Rules for Hearts

Hearts is a trick-taking card game that mixes luck and strategy.

It works best with 3–5 players (4 is ideal) and a round usually takes 15–30 minutes. You need a standard 52-card deck (no jokers) and something to keep score with.

The goal is to finish with as few points as possible. The player with the lowest score when the game ends wins.

Deal the entire deck evenly among the players. Depending on the number of players, remove some cards first:

• 3 players: Remove the 2♣️
• 4 players: Use all cards
• 5 players: Remove 2♣️ and 2♦️

Each player sorts their hand by suit and value, keeping their cards hidden from others.

After the deal but before play begins, each player passes some cards to another player:

• Each player selects 2–3 cards to pass (the exact number depends on the variant)
• Place the chosen cards face down
• Pass them to the player on your left
• You must decide which cards to give before seeing what you receive

Rules for passing Q♠ vary. A common rule is that you can only pass Q♠ if you include at least one other spade or the jack of diamonds (J♦️).

The first trick can be started in one of two ways:

• The player to the left of the dealer leads, and play continues clockwise; or
• The player holding the lowest club (usually 2♣️, unless removed) leads that card

On the first trick, hearts cannot be played unless a player has nothing but hearts in hand.

Standard trick-taking rules apply:

• You must follow suit if you can
• If you cannot follow suit, you may play any card
• The highest card of the lead suit wins the trick
• The trick winner leads the next trick

Card ranking: Ace is highest, then King, Queen, Jack, down to Two as lowest.

In most variants, hearts cannot be led until they have been played in a previous trick (known as hearts being "broken"), or when a player has no other option.

After all cards are played, score as follows:

• Queen of Spades (Q♠️) = 100 points
• Ace of Hearts (A♥️) = 20 points
• All other hearts ♥️ = 10 points each
• Jack of Diamonds (J♦️) = -100 points (in many variants)

There are 240 total points in a round (or 140 if J♦️ counts for -100).

Special rules:

• If one player takes ALL hearts and Q♠, every other player receives 100 points instead
• If one player takes ALL tricks, the cards are redealt with no scoring for that round
• In some variants, a player who takes no tricks at all receives -50 points

The game ends in one of two ways:

• After a set number of rounds
• When a player reaches a set point total (usually 500)

The player with the lowest score at the end wins.

Hearts has many well-known variations:

• Card exchange: The number of cards passed (2–4) and the direction (left, right, or across) can vary
• Breaking hearts: In some versions, hearts cannot be played until someone discards one because they cannot follow suit
• Discard restrictions: In some versions, you cannot discard Q♠ or A♥ on the first trick
• No-trick bonus: Taking no tricks earns -50 points

A few things worth keeping in mind:

• Pass high hearts during the card exchange if you can
• Try to void yourself in one suit early so you can safely discard dangerous cards
• Avoid winning early tricks. Winning means you lead next, which gives others a chance to dump hearts on you
• Be careful with high spades if Q♠ is still in play
• If you have J♦️, try to hold onto it and claim the -100 bonus
• Keep track of which hearts and high spades have been played