Bid tricks. Beat the table. A fast Oh Hell–style match: play solo against smart opponents, or host a nearby table and deal in friends on the same Wi-Fi (or a direct link) — no accounts, no sign-in. Hands start big, shrink to a single-card pinch, then grow again. The in-app How to play walks you through the rest.
Nine Up is a fast trick-taking match in the Oh Hell family — easy to learn, hard to stop playing.
Look at your hand and bid from 0 up to your hand size. The dealer bids last and can't make the bids add up to the hand size — screw-the-dealer keeps it sharp.
Highest card of the led suit wins the trick. Out of suit? Play trump to steal it — or slough a loser. Trump rotates every round.
1 point per trick taken, plus a +10 bonus if you nail your bid exactly. Miss by one and you get the tricks only — no bonus, no sympathy.
Every match follows the same shape: a big opening hand, then smaller and smaller until you’re down to a single card, then hands grow again. The biggest hand is usually nine cards, but it can be less with more people — check How to play in the app for your table. The trickiest bids are often around that one-card pinch.
— When you start at nine cards, you play seventeen hands before the match ends. Trump changes every deal. —
Computer opponents with three skill levels — Easy, Normal, and Hard — so you can warm up or get a real challenge in solo play.
Deal yourself a head-to-head duel, a tight three-seat, or a rowdy five-hander. The schedule scales automatically, solo or together.
Host a table and invite over Multipeer — same Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on, with no accounts. Optional CPU seats if you’re one or two people short. Still no central server: it’s between your devices.
The dealer bids last and can’t pick the bid that makes everyone’s bids add up to the hand size — so the closing bid is often the awkward one.
Solo needs no internet, no sign-in, no ads. Nearby games use Apple’s on-device link only — we don’t run matchmaking servers. Open the app and play a full match in about ten minutes.
When the match ends, you see everyone’s scores for that game. We don’t keep a running history from one match to the next.
Open How to play anytime for clear sections on bidding, trump, and scoring — learn as you go.
Stuck on a rule, found a glitch, or have an idea? Send a note below or email us — we read everything.
The dealer always bids last, and the dealer can’t pick the bid that makes everyone’s bids add up to exactly the number of tricks that round. That keeps the last bid from “solving” the table on paper — but it doesn’t mean someone has to miss their bid; it’s just the rule.
You earn 1 point for every trick you take. If the number of tricks you took matches your bid exactly, you also pocket a +10 bonus. Over- or under-shoot and you keep the tricks but lose the bonus. Bidding zero and taking zero still pays the +10.
It’s the classic Oh Hell rhythm: big hands first, the one-card moment in the middle, then hands grow again. How many rounds you play depends on how big the starting hand is for your table — How to play in the app lays it out step by step.
After the deal, the next card turned over sets trump for that round — same every hand, including when you only have one card. Whoever was dealt that suit has trump; the flip picks the suit, not who “owns” trump.
Yes, for solo play. The full game runs on your device — no internet, no account, no signing in. Nearby multiplayer only works when you’re in range (same Wi-Fi or a direct link between devices) and you’ve allowed local access when iOS asks; that mode still doesn’t use a central game server. We remember your difficulty choice between games; we don’t save scores from past matches.
Difficulty is chosen before the match starts and stays fixed for that session. Start a new match any time to switch — Easy, Normal, or Hard.
A short description of what you were doing, how many players, which difficulty, and what kind of iPhone or iPad helps a lot. Use the form on this page or email support@nineupgame.com. A screenshot is great if it’s something you can see.
Yes — nearby on iPhone and iPad. One player hosts, others join from the Multiplayer screen on the same network (or device-to-device). It’s the same game rules, with no online matchmaking, no account, and optional CPU fill-ins if the table isn’t full. (Passing one device around in solo is still a fine option too.)
In short: solo works without the internet; nearby play connects your devices to each other, not to us. We don’t sell your information, and California residents have extra rights under state law.
Effective April 19, 2026 · Last updated April 22, 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how the makers of Nine Up | Nine Down ("we," "us," "our," or the "App") handle information in connection with the App and this website (together, the "Services"). The Services are offered in the United States and are directed to users located in the United States.
The app doesn’t use accounts, ads, or hidden trackers. We don’t send your hands or scores to our computers. A few simple preferences (like difficulty) can stay on your phone or iPad and disappear if you delete the app.
We use the information above only to answer questions, fix bugs, improve the game, understand broad trends from Apple, and keep the website safe. We don’t use it to target ads at you.
We don’t sell personal information. We don’t pass it along for targeted advertising the way some laws describe. We may share information only:
The App is rated for general audiences but is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has emailed us, contact privacy@nineupgame.com and we will delete it.
If you live in California, state law gives you rights over your personal information, including:
To use these rights, email privacy@nineupgame.com with the subject line "California Privacy Request." We’ll verify it’s you (for example by confirming your email and any past messages). You can also use an authorized agent with proper paperwork. We’ll respond within 45 days.
We keep support emails and messages sent through this site’s form for up to two years after the last reply, then delete them. Overall App Store numbers from Apple aren’t tied to you personally. How long Apple keeps its own records is up to Apple — see their privacy materials.
We use sensible protections for the little information we handle. This website uses a secure connection. No system is perfect, and we can’t promise absolute security.
The Services are intended for users in the United States. If you access them from outside the U.S., you acknowledge that any information you voluntarily send us will be processed in the United States.
If we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date above and, where appropriate, post a notice on this page. Continued use of the Services after a change constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.
Privacy questions or CCPA requests: privacy@nineupgame.com
General support: support@nineupgame.com