Quick Rules
Oh Hell! is a trick-taking game where the whole point is to say how many tricks you will take, and then take exactly that many. You play against three computer players, and everyone plays for themselves. It goes by many family names: Oh Pshaw, Up and Down the River, Blackout and more.
- Hands go up and down. The first hand is 1 card each, the next 2, and so on up to 13, then back down to 1.
- Trump. After the deal the next card of the pack is turned face up; its suit is trump. In the 13-card hand every card is dealt, so there is no trump.
- Bidding. Starting left of the dealer, each player bids how many tricks they will take, from 0 up to the number of cards. The dealer bids last and may not make the bids add up to the number of tricks (the "hook"), so somebody must miss.
- Play. The player left of the dealer leads. Follow suit if you can. The highest trump wins the trick, otherwise the highest card of the suit led. Aces are high.
- Scoring. Take exactly what you bid and score 10 points plus your bid. Take one trick too many or too few and you score nothing. Highest total after the last hand wins.
Play differently at home? Open Settings to play up only, down only or a short game to 7, to score 1 point a trick or 5 plus the bid, to turn off the hook, or to make a missed bid cost points. See Oh Hell! rule variations for what each one changes.
Read the full Oh Hell! rules with worked examples and a scoring table
Tips for Winning at Oh Hell!
- Count sure winners, not hopes. Aces, high trumps and kings with a smaller card beside them win tricks. Queens and jacks usually don't.
- Bidding zero is a real bid. A hand of low cards that makes its zero scores 10, the same as many a hard-won bid.
- Once you have your tricks, duck. Play the highest card that will still lose, and throw away aces and high trumps when you can't follow suit.
- Watch the other bids. If the bids add up to more than the tricks, the tricks will be fought over; if less, someone will be stuck with extras.
- Small hands are a lottery. With 1 or 2 cards, a trump or an ace is about all that wins. Don't overthink them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this Oh Hell! game free?
Yes. You can play as many games of Oh Hell! as you like for free, with no account, no email and no download.
Does the computer cheat?
No. The computer players can't see anyone else's cards. They know their own cards, the turned-up card, the bids and every card played so far, the same as you. At the end of every hand, tap Show All Hands to see what everyone was dealt. Every game has a deal number; tap Replay This Deal, or type the number in Settings, to play the same cards again.
Why can't the dealer bid a certain number?
That is the hook, the rule that gives the game its name. The dealer bids last and may not choose the number that would make all the bids add up to the number of tricks. That way at least one player is sure to miss. The bidding panel greys out that number, labels it Not allowed and explains why. You can turn the rule off in Settings.
What happens if I take more tricks than I bid?
Taking too many is a miss, just like taking too few. With the standard scoring you score nothing for that hand. That is why, once you have the tricks you bid, you should try to lose every trick that is left.
Why is there no trump in the 13-card hand?
With four players, the 13-card hand uses the whole deck, so there is no card left to turn up for trump. That hand is played with no trump: the highest card of the suit led always wins.
Does the game save my progress?
Yes. Your game is saved in your browser after every bid and every card. Close the page and come back later, and you can pick up where you left off on the same device.
Like bidding for tricks? Try Spades, where you and a partner bid together and spades are always trump, or Whist, the classic trick game Oh Hell! grew from.
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