Hearts
Hearts is a trick-taking game for four where you are trying not to win tricks. Every heart costs one point and the Queen of Spades costs thirteen — twenty-six points a hand. Lowest score wins when someone reaches 100. Take all twenty-six yourself and you shoot the moon: you score zero and everybody else takes twenty-six.
Choose three cards to pass left.
Your statistics
- Played
- 0
- Won
- 0
- Win rate
- 0%
- Streak
- 0
- Best streak
- 0
- Best time
- —
- Players
- You plus three opponents
- Deck
- 52 cards, 13 each
- Points
- Heart 1, Queen of Spades 13
- Game ends
- First to 100
How do you play the hearts card game?
Each player gets thirteen cards. Before play, you pass three cards — left on the first hand, right on the second, across on the third, and no pass at all on the fourth, then the cycle repeats. Whoever holds the two of clubs leads it. You must follow the suit led if you can; if you cannot, you may play anything, subject to two restrictions below. The highest card of the led suit takes the trick and leads the next one.
At the end of the hand, count the penalty cards you took: one for each heart, thirteen for the Queen of Spades. Play continues until someone reaches 100 points, and the lowest score wins.
What does 'hearts are broken' mean?
You may not lead a heart until a heart has already been played on some earlier trick by a player who could not follow suit. Until that happens, hearts are 'unbroken' and locked in your hand. The exception is the player who holds nothing but hearts — they may lead one. There is also no scoring on the very first trick: neither hearts nor the Queen of Spades may be discarded on it unless a player's whole hand is penalty cards.
What does shooting the moon mean in hearts?
Taking all twenty-six penalty points in one hand — every heart and the Queen of Spades. Instead of a disastrous score you take zero, and the other three players each take 26. It is the reason you cannot simply dump every point card on one opponent and relax: if they take the lot, you all pay. Watch for a player who is suddenly happy to win tricks.
How should you pass in hearts?
- The Queen of Spades goes, unless you hold four or more low spades to protect her.
- The Ace and King of spades are almost as dangerous — they force you to take the Queen when she appears.
- High hearts are worth shedding once the spades are settled.
- Voiding a suit entirely is powerful: it lets you discard the Queen or a high heart the first time that suit is led.
How do you get better at hearts?
- Get void in a suit earlyA void is a licence to discard. The first time that suit is led you can throw the Queen of Spades or a high heart at whoever is winning the trick.
- Count the spades above the QueenThere are only two — the Ace and the King. Once both are gone, the Queen can be led out safely and whoever holds her is in serious trouble.
- Duck with the highest card that losesWhen you must follow suit and there are points on the table, play the highest card that still loses the trick. Wasting a low card leaves you with a high one later.
- Notice when someone is shootingA player taking every trick is not lucky, they are shooting the moon. Take one trick with a single heart in it and the attempt collapses.
Hearts questions people ask
- Who leads the first trick in hearts?
- Whoever holds the two of clubs, and they must lead exactly that card.
- Can you lead hearts before they are broken?
- Only if hearts are all you hold. Otherwise you must lead another suit until someone has discarded a heart on a trick they could not follow.
- How many points is the Queen of Spades in hearts?
- Thirteen — half the twenty-six points available in a hand. Hearts are one point each.
- What happens if two players tie in hearts?
- The game ends when any player reaches 100 and the lowest score wins. If the two lowest scores are tied, the usual house rule is to play another hand.
The rules in six lines
- 1Deal thirteen cards eachFour players, one 52-card deck, no cards left over.
- 2Pass three cardsLeft, right, across, then hold — the direction rotates each hand. Passes are simultaneous.
- 3The two of clubs leadsWhoever holds it must lead it to the first trick.
- 4Follow suit if you canIf you are void in the led suit you may play anything, subject to the first-trick and hearts-broken rules.
- 5No points on the first trickHearts and the Queen of Spades may not be discarded on trick one unless you hold nothing else.
- 6Hearts must be broken before they are ledA heart must have been discarded on an earlier trick before anyone may lead one.
- 7Score the penalty cardsOne per heart, thirteen for the Queen of Spades. All 26 to one player means they score zero and everyone else scores 26.
- 8Play to 100The game ends when any player reaches 100 points. Lowest total wins.
The long version, with worked examples and the questions beginners actually ask, is on how to play hearts.
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