How to Play Hearts

Hearts is a classic trick-taking card game for four players. The goal is to avoid taking hearts and especially the Queen of Spades. The player with the lowest score when someone reaches 100 points wins the game.

Passing Cards

At the start of each round, you select 3 cards to pass to another player. The passing direction rotates each round: left, right, across, then no pass. Click the cards you want to pass, then click "Pass Cards."

Playing Tricks

The player holding the 2 of clubs leads the first trick. You must follow the suit that was led if possible. If you cannot follow suit, you may play any card. However, you cannot play hearts or the Queen of Spades on the first trick (unless you have no choice).

Scoring

Each heart is worth 1 point and the Queen of Spades is worth 13 points. The player who plays the highest card of the led suit takes the trick and all the points in it. If one player takes all 26 points in a round ("Shooting the Moon"), that player scores 0 and every other player gets 26 points.

Hearts Breaking

Hearts cannot be led until a heart has been played on a previous trick (i.e., hearts are "broken"). The exception is if a player has nothing but hearts remaining.