How many tricks to bid in Oh Hell? Reading your hand, the one-card round and the last bid
You almost never lose at Oh Hell for lack of cards. You lose by bidding one trick too many, or by picking up the one you were not expecting. Here is how we set our bids, with the one-card round figures we worked out to settle table arguments.
In short
In Oh Hell, the average bid is the number of cards divided by the number of players: 3.25 tricks with 4 players and 13 cards. Count your sure tricks first (aces and high trumps), then your possible tricks. In the one-card round with 4 players, a trump wins the trick 9 times out of 10 if it is 10 to ace, 6 times out of 10 if it is low; a non-trump ace wins only 2 times out of 10. The zero bid is worth 10 points and remains the safest with 5 players or more.
The average bid: cards divided by players
There are always as many tricks as cards in hand. With 4 players and 13 cards, there are 13 tricks to share: 3.25 tricks per player on average. With 5 cards and 5 players, one trick each. With 2 cards and 6 players, a third of a trick. That is the starting point of every bid: an average hand makes the average, and you adjust from there.
Above all, this figure tells you one thing: when there are many players and few cards, most bids should be zero. With 6 players and 3 cards, half the players will win no trick at all. Bidding 1 “because I have a king” is the reflex that costs the most points.
Sure tricks and possible tricks
A hand is read in two steps. First the sure tricks: the ace of trumps, the king of trumps if it is accompanied, the aces of short suits when you play early. Then the possible tricks: a king with a low card, middling trumps, a long suit that will end up holding once the others have none left, a void (a missing suit) that will let you ruff with a low trump.
The table rule we use: bid your sure tricks, plus half your possible tricks, rounded down when the round is overbid (lots of tricks already bid) and up when it is underbid. Three sure tricks and two possible ones make a bid of 4 in an underbid round, 3 in an overbid one.
A classic trap: kings and queens without their ace, in a suit where other players hold cards. They win tricks when you do not expect them, and miss them when you count on them. Count them as possible, never as sure.
The zero bid
With the usual scoring, a zero made is worth 10 points, against 11 for a bid of 1 and 13 for a bid of 3. The difference is tiny; the risk is not. A zero is made with a hand of low cards in long suits and no high trump: you can always follow suit, you play under the others, and you never have to take the lead.
The dangerous hands for a zero are those with a lone ace, a high trump, or a short suit that will force you to throw away a high card. With a non-trump ace alone in its suit, it is often better to bid 1 and play it early than to bid 0 hoping to get rid of it.
The one-card round, in figures
With a single card, everything comes down to an estimate. We simulated 200,000 deals for each number of players, with the player to the dealer’s left leading and trumps set by the turned-up card. The chance of winning the trick, by your card:
| Your card | 3 players | 4 players | 5 players | 6 players |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trump from 10 to ace | 93% | 90% | 86% | 83% |
| Low trump (2 to 9) | 71% | 60% | 51% | 42% |
| Non-trump ace, leading | 58% | 42% | 32% | 23% |
| Non-trump ace, not leading | 18% | 14% | 10% | 8% |
| Other non-trump card | 17% | 9% | 5% | 3% |
The reading is simple: with a trump, bid 1, except a low trump with 6 players. Without a trump, bid 0, even with an ace, unless you are leading with 3 players. The non-trump ace is the most overrated card of the round: with 4 players it wins only one time in five on average, because its suit has to be led and nobody must trump it.
The dealer and the last bid
The dealer bids last: they know all the bids, which is an advantage, but the last-bid rule forbids them the value that would make the total come out exactly. When that value is the one they wanted, they have to choose between one trick more or one trick less.
The right choice depends on the round. If the others have overbid (an overbid round), there will be a fight for tricks: bidding one less is safer, and you let the others fight it out. If the others have bid little (an underbid round), tricks will be left lying around: bidding one more is often the right option, as middling cards will end up winning.
For the other players, the rule creates a tactic: when you bid just before the dealer, you can choose your bid so as to leave them an awkward forbidden value. That is fair game, and it is why the deal rotates.
During the round: tracking the bids
Once the bids are made, the game changes nature: it is no longer about winning tricks, but about winning your own, and spoiling other people’s when it is safe to do so. Keep in mind who already has their count: a player who has reached their bid will try not to take anything more, and that is the player you can load with tricks by playing cards they will have to follow.
A player who is one trick short at the end of the round will play their high cards; a player who already has too many will try to discard. Counting everyone’s tricks as the round goes on is worth as much as counting your own cards.
In short
- The average bid is cards ÷ players; start from there.
- Bid your sure tricks, plus half your possible tricks.
- A zero is worth 10 points: with 5 players or more, it is often the best bid.
- With one card: a trump, bid 1; no trump, bid 0, even with an ace.
- Dealer blocked: one less if the round is overbid, one more if it is underbid.
- During the round, track the others’ bids as closely as your own cards.
Frequently asked questions
How many tricks should you bid in Oh Hell?
Start from the average number of tricks (cards ÷ players), then count your sure tricks (aces and high trumps) and add half your possible tricks (accompanied kings, middling trumps, voids).
Should you bid 1 with an ace in the one-card round?
Only if it is a trump. A non-trump ace wins the trick only 21% of the time with 4 players (42% if you lead): bidding 0 is the best choice in most cases.
Does the zero bid pay?
Yes: it is worth 10 points with the usual scoring, almost as much as a bid of 1 or 2, and it is the easiest to make when there are many players and few cards.
What should you do as dealer when your value is forbidden?
Bid one trick less if the others have overbid (an overbid round), one trick more if they have bid little (an underbid round).
Published on 19 October 2026.