Free online card game, no download
Play the Oh Hell card game free online
Also known as Blackout, Nomination Whist or Up and Down the River.
Oh Hell is a card game where you guess how many rounds (tricks) you will win, then try to win exactly that many. Get it right for 10 points plus your guess. Miss by one either way: zero.
- 3 to 7 players
- Solo or friends
- Rated online
- Free, no download
No account for solo or friends. Online needs a free sign-in.
7♥TrumpCall it. Play it. Nail it.
Sam
Alex
You
JamiePick your table
Solo
Play the computer
Learn at your own pace.
- No account
- 2 to 6 computers
- Easy, Medium, Hard
Friends
Private room
Friends join on their own phones.
- No accounts
- 3 to 7 seats
- Code, link or QR
Online
Open lobbies
Meet new players, build a rating.
- Free sign-in
- 45 s turns
- Rated games
How to play: watch one hand
Four players, three cards each. Step through it, or let it play.
Everyone gets the same cards. One card turns up.
Three cards each this hand. The turned-up 7 of hearts makes hearts trump: any heart beats any other suit.
Everyone bids how many tricks they will win.
Sam, Alex and Jamie each bid 1. You deal, so you bid last, and you may not bid 0: that would make the bids add up to the 3 tricks available. You bid 1.
Sam leads a spade. Everyone must follow suit.
Alex follows with the Ace of spades. You have no spades, so you may play anything, including trump. You play the 3 of hearts.
Trump beats the led suit.
Hearts are trump, so your little 3 of hearts takes the trick, Ace and all. You have now won 1 trick, exactly your bid.
Exactly your bid: 10 + 1 = 11 points.
If you win no more tricks this hand, you score 11. Win one more and you miss your bid: 0 points.
- Trick
- One card from each player. The best card takes them all.
- Trump
- The suit of the turned-up card. It beats every other suit.
- Follow suit
- Play the suit that was led if you have it. Aces are high.
Scoring: exact or nothing
Exact bid10 + bidAny miss0
- Bid 2 · Won 212pointsExact
- Bid 2 · Won 30pointsOne too many
- Bid 0 · Won 010pointsZero counts
Hands grow, then shrink
Highest total after the last hand wins; ties share the win. Online lobbies always play Standard. More scoring examples
Built for your phone
- Everyone’s tricks won / bid
- This hand’s trump suit
- The trick, with the suit to follow
- Dimmed: cards you can’t play
- Pick a card, then confirm
- Sort or auto-sort
- Larger cards
- Left-handed
- Reduced motion
- Sound starts off
- Arrow keys + Enter
Friends and family nights
Create a room, share it, deal. Private games are never rated.
- Invite in secondsCode, link or QR
- No accountsNobody signs in
- Computer seatsFill any empty chair
- House rulesLength and dealer rule
- Turn timerOff, 30, 60 or 90 s
- PauseSaved up to 24 hours
- ReconnectSame link, same browser
- Same room modeOnly the host plays sound
Computer players
- EasyLoose guesses. Good for learning.
- MediumPlays to make its bid.
- HardWeighs many possible deals.
Computers see only their own cards and what has been played.
Online and rated
- Sign inFree account
- Quick playOr pick a lobby
- 3 seated25 s countdown, up to 7
- Play9 hands, 45 s turns
- People only: completed games with at least two scored hands are rated.
- Add computers: the game becomes unrated.
- Leave early: counts as a loss, with a short cooldown.
- Ratings use OpenSkill, built for games with more than two players.
Quick answers
What is the Oh Hell card game?
A free trick-taking card game for 3 to 7 players. Before each hand, everyone says how many tricks they will win. Winning exactly that number scores 10 points plus the number. Anything else scores zero. Over the match, hands grow from one card up to the top hand size and back down.
Is Oh Hell the same game as Blackout?
Yes. Blackout is one of the names for Oh Hell. It is also called Nomination Whist, and Up and Down the River because the hands grow and shrink. House rules vary. Here: a 52-card deck, aces high, a new trump each hand, 10 plus the bid for an exact bid, and an optional dealer rule. Source: Pagat.
How do I score points?
Win exactly the tricks you bid: 10 plus your bid. Bid 2 and win 2 for 12. Bid 2 and win 1 or 3 for 0. Bid 0 and win none for 10.
How many people can play?
Three to seven. Solo seats you with two to six computer players.
Can I play alone?
Yes. Play the computer with Easy, Medium or Hard opponents. No account needed.
Do my friends need an account?
No. Private rooms need no accounts. Only open online lobbies need a free sign-in.
How do private invitations work?
You get a four-letter room code. Friends type it under Join a table, open your invitation link, or scan the QR code.
Can we change the rules or take a break?
The host picks short, standard or long and the dealer rule before dealing, and can pause a game for up to 24 hours.
How do online ratings work?
Completed games between people change your rating, which starts at 1000. Computers make a game unrated. Ten rated games put you on the leaderboard.
Is it free?
Yes. It runs in your browser on a phone, tablet or computer. Nothing to install.