Cannot drop, your card needs to be of an opposite suit colour
Cannot drop, your card needs to be one rank lower
Cannot move multiple cards to foundation
Card suit doesn't match foundation pile suit
Card can only be dropped on top of a card pile
Cannot deal cards when there are empty tableau piles
You can only move {0} card(s) at a time based on the current free cells and tableau
The cards don't add up to 13 and cannot be moved
The card is inaccessible and move cannot be performed
Cards must be in sequential order (one higher or lower)
Hearts
Play Hearts Card Game - The Classic Game of Evasion & Strategy
About the Game
Welcome to Hearts on thecardgames.io, the ultimate destination to play the world’s most popular "evasion" card game for free. Whether you are a seasoned pro looking to "Shoot the Moon" or a beginner trying to avoid the dreaded Queen of Spades, our online version offers a smooth, fast-paced, and strategic experience directly in your browser.
Unlike most trick-taking games like Bridge or Spades where you want to win tricks, in Hearts, the goal is often to lose them. It is a game of survival, observation, and ruthless tactical passing.
Quick Rules: How to Play Hearts
Objective
The goal is to finish the game with the lowest score. The game ends when one player hits 100 points.
The Deck & Deal
- Players: 4 players.
- Deck: Standard 52-card deck (no Jokers).
- Rank: Ace (High) to 2 (Low).
- The Deal: Each player receives 13 cards.
The Pass
Before each hand begins, you pass 3 cards to an opponent to improve your hand (and hopefully ruin theirs). The passing rotation is:
- To the player on your Left.
- To the player on your Right.
- To the player Across from you.
- No Pass (Keeper hand).
Gameplay & Scoring
- The Lead: The player holding the 2 of Clubs must lead the first trick.
-
Following Suit: You must follow the suit led if you have it. If you are "void" (don't have that suit), you can play any card.
Exception: You cannot play a Heart or the Queen of Spades on the very first trick. - Winning the Trick: The highest card of the suit led wins the trick. The winner leads the next trick.
- Breaking Hearts: You cannot lead a Heart until "Hearts have been broken" (meaning someone has played a Heart on a previous trick because they couldn't follow suit).
Card Values (Penalty Points)
- Any Heart card: 1 Point.
- The Queen of Spades (The Black Lady): 13 Points.
- All other cards: 0 Points.
🚀 The "Shoot the Moon" Twist
If a daring player manages to capture ALL 13 Hearts AND the Queen of Spades in a single hand, they do not get 26 points. Instead, their score drops by 26 (or all opponents gain 26 points). This is the ultimate power move in Hearts!
Expert Tips & Tricks to Win
Mastering Hearts requires more than luck. Use these strategies to dominate the table:
- Void Suits Early: Try to get rid of all cards of one suit (usually Diamonds or Clubs) as fast as possible. This allows you to discard your penalty cards (Hearts/Queen) when that suit is led by others.
- Pass the Ace/King of Spades: If you are passed the Queen of Spades, it is dangerous to hold the King or Ace of Spades, as playing them might force you to win the Queen. Pass them if you can!
- Count the Cards: There are 13 cards in each suit. If you have the last remaining Club, you know exactly who will win the trick if you lead it.
- Watch for the Moon: If a player is aggressively taking all the Heart tricks, stop them! Sacrifice a few points to prevent them from Shooting the Moon and hitting you with a 26-point penalty.
- Don't Lead High Early: Leading with an Ace early in the game is safe only if you know no one is void in that suit yet. Otherwise, someone might discard the Queen of Spades on your Ace.
History of Hearts: From Reversis to Windows
- Founded: Mid-1880s (United States).
- Predecessors: Reversis (Spain, 1750s) and "Black Maria."
While trick-taking games have existed for centuries, Hearts as we know it originated in the United States during the 1880s. It evolved from an older European game called Reversis, popular in 18th-century Spain and France. In Reversis, the goal was also to avoid taking certain cards.
The game gained its modern "Black Lady" variant (adding the 13-point penalty for the Queen of Spades) in the early 20th century. However, its massive global explosion occurred in 1992, when Microsoft included "Hearts" as a default game in Windows 3.1. It was originally included to teach office workers how to use a mouse and "networking" capabilities, but it quickly became a digital staple.
Did You Know? Interesting Hearts Facts
- The "Black Lady": In many parts of the world, especially the UK and Australia, the game is actually called "Black Lady" or "Black Maria" due to the Queen of Spades.
- No Trumps: Unlike Spades or Bridge, Hearts has no trump suit. An Ace of Hearts will always lose to a 2 of Clubs if Clubs was the suit led.
- The 10 of Diamonds Variant: A popular variation called "Omnibus Hearts" includes the Jack (or sometimes 10) of Diamonds as a bonus card that subtracts 10 points from your score.
- A Game of Evasion: Hearts is classified as an "Evasion Game." While most card games reward you for winning, Hearts rewards you for "ducking" and avoiding contact.
FAQ
- Q: What happens if you get all the Hearts and the Queen of Spades?
- A: This is called "Shooting the Moon." Instead of taking 26 penalty points, you score 0 points, and every other player at the table receives 26 penalty points.
- Q: Can you lead Hearts on the first trick?
- A: No. By standard rules, you cannot lead a Heart until "Hearts have been broken," meaning a Heart has been played on a previous trick by a player who could not follow suit.
- Q: Is the Ace high or low in Hearts?
- A: The Ace is always High in Hearts. The ranking order is A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
- Q: Who leads the first trick in Hearts?
- A: The player holding the 2 of Clubs must always lead the first trick of the hand.
0