How to Play Hearts
Hearts is a four-player trick-taking game played with a full 52-card deck, thirteen cards each. You avoid taking penalty cards: each heart is one point and the Queen of Spades is thirteen. The two of clubs leads the first trick, you must follow suit, and the game ends when a player reaches 100 — lowest score wins.
The rules, step by step
- 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.
Try it — the rules above, running
Hand 1 · pass left
West
13 cards · 0 pts
total 0
North
13 cards · 0 pts
total 0
East
13 cards · 0 pts
total 0
Choose three cards to pass left.
Your hand · 0 pts this hand · 0 totalhearts not broken
Your score
0
This hand
0
Target
100
Tricks left
13
Your statistics
- Played
- 0
- Won
- 0
- Win rate
- 0%
- Streak
- 0
- Best streak
- 0
- Best time
- —
How does the passing rotation work?
| Hand | Pass to |
|---|---|
| 1 | Player on your left |
| 2 | Player on your right |
| 3 | Player across from you |
| 4 | No pass — play the hand as dealt |
| 5 | Left again, and the cycle repeats |
What are the restrictions on what you can play?
- You must follow the suit led if you hold any card of it.
- On the first trick you may not play a heart or the Queen of Spades — unless your hand is nothing but penalty cards.
- You may not lead a heart until hearts have been broken, unless hearts are all you hold.
- There is no requirement to win or lose a trick. Play as high or as low as you like within those rules.
How is a hand scored?
- 1Count the hearts you tookOne point each, thirteen available.
- 2Add thirteen for the Queen of SpadesThat is 26 points in total across the four players.
- 3Check for a moon shotIf one player took all 26, they score 0 and the other three score 26 each.
- 4Add to the running totalsWhen anyone reaches 100 the game is over and the lowest score wins.
How do you win more often?
- 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.
Common questions about hearts
- Can you play hearts with three players?
- Yes, with a modified deck — remove the two of diamonds so 51 cards deal evenly, and the three of clubs leads. The board here plays the standard four-handed game.
- Is the Jack of Diamonds worth anything in hearts?
- In the common Omnibus variant it scores minus ten. The standard rules used here do not include it.
Ready to stop reading? Play hearts on the full board, with statistics, deal numbers and unlimited undo.