Winning Hearts Strategy – Best Tactics to Control the Game

Hearts is a classic trick-taking card game. It takes both luck and strategy. But if you’ve ever played it, you know it’s never about getting rid of your cards first. You have to carefully avoid penalty points, and you have to make the other person think that they’re making the right move – even though they have a high chance of ending up with a penalty.

It’s a wildly exciting game. However, relying only on knowledge won’t cut it. You will have to use strategy because that way, you will have more control over the game. How? With a strategy, you can calculate potential moves. In turn, you can force your opponents into tough spots.

So, let’s explore a few of those strategies (the ones that we think are the most effective and useful). It’s time to level up your game!

Safe Passing Strategy

First, we have the “safe passing strategy,” which is good if you want to have control right from the beginning. At the start of each round, get rid of the “high cards” to minimize the risk. These would be:

• High Hearts
• The Queen of Spades
• High-Value Clubs and Diamonds

Here, you want to hold onto the “low cards” like the 2s, the 3s, and the 4s. These cards are less likely to win tricks and, therefore, less likely to lead to penalty points. So, if you want a low-risk, safe play, go with this strategy.

Aggressive Passing Strategy

The second strategy is “aggressive passing.” This is where you could hurt your opponent’s score by passing cards. For example, you can pass low spades, which will make someone else take the Queen of Spades. And with that, a 13-point penalty card!

If you pass medium hearts, you can also trick others into getting penalty points. But remember that this strategy will work if the other player is less experienced. More experienced players will know what’s up.

Queen of Spades Bait Strategy

Now, this is a penalty card that everyone avoids because the Queen of Spades gives you 13 points. But you can use it as a strategy to get ahead. For instance, you can pass the low spades early on. This will make other players use their higher ones.

Then, you can play the Queen yourself (at the right moment). And, it will force someone else to take the penalty. All together, it is a smart way to control the game and avoid the penalty yourself.

Shooting the Moon Strategy

This is what we call a high-risk, high-reward strategy. If you do it well, you get no points but your opponent gets 26 points. That way, you have a high chance of winning the game. In this strategy, you will take all the penalty cards.

Since you have all those penalty cards, you have to plan and time them carefully. You have to make sure no one else takes the penalty cards first. That way, you can have a big win. Remember, if your opponent catches on too soon, you are more likely to lose.

Defensive Play Strategy

This is one of the most common ways to avoid penalty points – and to keep your score low. You will use this strategy to play low cards and avoid taking penalty cards. This will also help you track which cards have been passed around.

Moreover, you can stay flexible in the game if you use this strategy. When can you use it? It is best if you are already ahead or you have an aggressive player.

Become a Hearts Champion – Start Practicing Now!

One thing is for sure: it will take time before you can call yourself the master of Hearts. It will take you a solid understanding of the strategies that we talked about and more than that, it will take some practice.

Whether you go for the high-risk, high-reward Shooting the Moon strategy, or a defensive approach, you’ll have to tailor it to your playstyle. That way, you can trick your opponents into thinking that you’re using a certain strategy when in reality, you’re doing something else entirely.

Take your time and mix different techniques to form your own strategy. Remember, consistently practicing and challenging more skillful opponents will help you get smarter and become more skillful yourself.