Whot
Whot was invented by William Henry Storey in 1935. It comes from the days when friends and family played indoor games by the fireside.
Whot comes from the days when friends and family played indoor games by the fireside, enjoying hours of pleasure in each other’s company. The game was invented by William Henry Storey in 1935. It was first marketed by W. H. Storey & Co of Croydon but was soon acquired by Waddingtons.

Above: Whot card game manufactured by John Waddington Ltd with rules booklet published by W. H. Storey & Co. Ltd., 24 Dingwall Road, Croydon, c.1935.


Above: Whot card game manufactured by John Waddington Ltd for the Royal National Institute for the Blind. Each card is embossed with its Braille representation. Unfortunately, the embossing goes right through the cards so that a sighted person can read the back of each card like any other marked pack. Not much use for a blind person playing cards with the sighted! Whot was popular in Britain in the 1950s and 60s and Waddingtons continued to sell it until the 1990s. It is distributed today by Winning Moves UK.
William Henry Storey patented several appliances for games, including playing card cases, board games, tile racks, etc. during the 1930s and '40s.

By Simon Wintle
Member since February 01, 1996
I am the founder of The World of Playing Cards (est. 1996), a website dedicated to the history, artistry and cultural significance of playing cards and tarot. Over the years I have researched various areas of the subject, acquired and traded collections and contributed as a committee member of the IPCS and graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal. Having lived in Chile, England, Wales, and now Spain, these experiences have shaped my work and passion for playing cards. Amongst my achievements is producing a limited-edition replica of a 17th-century English pack using woodblocks and stencils—a labour of love. Today, the World of Playing Cards is a global collaborative project, with my son Adam serving as the technical driving force behind its development. His innovative efforts have helped shape the site into the thriving hub it is today. You are warmly invited to become a contributor and share your enthusiasm.
Related Articles

OXO Faces of the Millennium Dinner
Twentieth-century personalities promoting a millennium dinner at the Oxo Tower in London.

Kids Fun Box playing cards
Colourful cards for children with four non-standard suits connected with the natural world.

Tangle Foot Ale
Badger Brewery Tangle Foot strong ale advertising pack.

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

Agent Provocateur
Branded lingerie collection in a pack of pin-up playing cards.

Nimbus playing cards
Mike Steer’s weather-themed pack with suits in four colours and backs for cardistry.

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...

The Decadent Deck
Studies in the eroticism of the female body by Inge Clayton.

Historic Shakespeare
“Historic Shakespeare” playing cards featuring Shakespearean characters by Chas Goodall & Son.

Copechat Paramount Sorting System
Preserving the past: a specimen deck showcasing edge-notched cards and their ingenious sorting syste...

Heartsette by Herbert Fitch & Co, 1893
A glimpse into a busy print and design office in late Victorian London.

Rap Rummy
Rap Rummy made by Parker Brothers in 1926, only 4 years after the discovery of King Tutankhamen’s to...

Batman® playing cards
Batman playing cards published by InterCol of London 1989.

Can You Believe Your Eyes?
“Can You Believe Your Eyes?” playing cards featuring visual illusions & other oddities.

Pastime Playing Cards for the Blind
The “Pastime” Playing Cards for the Blind manufactured by Goodall & Son Limd., c.1910.

The European Interchanges Quartets
A card game based around motorway intersections from European countries.
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 28 days