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Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to the most common questions about Hearts, from basic rules to advanced situations.
Basic Rules
How many players do you need for Hearts?
The standard game requires exactly four players. Variants exist for three, five, or six players, but four is the classic format used in most tournaments and online play.
What is the goal of Hearts?
The goal is to finish with the lowest score. You accumulate penalty points by taking hearts (1 point each) and the Queen of Spades (13 points) in tricks. Avoid those cards to keep your score low.
Who goes first in Hearts?
The player holding the 2 of Clubs always leads the first trick. After that, the winner of each trick leads the next one.
Are there trump cards in Hearts?
No. Hearts has no trump suit. The highest card of the suit that was led wins each trick. Cards from other suits cannot win a trick regardless of their rank.
Passing
How does passing work?
Before each round, every player selects three cards to pass to another player. The direction rotates: left, right, across, then no pass (hold). The cycle repeats every four rounds.
Can I look at the cards I receive before passing?
No. All players select their three cards to pass simultaneously, before anyone receives cards. You must decide which cards to give away based only on the 13 cards you were originally dealt.
Should I always pass the Queen of Spades?
Not always. If you also hold the Ace and King of Spades along with several low spades, you can safely keep the Queen. Your high spades will win tricks before the Queen is forced out, and your low spades let you follow suit without taking the lead. Without this protection, passing the Queen is usually the safer choice.
Gameplay
What does “breaking hearts” mean?
Hearts are “broken” when a heart card is played for the first time in a round. Until hearts are broken, no player may lead a heart. Hearts are typically broken when a player who is void in the led suit discards a heart.
Can I play the Queen of Spades on the first trick?
No. On the first trick (led by the 2 of Clubs), you may not play any heart or the Queen of Spades, even if you have no clubs. You must play a non-penalty card from another suit. Some house rules allow the Queen of Spades on the first trick, but the standard rule prohibits it.
What if I only have hearts in my hand and hearts haven't been broken?
If it is your turn to lead and you hold nothing but hearts, you may lead a heart even if hearts have not yet been broken. This is the one exception to the rule.
Do I have to follow suit?
Yes, if you hold any card of the suit that was led, you must play one of those cards. If you have no cards in the led suit, you may play any card from your hand.
Scoring
How is Hearts scored?
Each heart card taken in a trick is worth 1 penalty point. The Queen of Spades is worth 13 penalty points. All other cards score 0. The maximum penalty in a single round is 26 points.
When does the game end?
The game ends when any player's cumulative score reaches or exceeds 100 points. At that point, the player with the lowest total score wins. Some variations use different end thresholds such as 50 or 150.
What is “shooting the moon”?
If one player takes all 13 hearts and the Queen of Spades in a single round, they “shoot the moon.” Instead of receiving 26 penalty points, that player scores 0 and each opponent receives 26 points. It is a rare but game-changing event.
What happens if there is a tie?
If two or more players are tied for the lowest score when the game ends, additional rounds are played until the tie is broken and a single winner is determined.
Strategy Questions
Is Hearts a game of skill or luck?
Hearts is primarily a game of skill. While the random deal introduces luck, experienced players consistently outperform beginners through better passing, card counting, and tactical play. Over many rounds, skill dominates.
What is the best strategy for beginners?
Focus on three things: pass away high spades (especially the Queen if unprotected), try to create a void in one suit, and play low cards whenever possible to avoid winning tricks with penalty cards. As you gain experience, start tracking which cards have been played.
Hearts Quick Facts
- Hearts is a trick-avoidance card game where each heart card is worth 1 penalty point and the Queen of Spades is worth 13 penalty points, for a total of 26 penalty points per round.
- Shooting the Moon in Hearts means collecting all 26 penalty points (all 13 hearts plus the Queen of Spades) in a single round, which gives 26 penalty points to every other player instead.
- Hearts is traditionally played by exactly 4 players using a standard 52-card deck, with each player receiving 13 cards.
- The 2 of Clubs must be played to start the first trick in Hearts, and hearts cannot be led until a heart has been played on a previous trick, a rule known as "breaking hearts."
- Hearts became widely popular as a computer game after Microsoft included it in Windows 3.1 in 1992, introducing millions of players to the trick-avoidance format.
- In Hearts, players pass three cards to another player before each round begins. The passing direction rotates: left, right, across, then a round with no passing.
- The player with the lowest total score at the end of a Hearts game wins. Games typically end when any player reaches or exceeds 100 penalty points.