Hearts is a classic trick-avoidance card game for four individual players using a standard 52-card deck — 13 cards each. Players must follow suit, the highest card of the led suit wins each trick, and penalty cards are to be avoided: every heart captured scores 1 point and the Queen of Spades scores 13. Before each hand players pass three cards — left, then right, then across, then not at all, repeating that cycle. The holder of the 2♣ leads the first trick, hearts cannot be led until broken, and a player who captures all 26 penalty points "shoots the moon". The game ends when someone reaches 100 points and the lowest total wins.
Play now — it's freeHearts uses the full deck: 52 cards in all four suits (hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs), ranked from 2 up to Ace, with the Ace high.
Four players compete individually — there are no teams. Each player is dealt 13 cards, so every hand consists of exactly 13 tricks.
The goal is to score as few points as possible: penalty cards are the 13 hearts (1 point each) and the Queen of Spades (13 points), 26 points in total per hand.
After the deal — before any card is played — every player selects three cards and passes them face down:
| Hand # | Pass direction | Who receives |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Left | The player on your left |
| 2 | Right | The player on your right |
| 3 | Across | The player sitting opposite you |
| 4 | Hold | No passing at all |
The cycle then repeats: left, right, across, hold, left again, and so on for the whole game. You must choose your three cards before looking at the three you receive.
The player holding the 2 of clubs must lead it to the first trick. Play is clockwise, and everyone must follow the led suit if they can; a player who is void in that suit may discard any card.
The highest card of the suit that was led wins the trick, and the winner leads the next trick. There is no trump suit — off-suit cards can never win a trick.
Two restrictions shape the game: on the very first trick no penalty card (heart or the Q♠) may be played, unless a player has nothing else; and a heart may not be led until a heart has been discarded on an earlier trick — "breaking hearts". A player holding nothing but point cards is exempt from both restrictions.
Every heart you capture costs 1 point — 13 points across the whole suit.
The Queen of Spades — the "Black Lady" — is the most dangerous card in the deck and costs 13 points, as much as all thirteen hearts combined.
That is 26 penalty points per hand, and the whole game is about making somebody else take them.
A player who captures all 26 penalty points in one hand — every heart plus the Queen of Spades — has "shot the moon".
Instead of scoring 26 points, the shooter scores 0 and every other player adds 26 points to their total — the standard "old moon" scoring used at this table.
After all 13 tricks, each player adds the penalty points they captured to their running total.
As soon as any player has 100 or more points, the game ends immediately after that hand.
The player with the lowest total wins. On stake tables the balance is settled by final ranking: 1st place collects triple the stake, 2nd place wins the stake, 3rd place pays it and 4th place pays triple.
Pass dangerous cards: the Queen, King and Ace of Spades when you hold few low spades, plus your highest hearts.
Count spades. If the Q♠ has not appeared, avoid winning spade tricks with A♠/K♠ late in a hand — that is how the Black Lady lands on you.
Get rid of high cards early and keep a low exit in every suit, so you can duck under whatever is led.
Watch the scoreboard: if one opponent is taking every point, they may be shooting the moon — win a trick with a heart in it to stop them.
The full 52-card deck — all four suits from 2 up to Ace — with each of the four players dealt 13 cards.
Four players, each competing individually — there are no teams in Hearts.
Hand 1: pass three cards left; hand 2: right; hand 3: across to the opposite player; hand 4: no passing. The cycle repeats.
The player holding the 2 of clubs must lead it to the first trick.
Hearts cannot be led until a heart has been discarded on an earlier trick. That discard is called breaking hearts. Dumping the Queen of Spades does not break hearts.
13 penalty points — as much as all thirteen hearts combined. It is nicknamed the Black Lady.
No — hearts and the Queen of Spades may not be played to the first trick, unless a player has no other cards.
Capturing all 26 penalty points in one hand. The shooter scores 0 and every other player adds 26 points.
After the hand in which any player reaches 100 or more points. The player with the lowest total wins.
Yes — you can play Hearts online free at hearts.yeeqia.com directly in your browser, no download or sign-up required to try a table.