Oh Hell

Oh Hell is an exact-bid trick-taking game. Before each hand, every player predicts the number of tricks they will win. A standard version deals hands that rise and then fall in size, turns one card for trump, and awards points when a player takes exactly the bid. The challenge comes from the changing hand size: you must judge both your cards and the number of tricks other players want.

1. Look at your hand and the turned card that sets trump.
2. Bid the number of tricks you expect to take. Zero is a legal bid.
3. Lead a card when it is your turn. Follow suit when possible.
4. Win a trick with the highest trump, or the highest card in the led suit when no trump appears.
5. Compare tricks taken with your bid. Score the exact result, then deal the next hand.

• Oh Hell commonly uses 3 to 7 players and a standard 52-card pack.
• A hand may increase from one card, then decrease, or use the reverse schedule by house rule.
• Every player must bid a number from zero through the number of cards dealt.
• Players must follow suit if able. A void player may trump or discard.
• Scoring varies, but a common method gives a bonus for making the bid exactly and no points for missing it.

• Treat a zero bid as a real plan. Low cards can make zero safer than chasing a marginal trick.
• Count sure winners first, then separate likely winners from cards that depend on the lead.
• Remember the dealer's restriction in versions where the final bid cannot make the total equal the number of tricks.
• Keep a short suit in mind. A void can let you trump a later trick, but it also exposes your hand.
• On one-card hands, protect the bid with lead position and the likely trump result rather than overthinking card count.

• Up and Down the River: The hand size rises to a peak and then falls back to one card.
• Oh Pshaw: A related name used for versions that deal only upward or use a different scoring schedule.

• Oh Hell gives every card a clear job, so a short hand still creates real decisions.
• The browser layout keeps the active cards visible while the rules stay easy to check.
• Fast restarts make it simple to test a different opening, bid, or bluff.

Play Oh Hell online free on this page. The table uses virtual cards only, with no download and no real-money play. Start a hand, read the prompt, and use the controls below the cards.

The best way to learn Oh Hell is to play a hand while checking each decision against the rules. Start another deal after the first, change one part of your plan, and watch how the result changes.

• Pagat Oh Hell rules
• Pagat card game rules archive