Card Games
How to play Hearts
Finish with the lowest score by avoiding hearts and the queen of spades.
QUICK ANSWER
How do you play Hearts?
The player holding the two of clubs leads it. Follow the led suit when possible. The highest card of the led suit takes the trick. Score one point per heart and thirteen for the queen of spades.
Jump to the step-by-step rules ↓EDITOR'S TABLE NOTES
Is Hearts a good fit for your group?
This game works especially well for four players who enjoy trick-taking, deduction, and avoiding rather than collecting points. Before setting up, decide whether that matches the experience your group wants today.
Rules version covered here
This guide uses standard four-player Hearts: pass three cards, lead 2♣, avoid hearts and Q♠, and normally play to 100 points.
QUICK VIDEO GUIDE
Learn Hearts in under a minute
About this video
This original mini lesson covers what you need, setup, normal play, the winning condition, and one beginner tip. Continue below for the complete written guide.
INTERACTIVE LEARN-TO-PLAY
Practice Hearts before the first round
Walk through the setup, try a sample turn, and get a quick answer when play stalls.
Deal thirteen cards to each player.
Pass three cards as directed for the round.
Playable example turn
Step 1 of 4
The player holding the two of clubs leads it.
What should we do now?
Start with this action: The player holding the two of clubs leads it.
Scoring and winning
Score one point per heart and thirteen for the queen of spades.
Common dispute to prevent
Leading hearts before they are broken. Agree on any edition-specific variation before the first turn.
The objective
Your goal is to finish with the lowest score by avoiding hearts and the queen of spades. Before play begins, make sure every player can explain how the game ends and what determines the winner. That one check prevents many mid-game disagreements.
What you need
A standard 52-card deck. Lay out every required item before teaching the rules. If pieces, cards, controllers, or play space are missing, resolve that before the practice turn.
How to set up
- Deal thirteen cards to each player.
- Pass three cards as directed for the round.
Setup check: Ask one player who did not arrange the game to compare the table, field, or screen with these steps. A fresh look often catches an incorrect starting position.
How to play: step by step
- The player holding the two of clubs leads it.
- Follow the led suit when possible.
- The highest card of the led suit takes the trick.
- Score one point per heart and thirteen for the queen of spades.
Example first round
Clubs are led. If you hold a club, you must play one. If you hold none, you may discard another suit, subject to the first-trick restriction on hearts and the queen of spades.
How scoring and winning work
- Each heart is one point and the queen of spades is 13.
- Taking all 26 penalty points is shooting the moon; apply the agreed scoring method.
- When someone reaches 100, the lowest total score wins.
Useful variations
- For three players, remove an agreed low card and deal evenly.
- Beginners may play one open practice hand.
- Some groups add the jack of diamonds as a negative-ten-point bonus; this is not standard.
Beginner strategies
- Track whether the queen of spades has been played.
- Keep low cards for escaping tricks.
Choose one of these ideas for the first game instead of trying to remember every strategy at once. Afterward, identify one decision that changed the result and one move you would test next time.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Leading hearts before they are broken.
- Forgetting that points are undesirable.
If an illegal move is discovered, pause and agree on the least disruptive correction. For casual play, consistency and a shared understanding matter more than reconstructing many turns.
Frequently asked questions
What is shooting the moon?
Taking every point card, usually giving opponents twenty-six points.
When does the game end?
Often when someone reaches 100 points.
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