How To Play

Players and Cards

Whot! can be played by two or more players using a special 54-card deck. The deck has five suits (circles, triangles, crosses, squares, stars) and wild "Whot" cards. Each suit has cards numbered 1-14, with stars counting double when scoring. **Dealing** Players deal clockwise. To find the first dealer, everyone cuts the deck; the player with the lowest card deals. Each player gets 6 cards, and the rest form a draw pile.

Playing

The player to the dealer's left starts by playing any card. Players take turns playing a card that matches the suit or number of the last card, or a "Whot" card, which allows them to name a suit for the next player. If you can’t play, draw a card from the draw pile, but you can't play again this turn. If the draw pile is empty, shuffle the play pile to form a new draw pile.

Once a game is set, quitting would mean forfeiting the bet and opponent automatically wins the game.

Scoring

The game ends when a player plays all their cards. Other players score penalty points for cards left in hand: circles, squares, crosses, and triangles count as face value, stars count double, and Whot cards count 20. Players with 100 points or more are out. The last player left wins. **Variations** There are shorter versions where players play just one round without scoring.

Timer

Every player is put on a 60 seconds clock when its your turn to play. Failure to play a card, you get a card from the pot and miss a turn. If this goes on 3 times, the game automatically ends at a lose for inactive player.

Nigerian Whot

In Nigeria, the suits have different names and some cards have special effects:

1 (HOLD ON): The same player plays again.
2 (PICK TWO): The next player must play another 2 or draw two cards.
5 (PICK THREE): The next player must play another 5 or draw three cards.
8 (SUSPENSION): The next player misses a turn; if a star 8 is played, the next two players miss turns.
14 (GENERAL MARKET): All other players draw one card.

In a two-player game, "HOLD ON" and "SUSPENSION" work the same way since there’s only one opponent. Players with two cards say "semi last card" and those with one say "last card." Failing to warn results in a penalty of drawing two cards.