Generally, you should pass over the highest cards of any suits. What cards should you pass over in Hearts? Choosing the best card in your hand at the right time will make all the difference to your score. This is because, at the end of the game, each player’s score is totalled based on which cards they’re left with (see 'how do you keep score in Hearts?’).ĭespite being a game partly defined by luck, it is ultimately down to the player’s skill and strategy that makes the difference between losing and coming out victorious.

The objective of Hearts is to end the game with the fewest points possible by picking and choosing when’s best to win ‘tricks’, while making sure you steer clear of as many hearts as possible. It recently took off in popularity when Windows 3 included Hearts in their operating system in 1992, and later various internet sites like Solitaired developed the game for online use. However, it is derived from a European game called Reversi which was popular in the 17th and 18th centuries. Hearts was introduced in the United States in the 1880s. The overall game is won once a player scores 100 points across rounds. Thus, the player who shot the moon wins the round. If a player has all the hearts and the Queen of Spades, they are said to 'shoot the moon' - in this case, that player gets zero points and other players get 26 points added to their total. The winner is the person who has the least number of points. Once all the cards are played, the winner is announced. Tricks that have the Queen of Spades contribute 13 points to the player's score. Tricks that have hearts contribute 1 point to the player's score.

In the second round, players pass to the person across in the third round, to their right.

In the first round, players pass to the person on their left.

Players can choose 3 cards to pass to their counterpart.

Deck is shuffled and dealt to all players.

The player with the highest rank of the starting suit wins the trick. Hearts can only be played as a starting card after they have been 'broken,' meaning after someone already played a Heart because they did not have the right suit. If they cannot, they can play another suit. When trick is being played, players should match the suit of the first card played. The player with the 2 of Clubs must start and play that card. Frequently Asked Questions How do you play Hearts?

Faro card game