Whist came about in the 16th century

Whist came about in the 16th century as a variation of the game ruff and honours. The first games of whist were played in London about 1728. Author and card aficionado Edmond Hoyle was among the first players in the game. He made money teaching the game to the aristocracy and wealthy patrons. He took his knowledge and wrote the definitive book on whist rules called A Short Treatise on the Game of Whist in 1742. 20 years later, a man by pg168 the name of Henry Jones, using a nom de plume of Cavendish, wrote The Principles of Whist Stated and Explained, and Its Practice Illustrated on an Original System, by Means of Hands Played Completely Through. This was the first major work on whist strategy. Over the years, many variations of whist have popped up, including games like bridge, hearts, and spades. At one time whist was the most popular game in casinos around Europe and America. By the 1900s, that was being replaced by a new game called poker.