HelpUp & Down the River
Up & Down the River

Game Guide

Up & Down the River

A fast-paced bidding game that goes up and back down

Overview

Up & Down the River (also called Oh Hell) is a trick-taking game where the number of cards dealt changes each round — going up to a maximum hand size, then back down to one card.

Quick facts

Players
3–8 players (individual)
Format
Individual

Objective

Score the most points by accurately predicting exactly how many tricks you will win each round.

How Scorecard tracks Up & Down the River

Hit your bid exactly for a bonus plus points per trick (or tricks squared). Miss your bid and receive a penalty based on the scoring method you choose.

Configurable rules

These settings can be adjusted when creating a match or saved as a custom ruleset.

Starting hand size

How many cards are dealt in the first round (default 6).

Dealer restriction

The dealer can't make the bid that causes total bids to equal the cards dealt.

Scoring method

Score X points per trick, or X² (tricks squared) for making your bid.

Correct bid bonus

Extra points awarded for hitting your bid exactly (default 10).

Missed bid penalty

Choose between: per-missed-trick penalty, no points, lose per bid, or score per won trick.

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