Oh Hell! (Oh Pshaw or Up and Down the River)

Oh Hell! is a trick-taking card game where players try to predict the number of tricks they will win each round while dealing with the unpredictable nature of the game.

Setup for Oh Hell!:

1. Use a standard 52-card deck for 3 to 7 players. If there are 6 or 7 players, use two decks shuffled together.
2. Designate one player as the dealer for the first round, with the role rotating in subsequent rounds.
3. Shuffle the deck(s) thoroughly and deal a specific number of cards to each player based on the round number. For example, in the first round, each player receives one card, in the second round, two cards, and so on. The final round is usually played with 13 cards each.

Objective for Oh Hell!:

1. The goal is to predict the number of tricks you will win in each round accurately. Players earn points based on the accuracy of their predictions.

Round Play for Oh Hell!:

1. The game is played in a series of rounds, with each round consisting of several steps.
2. In each round, players receive a specific number of cards from the dealer and take turns playing one card each in a clockwise direction.
3. The player with the highest-ranked card of the led suit wins the trick. The winner of each trick leads the next one.
4. After all the tricks are played in a round, players score points based on the accuracy of their predictions:
   • If a player accurately predicts the number of tricks they would win, they earn points equal to the round number (e.g., 1 point in the first round, 2 points in the second round).
   • If a player fails to win the number of tricks they predicted, they lose points equal to the absolute difference between their prediction and the number of tricks won.
5. Continue to the next round with a new dealer, and the game proceeds until all rounds are completed.

Winning:

1. The game can be played for a set number of rounds (e.g., 10 rounds), and the player with the most points at the end of the game wins.

Tips:

• Strategy in Oh Hell! involves accurately predicting the number of tricks you can win based on your hand, taking into account the round number.
• Be mindful of the cards that have been played in previous rounds, as this can help you make more accurate predictions in subsequent rounds.

Oh Hell! is a trick-taking card game that combines elements of skill, strategy, and unpredictability. It's a fun and challenging game that can provide hours of entertainment for a group of players.