Objective of the Game
The aim of Hearts is to minimize your score. Each heart taken in tricks is worth 1 point, and the Queen of Spades is worth 13 points. The player with the fewest points at the end of the game wins.
Number of Players
- Optimal: 4 players
- Variants: 3 to 6 players (with rule adjustments)
Deck
- Cards: A standard deck of 52 cards (no jokers)
- Ranking: Ace is high, Two is low
Game Play
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Setup: Each round begins with shuffling and dealing all the cards to the players. Each player ends up with 13 cards.
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Card Passing: Before opening a new round, players pass three cards to one another. The direction (left, right, across the table) varies and is predetermined. No cards are passed every fourth round.
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Playing the Hand:
- Opening: The player holding the 2 of Clubs leads the first trick, and each player must follow suit if possible.
- Following Suit: Players must follow the lead suit if able. If not, they may play any card except a Heart (unless a heart has already been played in a previous trick or they have only hearts). The Queen of Spades can be played at any time.
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Taking Tricks: The highest card of the led suit wins the trick. The winner of each trick leads the next.
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Scoring:
- Each Heart taken in a trick scores 1 point.
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The Queen of Spades scores 13 points.
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Shooting the Moon: A special strategy involves a player collecting all the Heart cards and the Queen of Spades, resulting in scoring 0 points for that hand, while all other players receive an extra 26 points.
Ending a Round
Scores are tallied at the end of each round. The game typically continues until a player reaches 100 points. The player with the lowest score is declared the winner.
Strategic Advice
- Avoid the Queen of Spades: Try not to take this card unless you can comfortably "Shoot the Moon."
- Hold Hearts: Don't lead with hearts until you've dumped other high cards.
- Discard Wisely: Try to void a suit early in the game to gain flexibility in your play.
