Norwegian (Minnesota) Whist -- origin, tournament rules?

[p***@gmail.com]

My family is from North Dakota, and they play high and low, but clubs are always the trump card. Very strange how many variations there are. Also, greetings from the future.

[j***@gmail.com]

Post by p***@gmail.com
My family is from North Dakota, and they play high and low, but clubs are always the trump card. Very strange how many variations there are. Also, greetings from the future.

Interesting that I just returned to this post after 16 years, and notice your recent reply "from the future!"

Thanks!

[s***@saugususd.org]

I am from ND and we played this game for hours. In the cafeteria on campus (UND) we had the never ending game,. When it was time for class someone else sat in your chair and the game continued. You could come back 5 hours later and the game was still going and you rotated back in. Everyday, All day.

We played high/low no trump. I had not heard of 4 handed whist with trump but we had trump for three handed whist (Merry Widow)

[j***@gmail.com]

idk about all the answers to your questions but i also grew up playing this game with my family - norwegian grandmother. it is nearly impossible to find people who know how or are interested in learning this game.

[Jasmine]

I just came across this post from 2002 while reading more about Norwegian and Minnesota Whist. I do not have specific answers regarding your questions, but I do have some interesting insight.

I grew up in Minnesota with family from North Dakota. Whist was the favorite card game of my grandmother, so we often played it at family get-togethers. I was unaware that this game was called anything other than "Whist" until reading about Whist online tonight. I now know that we always played Norwegian/Minnesota Whist.

I now live in Denmark, where the version of Whist that I grew up playing is also played. I also Google searched for the game "Norwegian Whist" and "Danish Whist" in the Danish language. They are the same game, although it is referred to as "Danish Whist" here in Denmark rather than "Norwegian Whist".

So, with that said, I suppose the Whist played in Minnesota and the surrounding areas really is a tradition passed down from our Scandinavian ancestors.

Happy Scandinavian Whist playing! :)

[k***@gmail.com]

Hi all, I learned whist (aka Minnesota Whist) from Norwegian descendent classmates starting in 9th grade. We played all the time and held our own tournaments. I get back to Minnesota every 1-2 years and I always play when I get back there. 38 years playing whist and counting...I'm going to try to teach my kids (8 and 10).