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Rules

Hearts

In Hearts, the trick is often to lose the right trick. Four players play individually with a full 52-card deck. At the end of the game, the player with the fewest points wins.

A new hand

Each player receives thirteen cards. Before play, choose three cards to pass. Passing goes left in one hand, right in the next, then across, then no passing; the pattern repeats. The player who holds the two of clubs after passing leads it to the first trick.

Playing tricks

Play moves clockwise. You must follow the suit led if you have it. If you cannot, you may play another suit. The highest card of the led suit wins the trick, and that player leads next. There is no trump suit. Hearts cannot be led until a heart has been discarded on an earlier trick, unless your hand contains only hearts. On the first trick, you cannot discard a heart or the queen of spades if you have a card without a penalty.

For example, if clubs are led and you hold a club, you must play one even if you would rather shed a heart. If you have no clubs, you can discard another suit, subject to the first-trick restriction. Winning a trick means taking all four cards in it, including any penalty cards.

Counting points

Each heart you take adds one point. The queen of spades adds thirteen. There are twenty-six penalty points in every hand. If you capture all thirteen hearts and the queen of spades, you shoot the moon: you score no penalty that hand and each other player takes twenty-six points. Play continues with fresh hands until someone reaches 100 points; the lowest total then wins. A tie for the lowest score remains a tie under the table's result.