The quick version
Each heart taken costs one point; the queen of spades costs 13. When anyone reaches 100 after a full hand, the lowest total wins. Taking all 26 penalty points instead gives each opponent 26.
Saved on this device only — clearing your browser's cache or site data removes them (no account backup).
Deal, pass, and know the finish
Shuffle a deck without jokers and deal all cards clockwise, one at a time, starting to the chosen dealer's left: 13 each. Every suit ranks ace high, then king, queen, jack, ten down to two. Nobody has a partner.
Before the first hand, everyone selects three cards to pass left. On successive hands pass three right, then across, then keep the whole hand. Repeat that four-hand cycle. Commit your three face down before picking up incoming cards. Move the dealer clockwise after every hand.
After all 13 tricks, add one per heart you captured and 13 for the queen of spades; other cards score zero. If one player takes every heart and that queen, they shoot the moon: give that player zero and each opponent 26 instead. Once any total is at least 100, lowest total wins; this table shares tied lows. Otherwise gather, shuffle, and deal again.
Follow the suit and avoid the points
Open with the two of clubs
After passing, whoever holds the two of clubs leads it. Each other player plays one card clockwise. These four cards make a trick. You must play a club if you have one.
Keep points out of trick one
On that first trick, if you have no club, discard a non-heart other than the queen of spades. Only if your entire hand offers no such alternative may you play a penalty card. The two of clubs is still the required opening lead.
Award the trick
The highest card in the suit led wins; other suits cannot win it. The winner collects all four cards face down and leads the next trick. There is no trump, even though the queen of spades carries points.
Follow suit on every later trick
If you have the led suit, play it. Otherwise choose any card, including a heart or the queen of spades. This is how you can give an unwanted penalty card to a player winning another suit.
Wait to lead hearts
A heart discarded onto a trick led in another suit breaks hearts; afterward they may be led. The queen of spades alone does not break hearts in this selected version. Before hearts break, lead another suit unless all your remaining cards are hearts and/or that queen. The queen itself may be led after trick one.
Count what you took
Only the captured penalty cards matter, not how many tricks you won. Keep your captured pile separate until all players have checked their totals. Without a moon, the four hand scores should add to 26.
Give the table a visible memory
Write the pass direction beside each hand's score row and announce it before anyone selects cards. Mark when hearts have broken so the next leader does not need to reconstruct the previous trick.
For a first table, rehearse one unscored trick with all hands visible. Show that a discarded heart loses the trick but goes into its winner's score. Keep the demonstration separate from the fresh deal used for the match.
Already know the game?
Ideas & Twists
Choose a variation together before you start.
Hearts · See main rules
Suggested house variationHearts to 50
Lower the end threshold from 100 to 50 while retaining the passing cycle, full 13-trick hands, and moon scoring. Finish the entire hand that carries anyone to 50 or above; the lowest total wins, shared if tied. This reduces the score distance while keeping every hand intact.
Hearts · See main rules
Suggested house variationJack of diamonds bonus
Make the captured jack of diamonds subtract ten from its holder's hand score. Count ordinary penalties or moon scoring first, then apply this independent bonus; totals may become negative. A moon still requires every heart and the queen of spades, not the jack. Keep the 100-point ending and low-score winner. This gives players one valuable card worth winning.
About this guide
Four-player passing Hearts is selected. Only a heart breaks hearts here, unlike Bicycle's queen-breaking wording. The first-trick forced-card exception and all-penalty-hand lead exception follow the linked platform rules. Shared ties and both optional formats are stated table choices.
Ready for something different?
Find another game →