How to Play Blackout
Blackout is a trick-taking card game in which the entire challenge is accuracy. Players do not try to win as many tricks as possible; they try to win exactly the number they predicted before play began. That single constraint transforms a familiar trick-taking structure into a tense, round-by-round exercise in judgement and nerve.
The game plays well with three to seven people and suits families, students, and card-game regulars equally. A full session takes under an hour, which makes it a popular choice at kitchen tables, on holiday, and as a closer at games nights where something lighter is wanted after a longer game.
A little history
Blackout is widely known under several names, most commonly Oh Hell and Wizard (the latter being a specific commercial variant). Its origins are unclear, though it has been documented in American card-game guides from at least the 1930s. The bidding-to-exact-tricks mechanic distinguishes it from older trick-taking games such as Whist, and it spread rapidly through informal play across the United Kingdom and North America during the mid-twentieth century. No single inventor has been reliably identified.
Setting up
- Agree on the number of rounds. With a 52-card deck and 3 to 7 players, the maximum hand size is the total number of cards divided by the number of players (rounded down). A typical full game goes from one card up to the maximum and back down to one, giving an odd total number of rounds.
- Appoint a scorekeeper. Prepare a scoring sheet with columns for each player and rows for each round, noting the target bid alongside each score entry.
- Decide the first dealer by any agreed method. The deal rotates clockwise each round.
- In Round 1, deal one card to each player. In Round 2, deal two cards each, and so on up to the maximum, then reduce by one card per round on the way back down.
- After dealing each round, turn the top remaining card of the undealt pack face up to determine the trump suit. If no cards remain after the deal, there is no trump suit for that round. If the turned card is a Joker (if Jokers are in use), play that round with no trump suit.
- Rank cards high to low: A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2. Trump cards beat all non-trump cards regardless of face value.
How to play
- Bidding: starting with the player to the dealer's left and proceeding clockwise, each player states aloud the number of tricks they expect to win. Bids of zero are permitted. The dealer bids last.
- The dealer's constraint: in many standard rulings the dealer may not bid a number that would bring the total of all bids to exactly equal the number of tricks available. This rule ensures at least one player will fail. Agree before play whether you use this rule; it is recommended.
- Record each bid visibly on the score sheet before any card is played.
- The player to the dealer's left leads the first trick. Players must follow suit if they can. If they cannot follow suit, they may play any card, including a trump.
- A trick is won by the highest trump played, or, if no trump was played, by the highest card of the led suit. The winner of each trick leads the next.
- Continue until all tricks in the round have been played.
- Scoring: see the Winning section for exact numbers. Record scores, then deal the next round.
- After all rounds have been played, total the scores. The player with the highest total wins.
Winning and scoring
A player scores points only when they take exactly the number of tricks they bid. The most widely used scoring system awards 10 points plus 1 point per trick won to any player who hits their bid exactly. A player who wins more or fewer tricks than their bid scores zero for that round. For example, a player who bids 3 and wins 3 tricks scores 13 points; a player who bids 3 and wins 2 or 4 scores nothing. After all rounds are complete, the player with the highest cumulative score wins. In the event of a tie, tied players share the win unless a tiebreak round has been agreed in advance.
The fine points
The most frequent dispute concerns the dealer's restricted bid. If this rule is in play and the dealer accidentally bids the forbidden number, the standard ruling is to require the dealer to change their bid to the nearest permitted number, either one higher or one lower at the dealer's choice. If both alternatives are equidistant from the forbidden number, the dealer chooses freely. A bid once stated is binding; a player may not revise it after the next player has spoken.
A second common dispute arises when a player leads out of turn. The correct ruling is to treat the out-of-turn card as an exposed card: it is left face up on the table, and when the correct leader's suit has been established, the out-of-turn player must play that card if they legally can. If the exposed card cannot legally be played, it is returned to the hand and the player plays normally. Revokes (failing to follow suit when able) are discovered at the end of the hand; the standard penalty is that the revoking player's score for that round becomes zero, regardless of how many tricks they won.
How to win more often
- Bid conservatively on low card counts. With only one or two cards, a single unexpected trump from another player can wreck a bid of 1; consider bidding 0 unless you hold a strong trump yourself.
- Watch the running bid total before you speak. If the total already equals the number of available tricks and you are not the dealer, a bid of 0 is almost certainly safer than it looks.
- Track which trumps have fallen. Once the ace and king of trumps are gone, a middling trump becomes a near-certain trick winner in a long-hand round.
- Deliberately lose tricks you do not need. If you have bid 2 and already won 2, play your lowest card on every subsequent trick to avoid going over. Under-the-trick discarding is as important a skill as winning.
- In no-trump rounds, high cards in short suits are dangerous. A bare ace in a suit nobody leads is worthless; your long suit with middling cards will often deliver exactly the tricks you need.
Variations
No Dealer Restriction
Remove the rule that prevents the dealer bidding to an exact total. All players, including the dealer, may bid freely. This variant is simpler to explain to newcomers and speeds up the bidding phase, but it reduces the strategic tension because there is theoretically a round in which every player could hit their bid simultaneously.
Minus Scoring
Instead of scoring zero for a failed bid, a player loses 1 point for each trick by which they miss their target. A player who bids 3 and takes 1 loses 2 points; one who bids 0 and takes 2 loses 2 points. This variant increases the jeopardy of ambitious bidding and tends to produce closer final scores.
Fixed Direction (Up Only)
Play rounds from one card up to the maximum hand size only, without a return journey. This shortens the game by roughly half, making it a good option when time is limited or when playing with younger children who may lose concentration over a full double-leg session.
No Trumps Throughout
Play the entire game without a trump suit. The turned card is simply discarded. This strips out a layer of chance and rewards players who can read the table from suit distribution alone. It works particularly well with experienced groups who find the standard trump mechanic too unpredictable at low card counts.
Blackout: frequently asked questions
Can I bid zero?
Yes. A bid of zero is entirely legal and scores 10 points if you take no tricks at all. It requires careful play throughout the round to avoid winning a trick you do not want.
What happens if nobody at the table can remember who won a trick?
The standard practice is to award the trick to the player who holds the winning card, identified by checking the face-down pile of completed tricks. If the pile has already been mixed, replay the round from the point of dispute; most groups agree this is rare enough to be a once-only ruling.
Does the game work with only three players?
Yes, though rounds are longer relative to player count. With three players and a 52-card deck the maximum hand size is 17, giving a full game of 33 rounds. Many groups cap the maximum at 10 or 12 cards to keep sessions to a manageable length.
Is Blackout suitable for children?
The game is recommended from age 8 upwards. Children need to count reliably and understand the concept of bidding. The trick-taking mechanic is the same as Snap-style games made more complex, and most children pick it up within a round or two.
What do I do if the deck runs out before the trump card can be turned?
If all cards are dealt and none remain for a trump card, that round is played with no trump suit. This is a normal part of the game at higher hand counts and not an error.
If two players tie on final score, how is the winner decided?
The standard ruling is a shared win. If you want a single winner, agree before the game starts on a tiebreak, such as one additional one-card round with the dealer restriction in force.
Can I change my bid after hearing what other players have bid?
No. Once a bid is spoken, it is fixed. If a player states a number and the next player has already begun to speak, the first bid stands. Bids should be stated clearly and in turn to avoid ambiguity.
What is the difference between Blackout and Oh Hell?
They are the same game. Oh Hell is the most widely used name in North American card-game literature; Blackout is the common name in the United Kingdom. The rules are identical, and both names refer to a player's reaction when they miss their bid.