How to Play Hearts

How to Play Hearts: 5 Steps - wikiHowwindow.UVPERF = {};UVPERF.authtoken = 'b473c3f9-a845-4dc3-9432-7ad0441e00c3';UVPERF.start = new Date().getTime();/**//**/var WH = WH || {};WH.lang = WH.lang || {};button_swap = button_unswap = function(){};WH.exitTimerStartTime = (new Date()).getTime();WH.mergeLang = function(A){for(i in A){v=A[i];if(typeof v==='string'){WH.lang[i]=v;}}}; Sign Up or Log In or Log in via

Follow us on Pinterest!

HomeArticlesCommunityMy Profile WH.translationData = {'pt': {'msg':"Gostaria de aprender Como Jogar Copas? Leia sobre o assunto em portugu\u00eas!"},'de': {'msg':"Lies auch unseren deutschen Artikel: Wie man Hearts spielt."},'it': {'msg':"Ti piacerebbe sapere Come Giocare a Hearts? Leggi come farlo, in italiano!"},'es': {'msg':"\u00bfTe gustar\u00eda saber Como jugar corazones? \u00a1Lee acerca de eso en espa\u00f1ol!"}};WH.mergeLang({'navlist_collapse': '- collapse','navlist_expand': '+ expand'});EditHome » Categories » Hobbies and Crafts » Games » Card GamesHow to Play HeartsEdited by Doug Nyren, Jonathan Thorne, Flickety, Paintsaint and 27 others

Pin ItArticle EditDiscussHearts is one of the most well-known card games, although it's a little tricky to pick up at first. Also known as "The Dirty", "Black Lady", "Crubs", and "Rickety Kate", this game requires players to keep from acquiring certain cards in order to win. Learn how to play Hearts by following these steps. However if you don't play the right suit the following player must be given the points (26) or the game must start over.

Edit Steps

Printable Rule Sheet

Hearts Rule Sheet

Playing Hearts1Understand the objective of the game. Players want to possess the least amount of points at the end of the game. (Hearts [worth 1 point each] and the Queen of Spades [worth 13 points] are the only point cards.) If, in a hand, a player receives ALL the points from that hand (called Shooting the Moon or Running), they receive a score of 0 and all other players receive 26 points.

2Familiarize yourself with the basic rules of the game.How many can play: 3-7 players but 4 is standard. In games with only 3 players, the extra card that the dealer ends up with is set aside as the "hole" card.

The cards: Standard 52 card deck (omitting Jokers), each player is dealt the same amount of cards until the deck runs out. In each suit the cards are also ranked from the Ace (the highest value) on down, with 2 being the lowest value.

3Learn how to deal. The players cut for deal with the lowest being the first to deal as the whole pack is dealt out clockwise, one card at a time, face down. Note that after each hand, the deal passes to the player on the dealer's left.After the cards have been dealt, each player looks at their cards and then chooses three cards to pass to an opponent prior to receiving any cards from opponents. Cards are passed to the right at the first deal, to the left with the second, and across with the third. At the fourth deal, players keep their own cards and no passing is allowed.

In the event that the cards do not split evenly between the amount of players, usually the leftover cards are set aside as "hole" cards. However, some variations dictate that the person who takes the first trick also takes these remaining cards.

4Know how to play the game.The player with the 2 of clubs plays first and must lay down the 2 of clubs. Each player after the lead must follow suit if he can. If a player cannot follow suit (on any trick), they may play a card in any other suit. On the first trick of each hand, no points (Hearts or the Queen of Spades) may be played.

A player wins a trick when he or she plays the highest card of the suit that is led. The winner of the trick leads the next.

Again, each player after the lead must follow suit if he can. If the player can't, the player may play any card he or she wants.

A player can't lead with a heart until a heart has been played in the game (broken). Hearts are broken when a player lacks a card in the suit that has been led, so he or she throws down a heart instead. Many people play that hearts can't be broken on the first trick. The exception to this rule is when a player has voided all suits and possesses only Hearts.

Playing continues until all cards have been played.

5Keep score.After all the cards have been played, players count up their tricks. Each heart card a player has results in a point. The player who ends up with the Queen of Spades gets 13 points.

When one player reaches 100 all points are tallied and the player with the least amount of points wins. Some variations play to 26, 50, or for four hands. In other variations of Hearts, if a player reaches exactly 100 points, their score is automatically reduced to 50.

