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Hearts vs Spades: Complete Comparison Guide
Hearts and Spades are two of the most beloved trick-taking card games, both played with a standard 52-card deck and four players. Despite their similarities, these games have fundamentally different objectives: in Hearts, you avoid taking certain cards, while in Spades, you bid on and try to win a specific number of tricks.
Both games have deep strategic layers, dedicated communities, and rich competitive histories. This guide compares every aspect of Hearts and Spades so you can understand the differences and find the perfect trick-taking game for your group.
Key Differences at a Glance
| Feature | Hearts | Spades |
|---|---|---|
| Objective | Avoid penalty cards | Win bid number of tricks |
| Partnerships | Individual (4 solo players) | 2 teams of 2 partners |
| Trump Suit | None | Spades (always) |
| Bidding | No bidding | Each player bids tricks |
| Card Passing | Pass 3 cards each round | No passing |
| Scoring | Penalty points (lower is better) | Contract points (higher is better) |
| Game End | First to 100 points loses | First to 500 points wins |
| Players | 4 (3–6 with variants) | 4 (standard) |
Scoring Comparison
Hearts Scoring
Hearts uses a penalty-based system. Each Heart card taken in a trick is worth 1 penalty point. The Queen of Spades is worth 13 penalty points. The goal is to accumulate the fewest points. The game ends when any player reaches 100 points, and the player with the lowest score wins.
The dramatic exception is Shooting the Moon: if you take all 13 Hearts and the Queen of Spades in a single round, every other player receives 26 penalty points while you receive zero. This high-risk, high-reward play can flip the game entirely.
Spades Scoring
Spades uses a contract-based system. Each team bids the total number of tricks they expect to win. If a team meets their bid, they score 10 points per bid trick. Extra tricks (“bags”) are worth 1 point each but come with a penalty: accumulate 10 bags and lose 100 points.
Failing to meet your bid (“being set”) costs you 10 points per bid trick. The nil bid (bidding zero tricks) scores 100 bonus points if successful but costs 100 if you take even one trick. First team to 500 points wins.
Gameplay Mechanics
Card Passing vs. Bidding
Hearts begins each round with a card-passing phase: each player selects three cards to pass to another player (the direction rotates each round). This creates opportunities to dump dangerous cards — like the Queen of Spades or high Hearts — while weakening an opponent’s hand. Every fourth round, no cards are passed.
Spades begins each round with a bidding phase: each player evaluates their hand and declares how many of the 13 tricks they expect to win. Partners’ bids are combined into a team contract. This phase requires careful hand evaluation and partnership trust — overbidding leads to penalties, while underbidding accumulates bags.
Trump and Trick-Taking
In Hearts, there is no trump suit. The highest card of the led suit wins every trick. This means you can never “trump in” to steal a trick — if you can’t follow suit, your card simply loses. Hearts cannot be led until they have been “broken” (played when someone couldn’t follow suit).
In Spades, the spade suit is always trump. If you cannot follow the led suit, you can play a spade to win the trick. This adds a powerful strategic dimension: controlling when and how to use your spades is central to the game. Spades cannot be led until broken, similar to Hearts.
Strategy Comparison
Hearts Strategy
- Pass dangerous cards: Get rid of the Queen of Spades, Ace of Spades, and high Hearts when possible.
- Create voids: Emptying a suit lets you dump penalty cards when that suit is led.
- Track the Queen of Spades: Knowing who holds (or has passed) the Queen is critical information.
- Watch for Shoot the Moon attempts: If one player keeps taking Hearts, they may be shooting. Win at least one Heart to block them.
Spades Strategy
- Bid accurately: Count your certain winners (high spades, Aces) and probable winners. Conservative bidding avoids bags.
- Manage bags carefully: Winning too many extra tricks accumulates bags toward a 100-point penalty.
- Support your partner: If your partner bids nil, lead low cards and avoid putting them in a position to win tricks.
- Control spades: High spades (Ace, King) are powerful but timing matters. Use them to win key tricks, not casually.
Which Should You Play?
Both Hearts and Spades are excellent trick-taking games with devoted fan bases. Here’s how to choose:
Choose Hearts if…
- You prefer individual competition over teams
- You enjoy the tension of avoiding penalty cards
- You want simpler rules with no bidding phase
- You like high-drama moments (Shoot the Moon)
Choose Spades if…
- You enjoy teamwork and partnership strategy
- You like the added depth of bidding and contracts
- You want to use a trump suit strategically
- You prefer positive scoring (racing to 500)
For groups that enjoy both, alternate between games. Hearts is great when you want every-player-for-themselves tension, while Spades shines when you want collaborative strategy with a partner.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between Hearts and Spades?
In Hearts, you avoid taking tricks with penalty cards (Hearts and Queen of Spades). In Spades, you bid on and try to win a specific number of tricks. Hearts is individual while Spades uses partnerships. Spades has a trump suit; Hearts does not.
Do Hearts and Spades both use partnerships?
Spades is a partnership game with 2 teams of 2 players. Standard Hearts is played individually with 4 solo players competing against each other.
Which is easier to learn: Hearts or Spades?
Hearts is slightly easier to learn because there is no bidding phase. You pass three cards, then play. Spades requires understanding bidding strategy, nil bids, and bag management in addition to basic trick-taking.
Is there a trump suit in Hearts?
No. Hearts has no trump suit. The highest card of the suit that was led always wins the trick. This is different from Spades, where spades are always trump.