Play Oh Hell online free
Oh Hell is a trick-taking game with a twist that makes it very different from Spades or Hearts: you do not want to win as many tricks as possible, you want to win exactly as many as you bid. It is also known as Contract Whist, Blob, Nomination Whist and Up and Down the River. Play it here free against 2 to 4 computer players.
How to play Oh Hell in five steps
- Deal and trump. Round one is one card each, round two is two cards, and so on up to your chosen maximum, then back down again. The turned-up card sets the trump suit.
- Bid. Starting left of the dealer, everyone says how many tricks they expect to win. The dealer bids last and, with the standard hook rule, may not make the total bids equal the number of tricks.
- Lead and follow. The player left of the dealer leads. You must follow the suit led if you can; if you cannot, play any card, including a trump.
- Win the trick. The highest trump wins, or if no trump was played, the highest card of the suit led. The winner leads next.
- Score exactly. Make your bid exactly and you score 10 plus your bid. Win more or fewer and you score nothing.
What makes it interesting
With a bid of zero you have to dodge every trick, and a hand full of aces can be a problem. The dealer's hook rule means someone is always forced to be wrong, which is where the name comes from. Watch the running bids on each player's badge to see who needs tricks and who is trying to lose them.
What this table has
- Three to five players, hands of up to 5, 7 or 10 cards.
- A bid panel that blocks the dealer's forbidden bid and shows the trump suit.
- Each player's bid and tricks won shown live, plus a score table with bid and result for every round.
- The dealer hook rule can be switched off in the menu.
Questions
Is Oh Hell the same as Contract Whist?
They are the same family. Oh Hell, Contract Whist, Blob and Nomination Whist all use exact bidding with a changing hand size; scoring and the dealer rule vary a little by name.
What is the hook rule?
The dealer is not allowed to bid a number that makes the total of all bids equal the number of tricks, so at least one player must miss. It can be turned off in the menu.
Is Oh Hell a game of skill?
Yes, much more than it looks. Estimating your tricks, and then steering to hit exactly that number, is the whole game.
How many rounds does a game take?
With a maximum of 7 cards there are 13 rounds (1 up to 7 and back down to 1). Choose 5 for a shorter game or 10 for a longer one.
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🛡️ Free game · no real money, no betting, no prizes · Play responsibly