How to play Oh Hell: bid the tricks you can take

Choose the match before dealing

Here is a four-player version: use 52 cards without jokers and play hand sizes 10 down to 1, then 2 back up to 10. Deal clockwise; turn the next undealt card to identify trump. Aces rank high. Rotate the dealer each hand.

Bid an exact number of tricks

Starting left of the dealer, everyone names a bid, including zero. Use the “hook” rule: the dealer’s bid cannot make everyone’s combined bids equal the number of tricks available.

Follow suit and count what you win

The player left of the dealer leads. Each player adds one card, following the led suit when possible. Otherwise, play any card. The highest trump wins; without trump, the highest card of the led suit wins. That winner leads next.

Use one scoring system consistently

For this guide, an exact bid scores 10 plus tricks won; a missed bid scores zero. Highest total after the scheduled hands wins; allow a shared win on a tie. Another common system awards trick points even when a bid fails, so agree which system applies.

Reference: Oh Hell variants, bidding, and scoring on Wikipedia.

A five-card hand, worked through

There are five tricks available. The first three bids are 1, 2, and 0, totaling 3. The dealer cannot bid 2 because that would make the total 5. A bid of 1 is allowed, bringing the total to 4. At least one player must now miss their prediction because all five tricks will be won by someone.

Suppose the players actually take 1, 1, 0, and 3 tricks. Their scores under our chosen system are 11, 0, 10, and 0. The player who bid zero scores more than the player who won three tricks: accuracy is the point.

Now imagine you have already won your single bid and hold the Ace and 4 of clubs. If clubs are led and both cards are legal, playing the 4 may help avoid a second trick. It does not guarantee safety; its success depends on the other cards in that trick.

Think about exits as well as winners

• Before bidding, separate cards that look likely to win from cards whose outcome depends on the lead. A high card in a short hand can be difficult to lose even if you would prefer not to win.
• Track how many tricks you still need after each trick. A choice that helped at the start of a hand can work against you once your bid is complete.
• Keep bids and tricks won in separate score-sheet columns. That makes scoring transparent and catches a forgotten trick before the next deal.