Hearts
About Hearts
Hearts is a four-player card game where, unusually, you're trying to avoid winning tricks that contain certain cards. Every heart you take costs a point, and the dreaded queen of spades costs thirteen. You play one full hand against three computer opponents, and whoever ends it with the fewest points wins.
That backwards goal, avoiding cards instead of collecting them, is what gives Hearts its character. You have to read every trick before you play into it, since taking the wrong card can cost you thirteen points in one move. Deciding when it's safe to play a high card and when to duck is the whole tension of the game.
You can play Hearts free in your browser against three computer opponents, with no download. It takes a hand or two to get the feel of avoiding tricks, but the basics are quick to learn, since the game only lets you play cards that are actually legal.
Controls
You play by clicking or tapping a card in your hand. Only the cards you're legally allowed to play are highlighted; the rest are dimmed, so you can't make an illegal move by mistake.
The flow of a trick follows standard rules:
- Following suit means you must play a card of the led suit if you have one. The highest card of the led suit wins the trick, and its winner leads the next one.
- The penalty cards are what you're avoiding: each heart is worth one point, and the queen of spades is worth thirteen. Whoever wins a trick collects any penalty cards in it.
You can't lead with a heart until one has already been played earlier in the hand, which keeps players from being forced into penalties too early.
The hand ends once all thirteen tricks are played, and whoever collected the fewest points wins. The computer opponents sharpen across eight levels.
Tips
- Duck the queen of spades whenever you can. Thirteen points in one card is the biggest single swing in the game, so if you can't win the trick without taking her, play a low card instead and let someone else deal with it.
- Try to run out of a suit. If you have no cards in the led suit, you can dump a heart or the queen of spades onto someone else's trick, so voiding a suit early gives you a way to shed your worst cards safely.
- Track the queen of spades. The queen is the single most costly card, so knowing whether it's still out there shapes every decision, since you never want to win the trick that contains it.
- Lead low to stay safe. Leading a low card makes it likely someone else wins the trick, which keeps you from accidentally collecting penalties, so save your high cards for when you're forced to play them.
- Count points as the hand goes. Since a single hand decides the game, keeping a running total of who has taken what tells you how much risk you can afford in the tricks that are left.
- Don't panic over one bad trick. Taking a heart or two early isn't fatal on its own, so keep playing the rest of the hand carefully rather than forcing a comeback with risky plays.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hearts free to play?
Yes. You can play as much as you want with no download and no account.
How do you play Hearts?
You play one card per turn, following the led suit when you can. You're trying to avoid winning tricks that contain hearts or the queen of spades, since those cards cost penalty points. After all thirteen tricks are played, the lowest score wins.
How do you win at Hearts?
You play a single hand against three computer opponents, and whoever finishes with the fewest penalty points wins. The goal every trick is to take as few hearts as possible and avoid the queen of spades.
Why can't I play a heart to lead a trick?
Hearts can't be led until one has already been played earlier in the hand. This stops the highest-penalty cards from being forced out before anyone has a safe way to get rid of low cards first.
Can I play Hearts on my phone?
Yes. It runs in any modern mobile browser, and you play cards with a tap, so it works well on phones and tablets.
How do I get better at Hearts?
Duck the queen of spades whenever you can't safely win the trick, try to void a suit so you have safe cards to dump, and keep track of where the queen is. Leading low keeps you out of trouble in tricks you don't need to win.
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