Judgement online
Bid exactly how many tricks you will take. One over or under and you score nothing.
- Players
- 3–6 players
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Length
- 30–50 min
- Type
- Cards · Strategy
Judgement — Kachufool to a lot of Indian households, Oh Hell elsewhere — is the trick-taking game where the cards you are dealt matter far less than knowing what they are worth. Before a hand is played you announce exactly how many tricks you will take. Take that many and you score; take one more or one fewer and you score nothing at all.
That is why a terrible hand is as winnable as a great one. Bid zero and spend the hand desperately trying to lose, which is a thing no other card game asks of anybody, and it is where most of the shouting comes from.
The last person to bid is not allowed to make the bids add up to the number of tricks, so somebody at the table is always going to miss. Hands shrink by one every round until the last hand is a single card and a guess.
How to play Judgement
- 1Create a room and share the 6-letter code with 2 to 5 friends.
- 2Everyone is dealt the same number of cards, and a trump suit is turned up for the round.
- 3In turn, each player bids exactly how many tricks they will take. The last bidder may not make the bids total the number of tricks.
- 4Play the hand out — follow the suit that was led if you can, and the highest trump takes the trick.
- 5Hit your bid exactly and score 10 plus your bid. Miss by any amount and score nothing.
Judgement FAQ
How many people can play Judgement?+
Three to six. Four is the classic table; with six the hands are short, which makes the bidding harder and the game faster.
Do I have to play a trump if I cannot follow suit?+
No. This is the Indian Judgement rule rather than the whist one — if you cannot follow the led suit you may play anything, including a trump, but you are never forced to.
What does bidding zero do?+
It pays 10 points for taking no tricks at all, which sounds easy until somebody leads a suit you only hold the ace of. Nil bids are where the game is won.
How long does a full game take?+
About thirty to fifty minutes. A hand of seven cards down to a hand of one is seven rounds, and the later rounds are quick.
Is Judgement the same as Kachufool or Oh Hell?+
Yes — the same game under three names. Kachufool and Court Piece are the common Indian names; Oh Hell and Nomination Whist are the British ones.
Ready to play Judgement?
Create a room, share the code, and start in seconds — free.
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