Whist writers and their pseudonyms

Published July 07, 2023 Updated September 19, 2025

Why did so many early writers about whist and other card games feel the need to write under a pseudonym?

United KingdomLiteratureWhist
avatar
58 Articles

By Tony Hall

United Kingdom • Member since January 30, 2015

I started my interest in card games about 70 years ago, playing cribbage with my grandfather. Collecting card game materials started 50 years or so later, when time permitted. One cribbage board was a memory; two became the start of a collection currently exceeding 150!

Once interest in the social history of card games was sparked, I bought a wooden whist marker from the 1880s which was ingenious in design and unbelievably tactile. One lead to two and there was no stopping.

What happened thereafter is reflected in my articles and downloads on this site, for which I will be eternally grateful.

Related Articles

1850 Solo Whist

Solo Whist

A distinctive British trick-taking game that emerged in the mid-19th century.

1910 The Molassine Company and its link to Whist and Bridge

The Molassine Company and its link to Whist and Bridge

A savvy marketing strategy blending Victorian decorative design with Edwardian practicality.

1891 Scientific Whist

Scientific Whist

“Scientific Whist” : standard cards with instructions for play on the faces by Chas Goodall & Son, 1...

2025 Agatha Christie and Playing Cards revisited

Agatha Christie and Playing Cards revisited

Agatha Christie uses card-play as a primary focus of a story, and as a way of creating plots and mot...

1875 T. Drayton & Son

T. Drayton & Son

Bezique and Whist boxed sets by T. Drayton & Son, London, c.1875.

2015 Dorset Dialect Trails

Dorset Dialect Trails

‘Dorset Dialect Trails’ playing cards, United Kingdom, 2015.

1864 De La Rue Pocket Guides

De La Rue Pocket Guides

The 19th Century saw the production, by all of the major companies, of pocket guides or “mini-books”...

1889 The Club Series by G. Bell & Sons

The Club Series by G. Bell & Sons

George Bell & Sons produced ‘The Club Series’ of books each specialising in one or more of the popul...

Hoyle v Foster: whose name should we remember?

Hoyle v Foster: whose name should we remember?

Hoyle’s name is associated with the rules by which many games are played, particularly card games B...

1742 Hoyle and his Legacy

Hoyle and his Legacy

Edmond Hoyle (1672-1769) was an English writer who made his name by writing on whist and a selection...

A New Look at the Evolution of Whist Markers and Gaming Counters

A New Look at the Evolution of Whist Markers and Gaming Counters

This article aims to illustrate the evolution of whist and gaming counters from the 18th century to ...

Whist marker boxes

Whist marker boxes

The Camden Whist marker was being advertised by Goodall and son in 1872 as a new product.

2004 Agatha Christie Playing Cards

Agatha Christie Playing Cards

Agatha Christie playing cards produced by Planet Three Collection, United Kingdom, c. 2004.

2016 Library Lovers

Library Lovers

Library Lovers playing cards published by Word Nerd Games, 2016.

1995 Sixty Penguin Years Playing Cards

Sixty Penguin Years Playing Cards

In celebration of 60 years of publishing Penguin Books Ltd, 1995.

Dickens Character Collection

Dickens Character Collection

Dickens Character Collection published for a London Casino as a promotional gift.

Why do we Collect?  My 20 Favourite Items

Why do we Collect? My 20 Favourite Items

I suppose people collect for different reasons, rarity, quality, ingenuity of design, sentimental va...

Mary Whitmore Jones and her Chastleton Patience Board

Mary Whitmore Jones and her Chastleton Patience Board

Mary Whitmore Jones and her Chastleton Patience Board by Tony Hall.

1759 Aesop’s Fables

Aesop’s Fables

Aesop’s Fables playing cards by I. Kirk, c.1759.

Cribbage Board Collection part 6

Cribbage Board Collection part 6

A collection of antique and vintage Cribbage Boards by Tony Hall, part 6