International · Trick-taking · Every player for themselves
Hearts: rules and how to play
هارتس
Hearts is the penalty card game played the world over. Four players, no partners and no trump: pass three cards, then try not to take any hearts or the queen of spades. Each heart costs a point and the queen costs 13, unless you take every one of them and shoot the moon.
At a glance
- Players
- 4, each for themselves
- Deck
- 52 cards, ace high, no trump
- Goal
- Lowest score when someone reaches 100
- A game
- Several hands
01
How to play in one minute
- Deal 13 cards each. Pass three cards: to the left, then right, then across, then no pass, and repeat.
- Whoever holds the two of clubs leads it. Follow suit if you can, otherwise play any card.
- No hearts or queen of spades on the first trick unless you have nothing else. Hearts can't be led until one has been played.
- The highest card of the suit led takes the trick and leads next. There is no trump.
- Each heart is 1 point and the queen of spades 13. When someone reaches 100, the lowest score wins.
02
The rules
The pass
Four players, a standard 52-card deck, 13 cards each, ace high. Before each hand everyone passes three cards: to the left, then to the right, then across, then no pass, and the cycle repeats. The cards move only when all four have chosen.
Playing the tricks
Whoever holds the two of clubs leads it to the first trick. Follow suit if you can, otherwise play any card. On the first trick you can't play a heart or the queen of spades unless you have nothing else. Hearts can't be led until a heart has been played, unless you only have hearts; the queen of spades doesn't break hearts. The highest card of the suit led takes the trick and leads next.
Scoring
- Each heart you take: 1 point.
- The queen of spades: 13 points. A hand holds 26 in all.
- Shooting the moon: take all 26 and you score 0 while everyone else gets 26.
- Scores are checked after the whole hand. When someone reaches 100 the game ends and the lowest score wins; tied players share the win.
You take four hearts and the queen of spades: you add 17 points.
03
Tips from the table
- Use the pass to get rid of danger: the queen of spades, or the ace and king of spades that can end up taking her.
- Empty a short suit with your pass. With no clubs or diamonds left, you can throw hearts and the queen on other players' tricks.
- The queen of spades with several low spades is safer to hold than the ace and king of spades on their own.
- Watch for a moon: if one player has taken every point so far, take a single heart yourself to stop them.
Qahwa · قهوة
Play it in Qahwa
Switch the house rules before you deal:
- Play to 50 or 100
- Shooting the moon: the others get 26, or the shooter takes 26 off
Online, every computer player is labelled and the deal can be checked. How we keep it fair
04
Questions
What does shooting the moon mean in Hearts?
Taking all 13 hearts and the queen of spades in one hand. Instead of 26 points against you, everyone else gets 26. In Qahwa you can switch it so the shooter takes 26 off their own score instead.
Who leads first in Hearts?
Whoever holds the two of clubs, after the cards have been passed, leads it to the first trick.
How is Hearts different from Leekha?
Leekha adds the ten of diamonds (10 points), always passes to the right, and plays to 101. Hearts rotates the pass, starts with the two of clubs and plays to 100. Qahwa has both, plus Bent Al Sbeet.
Play it free: Hearts
Qahwa is in testing and not on Google Play yet. Join the early players list and be first at the table.