Hearts is a 4 player "trick avoidance" game. The player with the least points wins. There are no teams. However, wise players will form temporary alliances as the game progresses, with the 3 high-point players cooperating to give points to the player with the lowest points during each hand.
The rules might seem a bit complicated at first but don't worry. We've got you covered! Below you'll find a complete set of rules for playing hearts, and above, you'll find an interactive tutorial that will get you acquainted with the game in no time.
Once you're familiar with the rules, you can Play Hearts Online at World of Card Games with bots, other people online or with your friends.
If you're looking for a more advanced strategy guide, check out our Hearts Strategy Guide.
Let the heart-stealing, point-avoiding mayhem begin!
Rank of cards
Cards are ranked from Ace (highest) to 2 (lowest).
Objective
The objective is to avoid taking cards worth points and to finish the game with the lowest score.
Heart cards are worth 1 point.
The Queen of Spades is worth 13 points!
Deal
Each player is dealt a hand of 13 cards from a standard deck of 52 cards.
Pass
Each player chooses 3 cards to pass to another player. Cards are passed to the left on the first hand, to the right on the second hand, and across on the third hand, and no cards are passed on the fourth hand. This cycle then repeats itself until the end of the game. The only exception is that the no-passing round is skipped when using "Tournament Rules".
Play
The player with the 2 of Clubs starts things off by playing it. The other players then each play a card in clockwise order until all 4 players have played a card. Whoever played the highest card with the same suit as the lead card takes the cards. This is known as "winning a trick".
The trick winner starts the next trick. They can lead any card except Hearts.
Players must play a card with the same suit as the lead card. If they do not have a card with that suit, they may play any card. There is one exception. On the first trick, you may not play Hearts or the Queen of Spades. (There is an exception to this too. If the game has the option to "Allow First Turn Hearts", then you may play Hearts on the first trick if you have no Clubs at all. See the "Game Specific Options" section below.) The first time a Heart card or the Queen of Spades is played is known as "breaking hearts". From this point on, players can lead Hearts.
Shooting the Moon/Sun
Normally you try and avoid taking point cards because points are bad. However, if you do the opposite and manage to take every single point card (every Heart card and the Queen of Spades) then you will have "Shot the Moon". When you "Shoot the moon" all other players are punished with 26 points.
Even more difficult is "Shooting the Sun". This happens if you manage to take all 13 tricks, thus every single card. This will punish other players with 39 points! This is a VERY rare occurrence and is a sight to behold!
If punishing your opponents with points would cause one of them to take first place and win, then your score will be reduced by either 26 or 39 points instead.
TRAM
If it is guaranteed that your hand will win all remaining tricks, you will be presented with a TRAM button. This stands for "The Rest Are Mine". Clicking it will give you all the remaining tricks.
This is just a way to make the game move along a bit quicker. This option is only available if it is impossible for anyone else to take any tricks due to the cards you have in your hand (such as A, K, Q, J of the same suit).
Game End
The game ends when any player reaches 100 points.
The player with the lowest score wins!
Game Specific Options
- Allow First Turn Hearts
- Normally hearts cannot be played on the first turn. Turning on this option allows hearts to be played on the first turn.
- Hearts tables that have this option set will show up with "afth" next to them in the "list of tables".
- You can also check to see if your table has this option set by clicking on the "table info" link at the lower left of your table.
History
This version of Hearts first appeared somewhere between 1850 and 1880. Its origins can be traced back even further to a family of games called Reversis, which was popular in Spain around 1750.
Helpful Links
Pagat.com Hearts Page
CoolOldGames.com Hearts Instructions
FAQs
A trick is comprised of a set of four cards, one from each player. The winner of a trick is the player who has played the highest card in the suit led.
What three cards should I pass in Hearts? ›
Tips for Passing Cards in Hearts
- Never Pass Spades. ...
- Never Pass the Ace of Hearts. ...
- Pass the 2 of Clubs. ...
- Never Pass the Ace of Clubs. ...
