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How to Win at Hearts: Complete Strategy Guide

Hearts is one of the most popular trick-taking card games in the world, and for good reason. It blends luck with deep strategic decision-making, rewarding players who think ahead, count cards, and read the table. Unlike many card games where you aim to win tricks, Hearts flips the script — your goal is to avoid taking penalty points, specifically hearts and the dreaded Queen of Spades.

Whether you're a beginner learning the rules of Hearts or a seasoned player looking to sharpen your edge, this guide covers everything you need to consistently finish with the lowest score at the table. If you want a quick reference, check out our Hearts strategy page for a condensed overview.

The Fundamentals

Before diving into advanced tactics, make sure you understand the core mechanics. In a standard four-player game, each heart taken in a trick is worth one penalty point, and the Queen of Spades is worth thirteen. The player with the fewest points at the end of the game wins. Play continues across multiple rounds until one player reaches or exceeds 100 points, at which point the player with the lowest score is declared the winner.

There is one spectacular exception to the avoid-points rule: shooting the moon. If a single player captures all thirteen hearts and the Queen of Spades in one round, every other player receives 26 penalty points instead. This high-risk, high-reward play can completely reverse the standings — but a failed attempt is devastating.

With these fundamentals in mind, let's explore the strategies that separate winning players from the rest of the table.

Passing Strategy

Before each round begins, players pass three cards to another player. The direction of the pass rotates — left, right, across, and then a hold round with no pass. Mastering the pass is one of the most impactful ways to improve your results.

Passing Left

When passing left, your cards go to the player who acts immediately after you in each trick. This means any high cards you pass can be used against you on the very next play. Pass your most dangerous cards — the Queen, Ace, or King of Spades — because holding them is risky and passing them left forces that player to manage the danger instead. Avoid passing cards that could create a void for your left-hand opponent, as voids let them dump penalty cards freely.

Passing Right

When passing right, you give cards to the player who acts before you. Since you play after them, you have the advantage of seeing their card before choosing yours. You can afford to be slightly more conservative here. Focus on creating a void in one suit by passing your remaining cards in that suit. A void gives you an escape hatch to discard high hearts or the Queen of Spades when that suit is led.

Passing Across

Passing across sends cards to the player sitting opposite you. This is the most neutral pass direction because the recipient neither leads nor follows you directly. Use this pass to shore up weaknesses in your hand. If you're loaded with high hearts, ship them across. If you have a nearly void suit, complete the void by passing the last card or two in that suit.

General Passing Principles

• Void a suit whenever possible. Having zero cards in a suit lets you discard penalty cards when that suit is led. Clubs and diamonds are the safest suits to void because they carry no intrinsic penalty.
• Keep low hearts. The 2, 3, and 4 of hearts are your best friends. They let you follow suit without winning the trick when hearts are led.
• Never pass low spades. Low spades (2 through 6) protect you from the Queen of Spades. When spades are led, you can safely play under the Queen.
• Pass high cards in unprotected suits. An Ace or King with no supporting low cards will win tricks you don't want.

Card Counting Basics

Card counting is the single most valuable skill in Hearts. You do not need to memorize every card — instead, focus on tracking a few critical pieces of information that directly affect your decisions.

1. Has the Queen of Spades been played? Until she drops, every spade trick is dangerous. Once she's gone, spades become a safe suit to lead and win.
2. How many hearts have appeared? There are 13 hearts total. Once all 13 have been played, no more penalty points are available from hearts. Knowing this lets you take tricks safely late in a round.
3. Which players are void in which suits? When a player discards off-suit, they are revealing a void. Track these voids carefully — a player void in diamonds will dump hearts or the Queen of Spades the next time diamonds are led.
4. How many cards remain in each suit? Each suit has 13 cards. If you have seen 10 clubs played, only 3 remain. Leading a low club at that point is dangerous because a high club is very likely to win the trick.

Mid-Game Tactics

The middle of a Hearts round is where games are won and lost. By this point, you should have a sense of who holds dangerous cards and which suits are thinning out.

• Lead low to stay safe. Starting a trick with a low card forces opponents to play higher, keeping you out of danger. Lead your lowest card in a suit where you have length.
• Bleed spades early. If you hold low spades, lead them to force out the Queen. The sooner the Queen drops, the sooner spades become safe for everyone.
• Take control when it's safe. Sometimes winning a trick is the right play — especially when no penalty cards are in the trick and winning gives you the lead to play a favorable suit next.
• Avoid leading hearts unless forced. Once hearts are broken, every trick becomes more dangerous. Delay breaking hearts until you can dump them on a trick someone else will win.
• Watch the score. If a particular opponent is close to 100 points, you may want to give them penalty cards to end the game while you're in the lead. Conversely, if you're behind, play more conservatively to avoid accelerating toward the finish line.

Shooting the Moon

Shooting the moon is the boldest move in Hearts. When successful, it adds 26 penalty points to every other player's score while you take zero. But when it fails, you absorb most of the round's penalty points yourself.

When to Attempt It

• You hold the Ace and King of hearts plus several additional hearts
• You have the Queen of Spades with adequate spade cover (Ace, King, or low spades)
• You have a long, strong side suit to maintain trick-winning control
• You are significantly behind in score and need a dramatic swing to stay competitive

Signs an Opponent Is Shooting

Watch for a player who is winning every trick and aggressively taking hearts. If someone plays the Ace of hearts early and keeps winning trick after trick, they are likely attempting a moon shot. Other warning signs include a player leading high cards in multiple suits and never ducking under penalty cards.

How to Defend Against It

Your priority is simple: take at least one heart yourself. Even a single heart in your trick pile blocks the moon completely. Hold onto your highest heart as a stopper rather than discarding it early. If you see a moon attempt developing, cooperate with the other two players — everyone benefits from blocking the shooter. It is sometimes worth taking 5 or 6 penalty points to prevent an opponent from scoring 0 while everyone else gets 26.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced players fall into these traps. Recognizing them in your own play is the fastest way to improve.

1. Passing low spades. New players often pass low spades to get rid of a “weak” suit. In reality, low spades are your best defense against the Queen of Spades. Keep them and pass high, unprotected cards instead.
2. Ignoring card counting. Many beginners play reactively, only looking at their own hand. Tracking which key cards have been played — especially the Queen of Spades and high hearts — dramatically improves your decision-making.
3. Breaking hearts too early. Leading hearts when you don't need to opens up penalty opportunities for everyone, including yourself. Only break hearts when you have a strategic reason, such as dumping a high heart on a trick you're sure to lose.
4. Attempting moon shots with weak hands. A failed moon shot is one of the worst outcomes in Hearts. Unless your hand is overwhelmingly strong — with multiple high hearts, the Queen of Spades, and a commanding side suit — play it safe and focus on minimizing your points.

Put Your Strategy to the Test

Hearts is a game where small edges compound over many rounds. Passing the right cards, counting what has been played, timing your leads, and recognizing when to take calculated risks – these skills separate consistent winners from everyone else. The best way to internalize these strategies is through practice.

Ready to put these tips into action? Play Hearts on SuitedGames and see how quickly your scores improve. For a deeper dive into specific scenarios, visit our detailed Hearts strategy page.