OH, HELL!: A unique game for four players, each on his own, using a fifty-two-card pack in thirteen successive deals. On the first, each player is dealt one card; the next is turned up as trump. After the hand is played, the deal moves to the left, and each player is dealt two cards, the next being turned up as trump. Again, the deal moves to the left, and three cards are dealt to each; and so on, one more card being dealt with each deal and the next card being turned up as trump.
Play is the same as in whist or bridge. Player to dealer’s left leads to the first trick. Highest card in suit led wins the trick unless it is trumped, when highest trump wins. The winner of each trick leads to the next, and play continues in that wise. However: Immediately after a deal, each player in turn must state the number of tricks he expects to take. Thus, on the first deal, which consists of a single trick, it would be either 0 or 1. On the second deal, it would be 0, 1, or 2; on the third deal, 0, 1, 2, 3; and so on.
If the player’s statement is correct, he scores 10 points, plus the number stated. Example: On first deal, he might score 10
0
10 or 10111; on the second deal, 10010, 10111, 10212. This increases with every deal, so that the game becomes more intriguing as the hands become more complex. On the final deal, all fifty-two cards are dealt (thirteen to a player), so instead of turning up a trump, the hand is played at no-trump. The player with the highest score wins.
OKLAHOMA: Another name for Arlington. See this page.
OKLAHOMA GIN: An advanced form of Gin Rummy in which the minimum points for a “knock” are determined by the spots of the upcard. See this page.
OLD MAID: A popular children’s game using a fifty-two-card pack from which the 
Q is removed, so that the 
Q becomes the “old maid.” Cards are distributed about equally among two to five players and each lays aside any pair of cards that are the same in value and color (as 
6 and 
6 or 9 and 9). Then each in turn spreads his hand face down so that the next player can take a card for his own hand, pairing it if possible, so as to lay two more cards aside. This continues until one player is left with the unpaired “old maid” and becomes the loser.
Note: If desired, a fifty-three-card pack may be used, including the joker, which becomes the equivalent of the “old maid.”
OLD SLEDGE: A name for Seven Up. See All Fours, this page.
OMAHA: A compact version of Seven-Card Stud crossed with Cincinnati, enabling as many as twenty-three players to participate in each hand. See this page.
OMBRE: A famous old Spanish game for three players, using a forty-card pack with cards ranking as follows:
Red plain suits ( or ): K, Q, J, A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Black plain suits ( or ): K, Q, J, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2
Note the absence of aces in the black plain suits. That is because both those cards ( A and A) always belong to the trump suit, which runs in the following order:
as trump: A; 7; A; A, K, Q, J, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
as trump: A; 7; A; A, K, Q, J, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
as trump: A, 2; A; K, Q, J, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3
as trump: A; 2, A, K, Q, J, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3
Nine cards are dealt to each of the three players, to the right, or counterclockwise, as customary in Spanish games. The first player may pass or announce himself as Ombre, allowing him to name the trump suit and to discard any cards he does not want and draw replacements from the pack. If he passes, the second player can announce himself as Ombre; if he passes, the third can. If all pass, the deal moves along to the next player.
Assuming that one player’s announcement is made and stands, the others have the privilege of drawing from the pack as he did; and the last of the three can look at any leftover cards to see what the others missed. Play starts with the player on Ombre’s right, who leads any card he wants, and the others must follow suit if they can; otherwise, they can discard or trump the trick. Highest card of suit led wins the trick unless trumped; in that case the highest trump wins. Play proceeds to the right, or counterclockwise. There is, however, an exception to the rule just given. The top three cards of trump are called matadores or “mats”; and a player holding one may renege—that is, refuse to play it—unless a higher mat is led and he has no other trump.
The matadores are known respectively as spadille, manille, and basto; when a red suit is trump, its ace ( A or A) is called ponto but is not classed as a “mat.”
The game’s purpose is this: Before cards are dealt, each player puts three counters or chips into a pool. If there is no Ombre on that deal, it moves along, with each player adding a chip. Whoever becomes Ombre must take more tricks than either foe; it is sacardo and he wins the pool. If Ombre is tied by either foe in tricks taken, he must double the pool for the next deal; this is called puesta. If either foe takes more tricks than Ombre, it is termed codille; and Ombre pays the player instead of the pool, which remains intact. If Ombre takes the first five tricks, he naturally scores sacardo; and play ends, unless he decides to go for vole, by taking all nine tricks. If he wins it, he collects half the amount of the pool from each foe; if he fails, he pays them instead. However, his sacardo still stands.
There is one important proviso in announcing oneself as Ombre, by stating, “I will play.” Another player may override it by declaring in turn, “I will play sans prendre,” meaning that he will play as Ombre without discarding. However, the original announcer can override that by saying that he too is willing to be Ombre, with no discard. The game then proceeds on that basis. Other minor rulings may be introduced in Ombre.