Objective
Avoid taking Hearts and the Queen of Spades. The player with the lowest score when someone reaches 100 points wins!
How To Play Hearts
Hearts is also known as Black Lady.
- Passing: Each hand (except every 4th), select 3 cards to pass to another player
- Hand 1: Pass Left
- Hand 2: Pass Right
- Hand 3: Pass Across
- Hand 4: No passing
- Playing Tricks: The player with the 2♣ leads the first trick
- Following Suit: You must follow suit if you can. If you can't, play any card
- Winning Tricks: Highest card of the led suit wins the trick. Aces are high.
- Taking Points: Hearts = 1 point each, Q♠ = 13 points
Rules
Can't Lead Hearts
You can't lead with a heart until hearts have been "broken" (someone has played a heart on a trick)
First Trick Special
You cannot play Hearts or the Queen of Spades on the first trick (unless you have ONLY Hearts)
Must Follow Suit
If you have cards of the suit that was led, you MUST play one. No choice!
Shooting the Moon
If you take ALL 26 points (all hearts + Q♠), you "shoot the moon"!
- You get 0 points
- Everyone else gets 26 points
- High risk, high reward strategy!
Scoring
- Each Heart = 1 point
- Queen of Spades = 13 points
- Total Possible 26 points
Game ends when any player reaches the target score (default: 100). Lowest score wins!
Strategy
- Pass High Cards: Get rid of A♠, K♠, Q♠ and high hearts
- Avoid the Lead: Leading a trick puts you at risk of taking points
- Count Points: Track which point cards have been played
- Watch the Q♠: Know where it is and avoid taking it
- Short Suits: Having no cards in a suit lets you dump points
- Control the Spades: Low spades are safe, high spades are dangerous
- Moon or Bust: If going for the moon, commit fully or you'll take maximum points!