- Always Pass the Queen of Spades to the Right. ...
- Never Pass the Queen of Spades to the Left. ...
- Never Pass Your Last Club. ...
- Never Pass Low Hearts.
Hearts is an easy-to-play trick-taking game where players compete for the fewest points. Each hand consists of 26 points, one for each Heart and 13 for the Queen of Spades (♠Q). A player may “shoot the moon” by taking all 26 points in a hand, giving other players 26 points instead (see Scoring, below).
What is the rule of Hearts? ›
Each heart captured in tricks incurs a penalty point, there being thirteen penalty points in total. The winner is the player with the lowest score after an agreed number of deals. Alternatively, a target score may be agreed (such as 80 for four players) and when the first player reaches the target, the game ends.
Is Hearts a game of skill or luck? ›
Hearts is a game of skill and surprising subtleties, both in selecting three discards (it is usually unwise to pass penalty cards) and in arranging to win “clean” tricks early, with a view to losing the lead at the most advantageous time.
What card do you not want in Hearts? ›
Because of the Queen of Spades, the three most dangerous cards in the deck are the Ace of Spades, King of Spades, and the Queen of Spades itself. These are the three cards most likely to result in the person who plays them winning the queen, and thus suffering the 13-point penalty.
What does shoot the moon mean in Hearts? ›
Shooting the Moon is an alternate way to win a round of Hearts. It can be achieved by essentially doing everything you don't want to normally do; collect ♥️ and the Q♠. If one player happens to accumulate all of the ♥️ cards and the Q♠ they can Shoot The Moon — causing all of their opponents to take 26 points instead!
What cards are worth points in Hearts? ›
Card Values/scoring
At the end of each hand, players count the number of hearts they have taken as well as the queen of spades, if applicable. Hearts count as one point each and the queen counts 13 points.
Should you pass the two of clubs in Hearts? ›
The 2♣️ determines which player starts. If you pass the 2♣️ to another player, you may be able to win the first trick — putting you at an advantage by letting you lead the next trick. Never Pass the Ace of Clubs. Winning the first trick can give you an advantage.
Is Ace high or low in Hearts? ›
The Pack: Full pack, 52 cards. Number of Players: Two to six players; best four hand, as described below. Rank of Cards: Ace (high), K, Q, J, 10, etc. to 2 (low).
The player with the 2 of Clubs always makes the first lead starting with that card. Moving to the left of the 2 of Clubs, players must follow suit and try to out rank the cards in play. If they cannot follow suit, then any card may be played with the lead suit trumping others.
What is the Jack of Diamond rule in Hearts? ›
Optional, but still common, is to make the Jack of Diamonds a bonus card; the player winning the trick containing this card subtracts ten penalty points from their score.
Why do I keep getting 13 points in Hearts? ›
Each player gets 1 point per heart, for a total of 13 penalty points possible in each hand. The Queen of Spades costs you 13 points on her own. Not surprisingly, therefore, you need to gear your strategy of both passing and playing to avoid taking this card.
What is the simple explanation of the Hearts card game? ›
The objective of the game of Hearts is to have the fewest points when one player eventually reaches 100 points. Players don't want to end up with tricks containing Hearts cards or the Queen of Spades which are worth points. This will rack up a player's score. But they do want to end up with the Jack of Diamonds.
How does the Hearts work game? ›
Hearts count as one point each and the queen counts 13 points. Each heart - 1 point The Q - 13 points The aggregate total of all scores for each hand must be a multiple of 26. The game is usually played to 100 points (some play to 50).
How do you play the step game? ›
Step Game is for very young players. The goal is to bring the first of his play the other side of the course. One piece consists of two balls attached by a cord. Player roll the color dice and advance his game piece one or the other side to a plot of the color indicated.
Can you pass the Queen of Spades in Hearts? ›
The Queen of Spades is a good card to pass to the right, because the player on your right always plays before you unless you lead the trick. This means that on any trick you don't lead, you will know before you play your card whether the Queen of Spades can possibly fall on the current trick.
