Say exactly how many tricks you will take, then take that many. Not one more, not one less.
Oh Hell is a where every player the exact number of they will win. Hit it and you score; miss by one either way and you score nothing.
Also known as Oh Pshaw, Nomination Whist, Up and Down the River and Blob, among many other names.
Use a standard 52-card deck without jokers. Cards rank from ace (high) down to 2. Three to seven people play, each for themselves; four to six is ideal.
In this example four play: you, West, North and East.
The number of cards changes every hand. A common plan: deal 7 cards each in the first hand, one fewer each hand down to 1, then one more each hand back up to 7. That makes 13 hands, and it works for any number of players.
| Hand | 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13 |
| Cards | 7 · 6 · 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 |
The deal passes to the left each hand. We follow hand five, with three cards each. East deals.
For a longer game, start with more cards: 10 each for 3 to 5 players, 8 for 6, 7 for 7. Then go down to 1 and back up.
After the deal, the dealer turns the next card of the deck face up. Its suit is for this hand. The rest of the deck is not used.
The is the 8 of spades: spades are trump.
If a hand uses every card, there is nothing to turn up and the hand is played without trump.
Starting left of the dealer and going clockwise, each player bids how many tricks they will win. Nobody may pass, but zero is a fine bid: then you must win no tricks at all.
You hold the ace of hearts and the king of spades, a high trump. You bid 2. West bids 0 and North bids 0.
The dealer bids last, with one restriction most tables play: the bids may not add up to the number of tricks in the hand. This is . It means at least one player will miss.
The bids so far add up to 2, and there are 3 tricks. East may not bid 1. East bids 2.
Some tables play without the hook, so that everyone can make their bid.
Dealers love this rule. Not.
The player left of the dealer the first trick: you. Everyone must if they can. The highest card of the suit led wins, unless a trump is played. The winner leads next.
You lead the ace of hearts. West plays the queen, North the 7, East the 5. Your ace wins: one trick.
With no card of the suit led, you may play any card, including a trump. The highest trump in a trick wins it.
You lead the 4 of clubs. West has no clubs and throws away the 9 of diamonds. North must follow with the 10 of clubs. East has no clubs and plays the ace of spades, the top trump, and wins.
East leads the 3 of diamonds. You have no diamonds, so you trump with the king of spades. West has only the 2 of spades left, and North follows with the jack of diamonds. Your king wins.
Final count: you 2 tricks, East 1, West and North none.
After each hand, write down every score:
| Made your bid exactly | 10 + your bid |
| Took more or fewer | 0 |
You bid 2 and took 2: 12. West and North bid 0 and took 0: 10 each. East bid 2 and took 1: 0. The hook caught the dealer.
Another common method: 1 point per trick you win, plus 10 if you hit your bid.
One trick too many is still zero.
Play all 13 hands, passing the deal to the left each time. The player with the highest total at the end wins.
If players tie, some tables deal extra hands until there is a clear winner.
Point at a dot to see why it matters
It changes every hand. A common plan is 7 cards in the first hand, one fewer each hand down to 1, then back up to 7: 13 hands.
The dealer bids last and may not bid the number that would make all the bids add up to the number of tricks in the hand. So at least one player must miss.
If you win exactly the number of tricks you bid, you score 10 plus your bid. Take more or fewer and you score nothing.
Yes. A bid of zero means you must win no tricks at all. Made exactly, it scores 10.
The classic
The deck most people picture. Poker size, standard faces, shuffles well. If you buy one deck, make it this.
Lasts for years
Two 100% plastic decks in a hard case. Washable and hard to bend, and a double deck is what Canasta and Spider need.
Easy to read
Extra-large numbers and suits. Readable across the table, for kids learning their first game and grandparents alike.
The British classic
The pack found in British homes for generations. Paper cards with a linen finish that fan and shuffle smoothly.
The gift
A luxury deck with a navy and gold tuck box. The one to give, or to bring out when the good whisky is poured.
Avoid the hearts and dodge the queen of spades.
4 players · 45 min · 10+Bid your tricks with a partner. Spades beat everything.
4 players · 1 hr · 10+A fast partnership game with 24 cards and two powerful jacks.
4 players · 30 min · 10+