Play Oh Hell Online

What Is Oh Hell?

Oh Hell is a four-player, individual trick-taking card game in which every player bids the exact number of tricks they expect to win. Related regional games are also called Oh Pshaw, Blackout, or Up and Down the River. Unlike Spades or Bridge, there are no scoring partnerships: making your own bid exactly is the objective.

How to Play Oh Hell

Oh Hell is an individual trick-taking game. The goal is not simply to win tricks: you must win exactly the number you bid.

Rounds, dealing, and trump

Four players use a standard 52-card deck. The first round deals ten cards to each player, then each later round deals one fewer card until the tenth round has one card. The dealer rotates, and one undealt card is turned face up to set trump.

Bidding and the dealer hook

Bidding starts left of the dealer. Each player predicts from zero to the number of cards held. The dealer bids last and cannot choose the one number that would make total bids equal the tricks available, so at least one player must miss.

Following suit and winning a trick

The player left of the dealer leads the first trick. You must follow the led suit when able; otherwise you may play any card. The highest trump wins, or the highest card of the led suit when no trump is played. The trick winner leads next.

Oh Hell scoring

Make your bid exactly to score 10 points plus the number bid. A bid of zero scores 10 when successful. Any overtrick or undertrick scores zero for that round. The highest total after ten rounds wins.

Beginner bidding and play strategy

Count strong trump cards and side-suit aces first, but discount unsupported kings. Once you have reached your bid, lead low cards and avoid taking accidental extra tricks. When you still need a trick, protect a high trump for a controlled win.

Example: choosing a bid and scoring the hand

In a five-card round with spades as trump, suppose you hold A♠, K♠, 4♠, A♦, and 7♣. A bid of 3 is reasonable because the two top trumps are strong and the diamond ace is a likely third trick. Taking exactly 3 tricks scores 13 points. Taking 2 or 4 scores 0 in this version.

Which Oh Hell rules does this game use?

Oh Hell has many regional rule sets. This version uses four players, a standard 52-card deck, ten rounds descending from 10 cards to 1, a turned-up trump suit, the dealer hook, and exact-bid scoring of 10 plus the bid. It does not use bonus multipliers or a second climb back to larger hands.

Want to go beyond the rules? Read our Oh Hell bidding strategy guide or compare Oh Hell and Spades before choosing your next table.

About This Oh Hell Game

I chose a ten-to-one format because it gives the game a clear rhythm without making a browser session drag. The computer players know only their own cards and public play. The table uses the same card assets, controls, themes, and responsive layout as the other games on Trick Card Games.

Frequently Asked Questions