From Deep Magic by Charles Wolfe and George Baxter, 1996, pp 111-113
Changes to the Banned and Restricted List have been made since then.
"The House of Pain upon first glance may seem to most players just another Djinn deck when in reality it is a roads to victory deck. The deck is loaded with different ways to deal damage. There are sources of damage from all seven card types. An opposing deck might head off one but it will suffer to another. The light mix of land destruction with fast creatures can often devastate an opponent. If a Djinn comes out early, an opponent typically has only four turns to eliminate it. While they are struggling to remove the Djinn, the land destruction typically reduces their reactionary options and slows the speed at which they can get rid of cards. This puts them at the mercy of the Black Vises. Once the Underworld Dreams is in the play the Timetwister and Wheel of Fortune become deadly, especially with a number of Vises in play.
Once a number of powerful permanents are in the play the Nether Voids make it difficult for the opponent to recover. The Nether Void should be less damaging to the House of Pain than to an opponent's deck for a number of reasons. The first is the fact that the Mishra's Factories and Strip Mines have no casting cost and will be unaffected by the Void. More than likely you have been able to eliminate a number of your opponent's lands, making his/her speed of casting a great deal slower than your own.
The Detonates are usually reserved for eliminating an opponent's artifact mana. These can be devastating because they typically only take one red mana to eliminate a Mox. In the later game they can serve as another source of damage.
Though the Sedge Trolls are good for stopping small creature decks they often prove to be inadequate for eliminating white turbo decks. These decks generally prove to be the greatest difficulty for the House of Pain. When facing them you should add the Glooms, Earthquakes, the Fireball, and extra Lightning Bolts. Also you might lose the Black Vises and Detonates."
House of Pain
Creatures
4 Juzam Djinn
3 Sedge Troll
Spells
1 Earthquake
3 Black Vise
1 Underworld Dreams
1 Timetwister
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Time Walk
1 Ancestral Recall
2 Nether Void
2 Detonate
4 Stone Rain
2 Sinkhole
3 Lightning Bolt
3 Dark Ritual
1 Sol Ring
1 Chaos Orb
1 Demonic Tutor
Lands/Mana
4 Mishra's Factories
4 Strip Mines
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Emerald
1 Black Lotus
4 Badlands
4 Underground Sea
3 Volcanic Island
Sideboard
1 Detonate
1 Shatter
1 Lightning Bolt
2 Earthquake
1 Fireball
1 Hurkyl's Recall
3 Gloom
2 Unsummon
3 Blue Elemental Blast
Changes to the Banned and Restricted List have been made since then.
"The House of Pain upon first glance may seem to most players just another Djinn deck when in reality it is a roads to victory deck. The deck is loaded with different ways to deal damage. There are sources of damage from all seven card types. An opposing deck might head off one but it will suffer to another. The light mix of land destruction with fast creatures can often devastate an opponent. If a Djinn comes out early, an opponent typically has only four turns to eliminate it. While they are struggling to remove the Djinn, the land destruction typically reduces their reactionary options and slows the speed at which they can get rid of cards. This puts them at the mercy of the Black Vises. Once the Underworld Dreams is in the play the Timetwister and Wheel of Fortune become deadly, especially with a number of Vises in play.
Once a number of powerful permanents are in the play the Nether Voids make it difficult for the opponent to recover. The Nether Void should be less damaging to the House of Pain than to an opponent's deck for a number of reasons. The first is the fact that the Mishra's Factories and Strip Mines have no casting cost and will be unaffected by the Void. More than likely you have been able to eliminate a number of your opponent's lands, making his/her speed of casting a great deal slower than your own.
The Detonates are usually reserved for eliminating an opponent's artifact mana. These can be devastating because they typically only take one red mana to eliminate a Mox. In the later game they can serve as another source of damage.
Though the Sedge Trolls are good for stopping small creature decks they often prove to be inadequate for eliminating white turbo decks. These decks generally prove to be the greatest difficulty for the House of Pain. When facing them you should add the Glooms, Earthquakes, the Fireball, and extra Lightning Bolts. Also you might lose the Black Vises and Detonates."
House of Pain
Creatures
4 Juzam Djinn
3 Sedge Troll
Spells
1 Earthquake
3 Black Vise
1 Underworld Dreams
1 Timetwister
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Time Walk
1 Ancestral Recall
2 Nether Void
2 Detonate
4 Stone Rain
2 Sinkhole
3 Lightning Bolt
3 Dark Ritual
1 Sol Ring
1 Chaos Orb
1 Demonic Tutor
Lands/Mana
4 Mishra's Factories
4 Strip Mines
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Emerald
1 Black Lotus
4 Badlands
4 Underground Sea
3 Volcanic Island
Sideboard
1 Detonate
1 Shatter
1 Lightning Bolt
2 Earthquake
1 Fireball
1 Hurkyl's Recall
3 Gloom
2 Unsummon
3 Blue Elemental Blast