Edit TipsIt is usually a good idea to organize your hand by suit, and then by rank. Experienced players typically do this, putting their hand (from left to right)in Clubs, Diamonds, Spades, and Hearts, with each suit organized left to right from 2 to A. High cards are generally considered to be A-J in hearts, diamonds and clubs, and A-Q in spades.Bail cards are cards such as the Three of Clubs and the Two of Diamonds, which other players can't duck under. Usually, a good strategy is to lead a bail card when you know the holder of the Queen of Spades has none in that suit.In the "Jack of Diamonds" variation of Hearts, the player who receives the Jack of Diamonds in a trick deducts 10 points from their score.When someone plays the Queen of Spades on themselves in order to stop someone from "shooting the moon", it's commonly called "diving on the sword". It often ends up with two players splitting the points 13-13.On the first trick (where the 2 of clubs is led), if a player puts a low club on the trick, it often means that they have either voided (to "void" a suit is to have no cards in a particular suit) clubs or are attempting to shoot the moon.If you hold the Queen of spades and the King and Ace of spades have already been played, try to get rid of a suit so you can discard the Queen.Although strategies can vary, here are some basics to think about when Shooting the Moon:At the start of hands where passing is allowed, pass your highest cards(especially those in hearts or spades), unless you are shooting the moon.If you have passed all your high cards, or have none, at the start of a passing hand, it's a good idea to void a suit (if you're able) through passing.Unless you are sure that another player will end up holding the Queen of Spades, try not to pass Spades lower than a Queen. If you end up getting the Queen from a pass and have only a couple other Spades, you may run out of other Spades, and this forces you to play the Queen on a trick that is leading Spades.Try to remember which players have taken points so that no one will be able to shoot the moon. If it looks like a player could shoot the moon, attempt to stop them at your first chance. Even taking four points on a trick is better than 26.Unless shooting the moon play your lowest card when there is a point card in the trick.

Edit WarningsBeware of the "offender"! When a player fails to follow suit (when able) without correcting his or her own mistake is deemed "offender" and is then charged for all the hearts in that deal.

Edit Things You'll NeedStandard 52-card deck2 to 6 players

Edit Related wikiHowsHow to Build Literacy Skills Through GamesHow to Shoot the Moon in HeartsHow to Play SpadesHow to Play Crazy EightsHow to Play SpeedHow to Be a Good Partner at Spades and BridgeHow to Play Against Any Two Cards PlayersHow to Stop Someone from Shooting the Moon in Hearts

Edit Sources and Citationshttp://fun.familyeducation.com/valentines-day/games/35040.html?page=1http://www.alanhoyle.com/hearts.htmlArticle Info Featured Article

Categories: Featured Articles | Card Games

Recent edits by: Jordan Moyer, Nytengale, Allie

Share this Article: Tweet
DiscussPrintEmailEditSend fan mail to authors

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 213,745 times.

Was this article accurate?

YesNo

Write An ArticleRandom Articlevar aax_src='3003';var amzn_targs = '';var url = encodeURIComponent(document.location);try { url = encodeURIComponent("" + window.top.location); } catch(e) {}document.write("");document.close();Related ArticlesShuffle and Cut a Deck of Cards One HandedPlay the Card Game 13Play BlackjackPlay Golf (Card Game) Featured ArticlesMake a Bow Out of a RibbonRunMake Bailey's Truffle FudgePractice Nonviolent CommunicationMeet a Community Member

Meet Jasmine, a wikiHowian of over 4 years who has written 8 articles, including a Featured Article and 2 Rising Stars,, and has made over 1517 edits to wikiHow. She says she’s motivated to contribute because she wants to make a difference and loves helping articles become better and better each day. She loves how the wikiHow community puts so much effort into the making the site the best how-to site on the web, whether they’re editing or writing articles. Her advice to new users is to write about what you know best. She says, “A site like wikiHow thrives for people who love to share their knowledge on topics they love.”

Join The Community

- collapse Things to Do Write an Article Edit this Article Request a New Article Answer a RequestLogin for more!+ expand Places to Visit ForumsCommunity Portal Follow Us On...
the how to manual that you can edit

Home About wikiHow Terms of Use RSS Site map

Explore Categories Arts and Entertainment Cars and Other Vehicles Computers and Electronics Education and Communications Family Life Finance and Business Food and Entertaining Health Hobbies and Crafts Holidays and Traditions Home and Garden Other Personal Care and Style Pets and Animals Philosophy and Religion Relationships Sports and Fitness Travel wikiHow Work World Youth All text shared under a Creative Commons License. Powered by Mediawiki.
xThank Our Volunteer Authors.

Follow us on Google+

if (WH.ExitTimer) {WH.ExitTimer.start();}(function(){var a=document.createElement('script'); a.type='text/javascript'; a.async=true;a.src='//yxjj4c.rumanalytics.com/sampler/basic2';var b=document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; b.parentNode.insertBefore(a,b);})();

View the original article here