About

Hearts is a trick-taking card game where the goal is to avoid winning hearts (1 point each) and the Queen of Spades (13 points). The player with the lowest score when someone reaches 100 points wins. The twist: if one player takes all 13 hearts and the Queen of Spades, they "Shoot the Moon" and score zero while every opponent takes 26 points.

Hearts rewards careful hand reading and passing strategy. The pass at the start of each hand (in 4-player versions) lets you unload dangerous cards — but everyone is passing simultaneously, so you must anticipate what you'll receive. The Queen of Spades is a constant threat: holding the Ace or King of Spades while unable to void the suit is dangerous.

A full game of Hearts takes 20–40 minutes; individual hands take 2–5 minutes, making it work well across multiple break sessions.

How to Play

• Pass three cards to another player before play begins (direction rotates each hand).
• The player with the 2 of Clubs leads the first trick.
• Each player must follow suit if possible; otherwise play any card.
• Highest card of the led suit wins the trick; winner leads next.
• Count your penalty points after all 13 tricks; lowest cumulative score at 100+ wins.

Tips

• Pass high spades (Ace, King of Spades) aggressively — being stuck with them is dangerous.
• Try to void a suit early so you can dump the Queen of Spades when others lead that suit.
• If you're collecting hearts, consider shooting the moon — but only commit if you can guarantee all 26 points.

History

Hearts evolved from the game Reversis, popular in 18th-century Spain, through a series of variations in the 19th century. The modern game took shape in the United States around 1890. Microsoft included Hearts in Windows 3.1 in 1992 (for network play demonstration), making it one of the first multiplayer games most PC users encountered. The Shoot the Moon mechanic gives it a distinctive high-risk-high-reward dimension absent from most trick-taking games.