Hearts: Rules and How to Play
Hearts is a card game for 3 to 5 players that takes about 20 minutes. Avoid taking hearts and the queen of spades — the lowest score wins. Free. In-browser. No account.
Setup
- Three to five players and a 52-card deck. No jokers.
- Everyone gets the same number of cards. With three players the two of diamonds comes out; with five, the two of diamonds and the two of clubs.
- Before play, choose three cards from your hand and pass them on. The direction changes each deal: left, right, across, then no passing (with four players).
- Everyone chooses at the same time, and you only see what you were given once everyone has passed.
How to play
- Whoever holds the two of clubs leads it (the three of clubs with five players).
- Play then goes round, one card each. If you hold the suit that was led you must follow it; otherwise you may play anything.
- Once everyone has played, the highest card of the suit led takes the trick and leads the next one. Two is lowest and the ace is highest.
- You cannot lead a heart until somebody has played one — unless hearts are all you hold.
- On the very first trick you cannot play a heart or the queen of spades, unless that is all you hold.
Winning and scoring
- Every heart you take is one point and the queen of spades is thirteen, so each deal hands out 26 points in total.
- Take all 26 yourself and you shoot the moon: you score nothing and everyone else takes 26.
- The game ends with the deal in which somebody reaches 100. The lowest score wins.
Defaults on this site
| Item | Default on this site |
|---|---|
| Players | 3–5 players (set automatically by the party size) |
| Turn time limit | None by default (the host can set 30 or 60 seconds) |
| If someone drops mid-game | Reopening on the same device returns you to your seat. If you do not return, the CPU plays in your place. |
| Draws | For games that allow a draw, ratings do not change. |
| Source of the rules | Based on the standard reference rules |
Rules supervised by Qdan, Inc. (based on the standard reference rules)
House rules
Defaults follow the standard reference rules. The party can change these.
| Name | Description | Default | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game ends at | The game ends with the deal in which somebody reaches this score. | 100 | Yes |
| Pass three cards | Pass three cards at the start of each deal. The direction changes each deal. | On | Yes |
| No points on the first trick | Stops hearts and the queen of spades being played to the first trick. | On | Yes |
| Shooting the moon | Take all 26 points and you score nothing while everyone else takes 26. | On | Yes |
| Jack of diamonds is −10 | Whoever takes the jack of diamonds has ten points taken off. | Off | Yes |
Terms
- Trick
- One card from every player. The highest card of the suit led takes it.
- Lead
- Playing the first card of a trick. Whoever takes a trick leads the next one.
- Breaking hearts
- The first time anyone plays a heart. Until then, no one may lead one.
- Shooting the moon
- Taking all 26 points in a deal. You score nothing and everyone else takes 26.
- Passing
- Giving three cards from your hand to another player at the start of a deal.
FAQ
How is the score counted?
Every heart you take is one point and the queen of spades is thirteen, so each deal hands out 26. The lowest score wins, so the aim is to take as little as possible.
When can I play a heart?
Once somebody has played one — hearts are then broken and anyone may lead them. Until then you may only play a heart when you cannot follow the suit led, or when hearts are all you hold.
What if I take all the points?
That is shooting the moon: you score nothing and everyone else takes 26. A party can turn it off.
What comes out of the deck with three or five players?
The two of diamonds with three players, and the two of diamonds and the two of clubs with five, so the deck deals out evenly. No heart ever comes out, so a deal is always worth 26.
How does the passing direction change?
With four players it goes left, right, across, then no passing, one step per deal. Three and five players have no seat directly across, so it goes left, right, then no passing.
Play now with these rules
Last updated 2026-09-14 · Run by Qdan, Inc.