Oh Hell Card Game
The trick-taking game where taking too many tricks hurts as much as taking too few. Bid exactly right every round, watch the shrinking hands and beat 3 computer players.
You vs. 3 computer players. Bid the exact number of tricks you’ll take each round, and score 10 + your tricks when you nail it.
How to play Oh Hell
Four players, everyone for themselves. The first round deals 10 cards each, then 9, 8 and so on down to a single card, and back up to 10 (19 rounds). After the deal, the next card of the deck is turned face up and its suit is trump for that round.
Starting left of the dealer, everyone bids how many tricks they’ll take, from zero up to the hand size. The dealer bids last and is “on the hook”: the total of all bids can’t equal the number of tricks, so at least one player is going to miss. Then the player left of the dealer leads; you must follow suit if you can, otherwise you can trump or throw off anything. Highest trump wins, or the highest card of the suit led.
Only exact bids score: hit your bid and you get 10 points plus 1 per trick (bidding zero and taking none is worth 10). Take one trick more or one less and you get nothing for the round. Whoever has the most points after the last round wins.
Frequently asked questions
Why can’t the dealer bid a certain number?
That’s the hook rule, also called “screw the dealer.” Because the bids can never add up to the number of tricks, someone always ends up over or under, which keeps every round tense. The game shows you which bid is blocked when you’re the dealer.
Should I play the long or the short game?
The classic count goes 10 down to 1 and back up, 19 rounds in total. The short 7-1-7 version (13 rounds) plays the same way and fits in a coffee break. Other tables start at the most cards everyone can get (13 with 4 players) or only go down once.
Is Oh Hell the same as Oh Pshaw, Blackout or Up and Down the River?
Yes, it’s the same family. You’ll also see it called Oh Well, Nomination Whist, Elevator or Contract Whist. Scoring varies a bit; some groups give 1 point per trick plus a 10-point bonus for an exact bid, which is what we use, while others score bid squared or subtract points for misses.