how to play hearts.
the lowest score wins. avoid what you love. · four players
- 1
The goal
Four players, no partners. Points are bad: every heart costs 1, the queen of spades costs 13. Keep your score low — the game ends when someone reaches 100.
- 2
Pass three, then follow suit
Each hand begins by passing three cards to a neighbor. In play, you must follow the led suit if you can; the highest card of that suit takes the trick.
- 3
Hearts must be broken
The two of clubs leads the first trick. No one may lead hearts until a heart has been discarded on another suit — until the wound is open.
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Or shoot the moon
Take every heart and the queen in one hand, and the 26 points land on everyone else instead. Glory — or ruin.
“The player who fears the queen holds her longest.”
— the dealer
The dealer shows the score math — every point, accounted.