Oh Hell!

About this board game

Oh Hell! is a trick-taking card game for 3–7 players, with play time of about 30 minutes. Using a standard deck of playing cards, players compete to predict and achieve the exact number of tricks they will take from each hand.

At the start of every hand, each player bids on the number of tricks they expect to win. The challenge is not simply to take as many tricks as possible: players must take exactly the number they bid, with no more and no fewer.

Points are awarded when a player makes their bid precisely. Missing the bid—whether by taking too few tricks or too many—results in points being deducted, making every decision important from the bidding stage through the final trick.

The game’s distinctive hook is that at least one player will fail on every hand. The total number of tricks bid may not equal the number of tricks available, creating built-in tension and ensuring that predictions are constantly tested against the table’s combined expectations.

• Players: 3–7
• Playing time: 30 minutes
• Format: Trick-taking game with a standard deck
• Scoring: Exact bids earn points; missed bids lose points

Released in 1930, Oh Hell! is also known as Oh Pshaw and Blackout. For players looking for a similar game in board game form, Canyon is noted as a comparable title.