How to Play Oh Hell
Description
Bid exactly the number of tricks you'll win. Over or under and you score nothing. A game of disciplined estimation that gets progressively harder as the hand size changes every round.
Also known as: Blob; Up and Down the River; Nomination Whist
Objective
Bid exactly the number of tricks you will take. Exact is everything — one over or one under and the round is worth nothing.
Setup
Three to six players. Hand sizes change every round: start at one card, climb to the maximum the deck allows, then come back down.
A trump suit is turned at the start of each round. The deal rotates, so everyone faces every hand size from every seat.
Rules
Before play, each player bids the number of tricks they expect to win. The dealer bids last, and may not bid a number that makes the bids add up exactly to the tricks available — somebody has to be wrong.
Follow suit if you can; if you cannot, play anything.
Highest trump takes the trick, or the highest card of the suit led if no trump falls. The winner leads the next.
Winning
Hit your bid exactly and you score 10 points plus one per trick taken.
Miss it in either direction and you score nothing at all, however close you came.
Highest total after the final round wins.