How to Play Oh Hell (Card Game)

Oh Hell, sometimes known as "Get Fred" is an incredibly addictive card game based on taking tricks (see "Tips"). Why the name? It makes you curse. A lot. You have been warned.

Steps

1
Learn the following rules and order of the game: Each round, the dealer deals a certain number of cards (from a full deck, jokers removed) to all the players, including himself. One card is dealt in the first round, two in the second, three in the third, etc.
2
After dealing, the dealer takes the remaining deck and cuts it. The suit of the card he draws becomes trump (see below) for that round.^{[1]
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3
Starting with the player to the left of the dealer, players begin to bid how many tricks they can take. A player may bid any number between zero and the number of cards dealt that round. The dealer records the bids on a score sheet. When it comes his turn to bid, he may not bid so that the sum of the bids of all the players is exactly equal to the number of cards dealt. If the sum of the bids is exactly equal to the number of cards, there is a chance that there will be no loser.^{[2]
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4
The player to the left of the dealer plays first. All subsequent players must follow suit (see below). The player who wins the trick leads the next hand, if there is one.^{[3]
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5
Once all cards have been played, the dealer tallies up the score. If a player takes the exact number of tricks he bid, he receives 10 points, plus the number he bid. For example, if Jane bid 0 and took 0 and Ricardo bid 5 and took 5, Jane's score would be 10 and Ricardo's would be 15. If a player takes any other number of tricks, he receives no points. For example, of Hilda bid 3 but took 2, and Naomi bid 1 but took 3, both would receive a score of 0.^{[4]
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6
The player to the left of the dealer deals the next round. One more card is dealt.
7
The game continues until the cards can no longer be divided equally among all the players, or until someone reaches a score of 100.

Community Q&A

Question

Must you always follow the suit played before you?

Quilter gardener

Community Answer

Yes, if you can. If not, then you can sluff a card you know you can't win.
Question

Can I use two decks of cards when playing Oh Hell?

Community Answer

Yes, although we've played a single deck with up to nine players with good fun.
Question

When playing with six players, how many decks do you need?

Community Answer

Just one deck (minus the Joker). You only deal an equal number of cards to each player. First deal and play with one card, then 2, then 3, etc., each time shuffling all the cards until you deal 8 to each player (52 cards divided by 6 players=8). The rules here say the first to 100 points wins, but I like to go back down from 8, then 7, etc. until we're at 1 card again. Doing so makes for a longer game.