How to play Hearts
Hearts is the classic four-player trick-taking game where the goal is turned on its head: you want to score as few points as possible. Every ♥ you capture costs 1 point and the Queen of Spades — the infamous "Black Lady" — costs a painful 13. When any player reaches 100 points the game ends, and the player with the lowest score wins.
You play South against three computer opponents: Gunnar, Katrín and Jón. Each hand follows the same rhythm — pass, play thirteen tricks, count the damage:
- Passing — before play starts, everyone passes three cards. The direction rotates each hand: left, then right, then across, then a hand with no passing.
- The first trick — whoever holds the 2♣ leads it. No penalty cards may be dropped on this opening trick.
- Following suit — you must play a card of the led suit if you have one. The highest card of the led suit wins the trick, and the winner leads the next one.
- Breaking hearts — hearts can't be led until someone has discarded one on an earlier trick. Once broken, hearts are fair game.
- Scoring — at the end of the hand, each captured heart adds 1 point and the Q♠ adds 13, for 26 points total in every hand.
Shooting the moon
There is one glorious exception to "low is good": capture all 26 points in a single hand — every heart and the Queen of Spades — and instead of scoring 26 you give 26 points to each opponent. Shooting the moon is the biggest swing in the game, and the threat of it changes how every strong hand should be played. If an opponent starts hoovering up hearts on purpose, sometimes taking one cheap heart yourself is the best defence.
Strategy tips that actually lower your score
- Pass your danger cards. The A♠ and K♠ are liabilities — they can win the trick that carries the Queen. Pass them unless you also hold plenty of low spades for cover.
- Create a void. Passing your last two or three clubs or diamonds lets you discard dangerous cards — or the Queen herself — the moment that suit is led.
- Flush the Queen with low spades. If you hold small spades, leading them repeatedly forces whoever holds the Q♠ to eventually play her — while you duck safely underneath.
- Take an early, cheap trick. A points-free trick early on gives you the lead when you need it and keeps you from being forced to win an expensive trick later.
- Count the hearts. Watch which penalty cards have gone. If one player is collecting every heart, they may be shooting the moon — spoil it by grabbing a single cheap heart.
- Keep an exit card in every suit. A low card you can duck with is worth more than a middling honor. Being forced to win tricks late in the hand is how 20-point disasters happen.
Frequently asked questions
How do you win at Hearts?
Hearts is a game you win by scoring the FEWEST points. Every heart you capture costs 1 point and the Queen of Spades costs 13. The game ends when someone reaches 100 points, and the player with the lowest total wins.
What does "shooting the moon" mean in Hearts?
Shooting the moon means deliberately capturing ALL 26 penalty points in one hand — every heart plus the Queen of Spades. Instead of scoring 26 yourself, each opponent scores 26. It is high risk: miss a single heart and you are stuck with a huge score.
What are the rules for passing cards in Hearts?
Before each hand, every player passes three cards. The direction rotates: left on the first hand, right on the second, across on the third, and no passing on the fourth, then the cycle repeats. Passing high spades and high hearts is usually wise.
When can hearts be played or led?
You cannot LEAD a heart until hearts have been "broken" — that is, until someone has discarded a heart on an earlier trick because they could not follow suit. If hearts are all you have left, you may lead them anyway.
What happens on the first trick of a Hearts hand?
The player holding the 2 of clubs must lead it. No penalty cards may be played on this first trick: if you cannot follow with a club you must discard a non-heart, non-Queen-of-Spades card unless you have nothing else.
Can I play Hearts online against the computer for free?
Yes — this version runs entirely in your browser against three computer opponents, with nothing to download and no account needed. Your game is saved automatically, so you can close the tab and resume later on phone, tablet or desktop.
More free card games
Prefer playing solo? Try classic Klondike Solitaire or the almost-always-winnable FreeCell — or roll the dice in Yahtzee.