How to Play Hearts — Gameplay Explained

Hearts is a classic trick-taking game that combines skill, strategy, and psychology. In this game, you aim to avoid penalty points and force them on your opponent.

In this guide, we’ll explain how to play Hearts, including key strategies and common mistakes to avoid. Following our guide should help you, as a beginner, to get started and improve at the game.

Features That Make Hearts a Unique Card Game

Among other trick-taking games like Spades or Bridge, here are some of the features that make Hearts stand out:

• Penalty points system: Players try to get the least possible penalty points to win the game. A player who picks up the Queen of Spades receives 13 points, whereas each heart card taken earns the player one penalty point.
• Strategic card passing: During the game of Hearts, players try unloading some cards that can score high points. They typically also try to get rid of a particular suit to avoid scoring high points.

All of these features create a flow that isn’t common in a lot of card trick-taking games. As a beginner, you can also master each technique with our step-by-step guide.

A Beginner’s Guide to Playing Hearts

When starting as a beginner, here’s what you should know to stand a chance of winning:

• Deal the Cards and Identify the First Player

  When the game is about to start, 13 cards out of the 52 cards are dealt out to each player face-down. After all four players look at their cards, the player holding 2♣ (Two of Clubs) leads the first trick, setting the game in motion.

• Select and Pass Three Cards

  Three cards must be selected by each player in order to be passed to another player. Each hand has a different direction: first on the left, then on the right, and then across. On the fourth hand, every player keeps their cards.
  
  When you pass the cards, think carefully about which ones you want to pass. Cards like Queen of Spades or Kings and Aces can be risky. You may also want to create a void in a suit so you can discard unwanted hearts or the Queen of Spades later.

• Play a Trick

  The player holding 2♣ starts by placing the card in the middle. Each player then places a card of the same suit, if possible, or any card (except hearts on the first trick). This is because hearts are only “broken” after someone has played a heart when they couldn’t follow suit.
  
  Once a heart gets broken, feel free to lead with hearts in subsequent tricks. The trick is won by the person who played the highest card in the lead suit. In addition, that same individual leads the subsequent trick and gathers the played cards.

• Scoring and Penalty Cards

  After each round, players count their points: 1 for every heart and 13 for Queen of Spades.
  
  You add 26 points to your opponent's score and receive zero points for the round if you gather all the hearts and the Queen of Spades in a single round. Although this is a risky move, you can turn the game around if you pull it off.

• Winning the Game

  The game ends once a player gets 100 points or more. The person with the fewest points wins. So, it’s essential to keep an eye on your points and that of your opponents because you’ll need to adjust your strategy if someone is getting closer to 100.

Common Mistakes in Hearts

Even as a beginner, you can beat expert players in Hearts once you avoid all these mistakes:

• Holding onto the Queen of Spades for long: If you keep Queen of Spades in your hand for too many tricks, you risk getting forced to play it at a bad time and taking 13 penalty points.
• Failing to watch opponents: Keep an eye out for which suits your opponents don’t have cards in. This will guide you in choosing the card to play next or which cards to pass when the next round starts.
• Playing hearts too early: If hearts haven’t been broken, leading with hearts is not allowed. Remember, hearts can only be led if someone has already used a heart when they were out of the suit that was led.
• Ignoring passed cards: When you pay attention to which cards you pass and which ones you receive, it can hint at your opponent’s suits or high cards.

Start Playing Hearts Today — Master the Game Now!

Now that you’re aware of the basics, grab a deck of cards or join an online Hearts table to put your skill to the test. You should try different strategies, and with practice, you’ll learn when to play aggressively and when to take the defensive route. Remember, the key to winning Hearts is to keep your penalty points to the lowest possible figure.