How to play Hearts

Four players, one standard 52-card deck and a simple goal: finish with the lowest score. This guide follows the rules used in our playable game.

The short version

Each hand has thirteen tricks. On your turn, play one card. The highest card of the suit led wins the trick. Every heart captured adds one penalty point; the Queen of Spades adds thirteen. Keep your total low.

Passing three cards

Before play, choose exactly three cards to pass. The first hand passes left, the next right, then across. Every fourth hand has no pass. Everybody chooses before receiving cards, so you cannot react to cards another player sends you.

The opening trick

Whoever holds the Two of Clubs must lead it. Follow clubs if you have one. If you cannot follow clubs, play another suit, but you cannot discard a heart or the Queen of Spades on the first trick unless your hand contains only penalty cards.

Following suit and taking a trick

You must follow the led suit whenever possible. If you do not hold that suit, you may play any legal card. Only cards of the led suit can win the trick; their rank runs from Two low to Ace high. The winner collects all four cards and leads the next trick.

Breaking hearts

You may not lead a heart until someone has played a heart because they could not follow another suit. Once hearts are broken, they may be led normally. If your entire hand is hearts, you can lead one even before hearts have been broken.

Ending the hand and match

After thirteen tricks, add the captured penalty points. If one player captured all twenty-six points, they shot the moon: that player scores zero for the hand, while each opponent receives twenty-six. We play further hands until someone reaches at least 100 total points. The lowest total then wins. If the lowest scores tie, play another hand to break the tie.