How to Play Judgement
Judgement (also known as Oh Hell) is a trick-taking game where the hand size changes every round. Bid exactly how many tricks you’ll win — no more, no less. It rewards precision over power.
The Basics
- 4 players, no teams
- Standard 52-card deck
- Hand size changes each round: 1 card, then 2, then 3… up to 13, then back down to 1
- 25 rounds per session
- Trump suit changes each round (determined by a card from the deck)
How a Round Works
1. Deal and reveal trump
Each player receives cards equal to the round number (round 1 = 1 card, round 7 = 7 cards, etc.). After dealing, one more card is flipped from the deck — its suit is trump for this round.
In rounds where all 52 cards are dealt (round 13), there’s no trump.
2. Bid
Each player bids how many tricks they’ll win (0 to hand size).
Dealer restriction: The dealer bids last, and cannot bid the number that would make the total bids equal the number of tricks available. This guarantees someone will be wrong — not everyone can make their bid.
3. Play tricks
- Follow the led suit if you can
- If you can’t follow suit, you can play any card (including trump)
- Highest trump wins. If no trump, highest card of the led suit wins
- Any suit can be led, including trump
Scoring
| Result | Score |
|---|---|
| Exact bid | +10 + bid value |
| Missed bid | 0 points |
For example:
- Bid 0, won 0 tricks → +10 points
- Bid 3, won 3 tricks → +13 points (10 + 3)
- Bid 2, won 4 tricks → 0 points (missed)
There are no negative scores — you just get nothing if you’re wrong.
Round Structure
| Rounds | Cards per player | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| 1–13 | 1, 2, 3… 13 | Going up |
| 14–25 | 12, 11, 10… 1 | Coming back down |
The small-hand rounds (1-3 cards) are almost pure luck. The mid-range rounds (6-10 cards) are where skill really matters.
Tips for Beginners
- Bidding 0 is powerful — In small rounds, bidding 0 and ducking every trick is a safe +10 points
- The dealer restriction matters — If you’re the dealer, plan your bid knowing you might be forced away from your ideal number
- Small rounds are volatile — With only 1-3 cards, there’s not much to control. Don’t stress about them
- Watch the total bids — If total bids are way under the trick count, there will be extra tricks floating around. If way over, some people will fail
- Trump is your safety net — Hold trump cards to win tricks when you need them, or avoid playing them when bidding 0