How to Play Hearts Card Game
If you’ve ever sat around the table with a deck of cards, a few snacks, and a bunch of people saying, “What should we play?”… Hearts is always a winner.
It’s one of those games that’s easy to learn, sneaky smart, and always full of laughs, groans, and “I can’t believe you did that!” moments. I play it with my teens, my friends, and even my mom when she visits. It never gets old.
So grab a deck, pull up a chair, and I’ll walk you through how to play Hearts in a way that’s simple, clear, and actually fun to follow.
What Is Hearts?
Hearts is a trick-taking card game where the goal is kind of funny…
You’re trying not to win points.
Yep. Instead of trying to collect cards, you’re trying to avoid them. The more “bad” cards you get, the worse you do.
The big troublemakers are:
- All the hearts
- The Queen of Spades
These are the cards you want to stay far away from.
How Many People Can Play?
Hearts is best with 4 players, but it also works with 3, 5, or even 6 with small changes.
For this guide, we’ll stick with the classic 4-player game, since that’s the most common and the easiest to learn.
What You Need
Super simple:
- A standard card deck
- 4 players
- Paper and pen for keeping score
That’s it. No boards, no apps, no fancy stuff.
Just cards and good vibes.
The Goal of the Game
The goal is to have the lowest score when the game ends.
You get points when you take:
- A heart (1 point each)
- The Queen of Spades (13 points)
Since there are 13 hearts, that’s 13 points total
Plus the Queen of Spades (13 points)
So there are 26 points floating around each round.
You want as few of those as possible.
Setting Up the Game
- Shuffle the cards.
- Deal all 52 cards, one at a time, to the 4 players.
- Everyone will have 13 cards.
Take a moment to sort your hand by suit. It makes everything way easier to see.
The Passing Round (This Part Is So Fun)
Before you even start playing, everyone passes cards to someone else.
This happens at the start of each round and changes every time:
| Round | Pass Cards To |
|---|---|
| 1 | Left |
| 2 | Right |
| 3 | Across |
| 4 | No passing |
| Then repeat |
Each player picks 3 cards from their hand and passes them face-down to the correct player.
This is where you get sneaky.
Most people try to pass:
- The Queen of Spades
- High hearts
- High spades
Basically anything that feels dangerous.
Once everyone has passed and received cards, you add them to your hand.
Now the round can begin.
Who Goes First?
The player holding the 2 of Clubs always starts the first trick.
They must play that card.
Everyone else plays one card, following suit if they can.
That means if clubs were led, everyone must play a club if they have one.
If you don’t have that suit, you can play any card you want .
What Is a Trick?
A trick is one full turn where:
- Each player plays one card
- The highest card of the suit that was led wins
Example:
If clubs were led:
- 5 of clubs
- King of clubs
- 9 of clubs
- 3 of clubs
The King of clubs wins the trick.
That player takes all four cards and places them face-down in front of them.
And here’s the kicker…
If any hearts or the Queen of Spades were in that trick, that player gets the points for them.
Big Rule: Hearts Can’t Be Led at First
At the start of the round, hearts are not allowed to be played until they are “broken.”
Hearts are broken when:
- Someone can’t follow suit and throws a heart into a trick
After that happens, hearts can be played.
This keeps the game from turning into a heart-dumping mess right away.
Special Rule for the First Trick
On the very first trick:
- No hearts can be played
- The Queen of Spades cannot be played
Even if you don’t have clubs, you still can’t dump a heart or the queen yet. You have to play something else.
After that first trick, normal rules apply.
Playing Each Trick
Here’s how each trick goes:
- The person who won the last trick leads a card.
- Everyone else plays one card, following suit if possible.
- The highest card of the suit that was led wins.
- That player takes the trick.
- Points are added later.
Play continues until all 13 tricks are done.
How Scoring Works
After all cards are played, everyone counts the points in their pile.
- Each heart = 1 point
- Queen of Spades = 13 points
Write them down and add them to your running total.
You want your total to be low.
The Super Fun Twist
This is the part that makes Hearts exciting.
If one player manages to collect:
- All 13 hearts
- And the Queen of Spades
They don’t get 26 points…
Instead, everyone else gets 26 points, and that player gets 0.
This is called Shooting the Moon, and it’s a big bold move.
You usually only try this when your hand is full of high cards and you feel brave.
It’s risky, but when it works, it feels amazing.
When Does the Game End?
Most people play until someone reaches:
- 100 points
When that happens, the player with the lowest score wins the game.
You can choose a different number if you want a shorter or longer game, but 100 is the classic.
Simple Strategy Tips
You don’t need fancy math to enjoy Hearts, but these tips help a lot.
Get Rid of the Queen
If you have the Queen of Spades, try to dump her into someone else’s trick when they are forced to take it.
She’s trouble with a capital T.
Watch Who Is Winning Tricks
If someone keeps winning tricks, they’re getting more chances to pick up points.
Try not to be that person.
Hold Low Cards
Low cards are your friends. They help you avoid winning tricks.
High cards are risky, especially late in the round.
Pay Attention
Keep an eye on what suits people run out of. It helps you know when they might dump hearts or the queen.
Why Hearts Is So Fun
I love Hearts card game because:
- It’s easy to learn
- Every round feels different
- There’s luck and strategy
- It’s full of playful drama
Hearts Is Perfect for Family Game Night
If you’re looking for a game that works for:
Hearts is a total win.
It fits in a purse, travels anywhere, and turns any table into a fun little party.
Quick Rules Cheat Sheet
Here’s a handy recap:
- Avoid hearts and the Queen of Spades
- Pass 3 cards at the start of each round
- Follow suit if you can
- Hearts can’t be led until broken
- First trick starts with 2 of Clubs
- Queen of Spades = 13 points
- Each heart = 1 point
- Shooting the Moon flips the score
- First to 100 points ends the game
Hearts is one of those games that grows with you. You can play it super casual or get all clever and sneaky. Either way, it always brings people together.
So grab a deck, call everyone to the table, and get ready for laughs, groans, and lots of “You gave me the queen?!”
