On each trick (one card from each player) the highest trump card wins the trick. If a player can’t follow suit, he may discard any card from his hand, or trump. The others must play cards in the same suit if they can. The player to the left of the dealer leads a card. One suit is randomly designated as trump (the “master suit” for that hand, beating any card in the other three suits). It’s played with a standard 52-card deck, aces high. Like hearts, spades, ombre, and whist, Oh Hell is a trick-taking game. Strategy is important, but there’s enough luck that that ten-year-old might beat the bridge Life Master. There are fewer rules than hearts or crazy eights, but it’s a much better game than either, challenging enough for a good bridge or poker player. The rules and basic strategy are easy enough for a ten-year-old to learn very quickly. It’s best with three, four, or five, but it can be played with more.

Oh Hell is a simple game that can be played by almost any number of players. In other words, it’s greatest appeal comes from schadenfreude. It is full of nasty surprises, and one player’s nasty surprise usually means hilarity for the other players. The point of the game is in the sentiment. If even this name offends you, you can call it Oh Heck or Oh Darn. I’m a tournament bridge player and a pretty fair cribbage player, but the card game that I’ve enjoyed the most with my family is called Oh Hell, which also has other names, some not suitable for children.

Card game oh hell rules