Rules

Hearts

The game of hearts is a simple game which can be played by at least three people and no more than about six. The basic principle of the game is to avoid getting points, you get points by getting hearts or the queen of spades, which is worth 13 points, and you can get negative ten points by getting the jack of diamonds. You win these cards by winning tricks. A trick is won by having the highest card of the leading suit, the leading suit is the suit that is put down first in each trick.

A game of hearts is set up by dealing an equal number of cards to each player, any remaining cards are put face down and added to the first trick. Then each player looks at their cards and selects 3 cards to pass to another player. The order of passing is left, right, across, then hold.

Play begins with whoever has the two of clubs, this player plays it meaning that the leading suit is clubs, play continues clockwise until each player has played a card, the player must play a card of the same suit as the leading suit. Then, whoever has the highest card wins the trick including any cards which were left over. One special rule about the first trick is that you are not allowed to play any hearts or the queen of spades. Whoever wins the trick leads for the next trick, each player must play the leading suit unless they do not have that suit, at this point they can choose to play any card, and cannot win the trick. If, at this point they choose to play a heart, it means that hearts have been “broken”. After hearts have been broken, a player can lead with a heart.

At the end of each game each player should count their points and record them. If a player has all the hearts and the queen of spades this is referred to as shooting the moon, in this situation the player who shot the moon doesn’t get any points and every other player gets 26 points. Many games of hearts go for multiple rounds and the player with the least amount of points at the end of the series whoever has the least amount of points wins.