Oh Hell (Blackout variant)

Oh Hell is a versatile trick-taking card game that plays best with 3 to 7 players using a standard 52-card deck. The game scales very well depending on the number of participants, changing the dynamic of the hand size. It can technically be played with up to 8 or 9 players if you combine multiple decks.

In Oh Hell, players must bid exactly how many tricks they think they will win in each hand before the play begins. The bidding goes around the table, and the dealer is often mathematically restricted from making a bid that allows the total tricks to balance perfectly. Failing to make your exact bid results in scoring zero points for that round.

In some regional variations of the game, notably the Blackout variant, players are forbidden from bidding zero tricks if it is mathematically impossible for them to take all remaining tricks. The term Blackout is often used interchangeably with Oh Hell in various rulebooks. It stems from the exact bidding mechanic that forces players to carefully manage their hands.

The number of cards dealt to each player changes each round, typically starting with one card, then two, three, and so on up to a maximum hand size. Once the maximum is reached, the number of cards dealt usually descends back down to one. The top card of the remaining deck is flipped over to determine the trump suit for that specific round.