Hearts has inspired many variants over the years, each adding unique twists to the classic game. From bonus cards to team play, these variations keep the game fresh and offer new strategic challenges. Here are the most popular variants played around the world.
Omnibus Hearts
Omnibus Hearts adds a positive-scoring card to the standard game: the Jack of Diamonds (sometimes the 10 of Diamonds) is worth −10 points, meaning the player who captures it subtracts 10 from their score.
Key Differences
The Jack of Diamonds is worth −10 points (reduces your score)
All other scoring remains the same: hearts are 1 point each, Queen of Spades is 13 points
To shoot the moon, a player must capture all hearts, the Queen of Spades, and the Jack of Diamonds
Diamond strategy becomes important—players may actively seek to win tricks containing the Jack of Diamonds
Omnibus Hearts adds an interesting tension: instead of purely avoiding tricks, players must sometimes compete for a valuable card, creating more dynamic gameplay.
Black Maria
Black Maria is a British variant that predates the modern American version of Hearts. It is traditionally played by three players, though four-player versions exist.
Key Differences
Three players with the 2 of Clubs removed (17 cards each)
Additional penalty cards: the Ace of Spades is worth 7 points and the King of Spades is worth 10 points, in addition to the Queen of Spades at 13 points
Hearts stay at 1 point each. Scoring hearts by face value is Spot Hearts, a separate variant covered below, and the two are often confused.
No shooting the moon in traditional Black Maria rules
Each player passes three cards to the right before play begins (no rotating pass direction)
Three spade penalties instead of one make Black Maria punishing: the Ace, King and Queen of Spades together carry 30 points, so a single trick with the wrong spade in it can decide the hand.
Cancellation Hearts
Cancellation Hearts is designed for larger groups, typically 5 to 8 players, using two standard decks shuffled together (104 cards).
Key Differences
Two full decks are used (104 cards total)
When two cards of identical rank and suit are played in the same trick, they cancel each other out and neither can win the trick
If all cards of the led suit are cancelled, the trick is set aside and its penalty points carry over to the next trick
There are two Queens of Spades (26 potential Queen penalty points) and 26 hearts (26 heart penalty points)
Maximum possible penalty per round is 52 points
The cancellation mechanic creates unexpected outcomes and makes card counting significantly harder. The doubled deck also means more total penalty points are in play.
Partnership Hearts
In Partnership Hearts, the four players form two teams of two, with partners sitting across from each other.
Key Differences
Players sitting opposite each other are partners
Each team's penalty points are combined into a single score
Partners can coordinate strategy, such as one player deliberately taking a trick to protect their partner
Communication between partners must be limited to the cards they play (no verbal signals)
The game ends when either team reaches the point threshold
Partnership play adds a cooperative dimension to Hearts. Strong partners learn to read each other's plays and coordinate passing and trick-taking strategies.
Spot Hearts
Spot Hearts changes the scoring so that each heart card is worth its face value instead of a flat 1 point.
Scoring
Number cards (2–10): face value in points
Jack of Hearts: 11 points
Queen of Hearts: 12 points
King of Hearts: 13 points
Ace of Hearts: 14 points
Queen of Spades: 25 points
With hearts totaling 104 points per round (plus 25 for the Queen of Spades), Spot Hearts is a much faster game. High hearts become far more dangerous, and the Ace of Hearts in particular is a card to avoid at all costs.
Joker Hearts
This variant adds one or two jokers to the deck, introducing a wild-card element to the game.
Common Joker Rules
The joker counts as the highest heart (above the Ace of Hearts) and is worth 5 penalty points
A joker can be played at any time, regardless of the suit led, but it does not win the trick unless hearts were led
When two jokers are used, one may be designated as a bonus card worth −5 points
To accommodate the extra card(s), the 2 of Clubs and/or 2 of Diamonds may be removed
Three-Player Hearts
When only three players are available, the game can be adapted with minor modifications.
Common Adaptations
Remove the 2 of Diamonds so the deck divides evenly (17 cards each)
Passing is simplified: alternate between passing left and passing right, or pass left, right, then hold
All other rules remain the same
Some groups create a “dummy hand” of 13 cards that is played face-up, similar to dummy in Bridge
1Hearts 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.
2Shooting 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.
3Hearts is traditionally played by exactly 4 players using a standard 52-card deck, with each player receiving 13 cards.
4The 2 of Clubs must be played to start the first trick in Hearts, and hearts cannot be led until a heart or the Queen of Spades has been played on a previous trick, a rule known as "breaking hearts."
5Hearts 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.
6In 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.
7The 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.
