How to Play Oh Hell
Oh Hell is a trick-taking card game for 3–10 players where the goal is to take exactly as many tricks as you predicted — no more, no less. Sounds simple. It's ruthless.
The Basics
- Standard 52-card deck, Aces high (see card rank).
- One card is flipped after dealing to determine trump — the suit that beats all others.
- Each round, players bid how many tricks they'll win, then play the hand.
- Hit your bid exactly: bonus points. Miss by even one: no bonus.
The Cards
A standard 52-card deck has four suits. Within a suit, cards rank from 2 (lowest) up to Ace (highest):
One suit is trump each hand — it beats every card of every other suit, no matter the rank. The other three suits are equal to each other; a card only beats a card of the same suit (or any trump beats any non-trump).
Setup & Dealing
The game runs through a series of hands with a fixed schedule of card counts. In the descending schedule, the first hand deals the maximum number of cards and each subsequent hand deals one fewer, down to one card per player. Each hand is one round of dealing, bidding, and play.
After dealing, the top card of the remaining deck is flipped face-up. The suit of that card is trump for the hand. If the entire deck is dealt (one-card hands at larger player counts), there is no trump.
Bidding
Starting with the player to the dealer's left, each player bids how many tricks they expect to win. Bids are binding.
Screw the Dealer rule (optional): The dealer's bid may not make the total bids equal the number of tricks available. Someone must be wrong. This prevents everyone from making their bid simultaneously.
Playing Tricks
- The player to the dealer's left leads the first trick (any card, with one exception).
- You must follow suit if you have it. If you have no cards in the led suit, you are void and may play any card — including trump (this is called a ruff when you do).
- The highest card of the led suit wins the trick, unless trump was played. The highest trump card wins if any were played.
- The winner of each trick leads the next.
Example — hearts are led, no trump is played:
Everyone followed suit, so the highest heart — the K♥ — takes the trick.
Example — spades are trump; hearts are led, but one player is void in hearts and plays a spade:
Even the lowest trump beats the highest non-trump: the 2♠ ruffs and wins over the A♥.
Trump Leading Rule
On the first trick of each hand, you may not lead with a trump card — unless your entire hand is trump (in which case you have no choice). From the second trick onward, you may lead trump freely.
Scoring
| Result | Points |
|---|---|
| Made your exact bid | 10 + number of tricks taken |
| Missed (over or under) | Number of tricks taken only |
| Bid 0 and took 0 | 10 (flat) |
Example: You bid 3 and take 3 tricks → 13 points. You bid 3 and take 4 tricks → 4 points. Precision wins.
Winning
The player with the highest total score after all hands are played wins.
Strategy Tips
- Count your winners. Aces, Kings, and trump cards are likely to win tricks. Count them before you bid.
- Bidding zero is powerful — but hard to hold. One stray trump from an opponent and you lose your bonus.
- Watch the total bids. If total bids are far below the number of tricks, the table is collectively sandbagging — meaning unexpected tricks will appear. Adjust up.
- The last bidder has an edge (or a trap, with Screw the Dealer). Use the information from others' bids.
- Sloughing matters. When you can't follow suit and don't want to win the trick, play your lowest value card — not your worst trump.
Variants on ohhell.app
Quick Play: Jump into a 4-player game instantly. No code required. Plays a 7-card descending schedule for a faster experience.
Private games: Create a room, share the 6-character code with friends, and play a full custom game.
Schedule options: Descending only (max cards → 1), or full up-and-down (max → 1 → max). The descending format plays faster.
Know this game as Blackout, Oh Pshaw, or Up and Down the River? Same game. See the variants guide for the game's other names, alternative scoring systems, and house rules like blind bidding.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many players do you need to play Oh Hell?
Oh Hell is played by 3 to 10 players using a standard 52-card deck. The number of cards dealt each hand shrinks as more players join, so larger tables simply play shorter hands.
What is the goal of Oh Hell?
The goal is to take exactly the number of tricks you bid each hand — no more and no fewer. Taking too many is just as bad as taking too few; precise prediction, not winning the most tricks, is what scores points.
How does scoring work in Oh Hell?
Make your bid exactly and you score 10 points plus 1 for each trick taken. Miss your bid — over or under — and you score only the number of tricks you took, with no bonus. A successful bid of zero scores a flat 10.
What is the "Screw the Dealer" rule?
Screw the Dealer is an optional rule that forbids the dealer from bidding a number that would make the total of all bids equal the number of tricks available. It guarantees at least one player must miss their bid each hand.
What is trump in Oh Hell?
After the cards are dealt, the top card of the remaining deck is flipped face-up and its suit becomes trump for that hand. A trump card beats any card of any other suit. When the whole deck is dealt out, the hand is played with no trump.
Is Oh Hell free to play online?
Yes. ohhell.app is completely free to play in your browser — no account and no download. You can start an instant game with bots or share a room code to play with friends.
Playing at the table with real cards? Grab a free printable Oh Hell score sheet, or let the in-person score keeper do the arithmetic for you.
Ready to sharpen your game? Read the Oh Hell strategy guide for bidding tips and tactics, then see how you rank on the leaderboard.