission to join the game. Most players simply ask, "May I sit?" When you receive permission, click on Sit at the available space. If you are not given permission to join that table, you may watch the others play, or click on the red bar that says Exit Table. This will take you back to the box that lists the tables where you can look for another table to join.

  5. BIDDING: The person to the left of the dealer bids first and bidding goes around the table with the dealer bidding last. You only get one bid per deal, so be careful. The highest bid is seven, and the lowest is three, Once you click that number - 3H = three high, 3L = three low, 3N = three no - you have to live with it. Notice that the only numbers available are the ones that have not been bid. In other words, your bid has to be higher than the previous bids. If you don't want to bid, click "pass" at the top of the diagram.

  6. THE KITTY - When you get the bid, the cards in the kitty are automatically added to your hand. Click once on each card you want to discard. The discarded cards will stick up above the other cards. After six cards have been selected, a box will appear that says, "Finished with the kitty?" If you're finished, click Yes. If you want to make changes in your selections, click No, then click once on the cards you want to keep to lower them.

  7. APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR ON THE SITE - Be polite and respectful of other players. Observe the golden rule and treat other players as you wish to be treated. We randomly monitor tables, and encourage our customers to report rude behavior.

  8. SET UP YOUR OWN TABLE - To set up your own table, click on the green box Create Table. A box opens up with a space to enter your table name. If you choose not to enter a name, the default name will be your log in name. Below the name are table options for players at three different skill levels. Beginner is for the player who is unfamiliar with Bid Whist and wants to learn the game. Advanced is for players who are familiar with the game, but who have haven't played much or recently. Custom allows highly skilled veteran players to set up a table to their particular tastes. All three levels have the option to set up a private table. With a private table, you can play alone to learn the game, or allow others to join you by giving them your password. A private table is a good way for a beginner to learn the game without annoying veteran players, and it is a way to play regularly with a select group of friends. Each time you log into the game, you must either create a table, or join another person's table.

    At the Beginner and Advanced levels the kitty option is pre-set and will be shown on Hi/Lo bids, meaning the kitty is visible only to the bidder for a No Trump bid. The two differences between these levels are Automatic Set and the playing speed. Beginner does not have Automatic Set and the playing speed is pre-set at slow. Advanced is pre-set for Automatic Set, which stops play when the bidder has been set. The playing speed for Advanced is fast. At the Custom level, you can select the Kitty option you want - Always Show Kitty, Never Show Kitty, or Show Kitty on Hi/Lo bids only, You may also opt to play Rise and Fly and to use Automatic Set. Custom further allows you to play at either of three speeds - slow, medium, or fast.

    To set up a private table, at the bottom of the box you are asked, Want Some Privacy? If so, click on Make My Table Private and enter a password. We recommend that you write down your password exactly as you set it. If you want to invite others to join your table, you will need to give them the password, and you are the only person who has access to it.

  9. BOOTING PLAYERS FROM THE GAME - Only the host, the person who created the table, can boot players from the table. Players should be booted if they are being rude to other players, using offensive language.

  10. LEAVING A GAME - To exit a table, it is polite to announce in the chat box that you intend to leave when the hand or game ends. When you're ready to leave, click on the red bar that says Exit Table. When the next window comes up, you have the option of joining another table or closing the window. If you're ready to stop playing, close the window. On the next window, click on the red bar that says Exit Game.

  11. BID WHIST TIPS - If you have not previously played Bid Whist, you should click on Ten Tips for Bid Whist Beginners. If you just need a refresher, click on Definition of Terms. Tips for beginners are for those who know very little about the game. These people will also benefit from reading the definitions. Definition of Terms is a review of the language common to bid whist players.

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