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Winning at Hearts
Hearts rewards careful planning and observation. While luck plays a role in any card game, skilled players consistently outperform beginners by making better passing, leading, and ducking decisions. These strategies will help you minimize your penalty points and win more games.
Passing Strategy
General Passing Rules
- Pass high cards in danger suits. The Ace and King of Spades are especially dangerous because they can win a trick containing the Queen of Spades.
- Create voids. If you have only one or two cards in a suit, pass them to create a void. A void lets you discard penalty cards when that suit is led.
- Keep low hearts. Low hearts (2, 3, 4) are relatively safe to hold because you can duck under higher hearts played by opponents.
- Consider the pass direction. When passing left, the player receiving your cards plays immediately after you, so passing them high spades is riskier. When passing right or across, the recipient acts before you, giving you more control.
The Queen of Spades
If you hold the Queen of Spades without adequate protection (the Ace and King of Spades plus several low spades), pass it immediately. If you do have spade cover—say the Ace, King, and two or more low spades—you can safely keep the Queen and play it strategically to dump it on an opponent.
Early Game Tactics
- Lead low cards. Starting tricks with low cards forces higher cards out of opponents' hands and keeps you safe from taking penalty cards.
- Flush out the Queen of Spades. Leading low spades early forces the Queen holder to either play it or use up cover cards. Once the Queen is gone, spades become much safer.
- Avoid leading hearts early. Until hearts are broken, focus on stripping your dangerous high cards in other suits.
Card Counting
Tracking which cards have been played is the single most valuable skill in Hearts. You don't need to memorize every card—focus on these key areas:
- Track the Queen of Spades. Always know whether the Queen has been played. If not, be cautious with high spades.
- Count hearts. Keep a running total of how many hearts have appeared. Once all 13 are out, tricks become safe.
- Watch for voids. When an opponent discards off-suit, note which suit they are void in. They will use future leads of that suit to dump penalty cards.
- Count cards in each suit. There are 13 cards per suit. If 10 clubs have been played, only 3 remain— making it risky to lead a low club.
Shooting the Moon
Shooting the moon is one of the most exciting plays in Hearts. To attempt it successfully, look for these conditions:
- You hold the Ace and King of hearts plus several more hearts
- You have the Queen of Spades with spade cover
- You have a long, strong suit to maintain lead control
- You have very few low cards that could lose the lead at a critical moment
Warning: A failed moon shot is catastrophic. You will take most of the penalty points (often 20+) while gaining nothing. Only attempt it when your hand is overwhelmingly strong or when you are far behind and need a dramatic reversal.
Defending Against a Moon Shot
If you suspect an opponent is trying to shoot the moon, your top priority is to take at least one heart or the Queen of Spades yourself. This blocks the moon and saddles the attacker with a massive penalty. Key defensive tactics:
- Win a trick containing a heart, even if it costs you a few points
- Hold onto your highest heart as a stopper rather than discarding it early
- Cooperate with other opponents—if one player is clearly running the table, everyone else should focus on blocking
Advanced Tips
- Control the lead. Sometimes it is better to win a safe trick so you can lead a suit favorable to you on the next trick.
- Bleed spades carefully. If you hold the Ace of Spades, playing it early can flush out the Queen. But if the Queen has already been played, the Ace is just a safe high card.
- Manage your hand shape. Try to maintain at least one card in every suit for as long as possible. Having options in every suit keeps you flexible.
- Pay attention to scores. If one opponent is close to 100 points, it may be worth taking a few extra points yourself to avoid ending the game when you are not in the lead.
Common Strategy Questions
When should I shoot the moon in Hearts?
Shoot the moon when you hold most of the high hearts, the Queen of Spades, and strong cards in other suits that can win tricks. Ideal hands include the Ace and King of Spades (to capture the Queen), multiple high hearts, and long suits you can run. Attempt it early before opponents realize your strategy — once they catch on, they will deliberately take a heart to block you.
Which cards should I pass in Hearts?
Generally pass the Queen of Spades, the Ace of Spades, and the King of Spades — these are the most dangerous cards to hold. Also pass high hearts (Ace, King) if you cannot protect them. When passing left, pass aggressively since that player leads after you. When passing right, you can be more conservative. Never pass low spades, as they help you duck under the Queen.
How do I avoid taking the Queen of Spades in Hearts?
Keep low spades (2-6) in your hand as protection. When spades are led, play your lowest spade to avoid winning the trick. If you do not have low spades, try to void yourself in spades by passing them. Also track which spades have been played — once the Queen drops, spades become safe to win with.
Should I break hearts early or late in a round?
It depends on your hand. If you have many hearts, break hearts early to spread penalty points among opponents while you have control. If you have few hearts, delay breaking hearts to reduce the number of penalty tricks you might be forced to take. In general, break hearts when you can dump them on a trick someone else will win.
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.