How to Play Hearts: Rules, Scoring, Shooting the Moon and Winning Strategy
Hearts is the card game that turns nice people into schemers. You spend the whole hand trying to avoid points, quietly dumping your worst cards on the player who's winning, and praying nobody hands you the Queen of Spades. Then someone shoots the moon and the whole table groans.
If you've seen it on old Windows computers but never learned the rules properly, this guide covers everything: the setup, passing cards, how tricks work, scoring, shooting the moon, and the strategy that actually wins games. When you're ready, you can play Hearts free online against three computer players.
Hearts at a glance
- Players: 4 (each playing for themselves)
- Deck: a standard 52-card deck, no jokers
- Cards per player: 13
- Goal: finish with the lowest score
- Danger cards: every heart (1 point each) and the Queen of Spades (13 points)
- Game ends: when someone reaches 100 points
Step 1: Deal and pass three cards
Deal all 52 cards so everyone has 13. Before playing, each player chooses three cards to pass to an opponent. The direction changes every hand:
- First hand: pass to the left
- Second hand: pass to the right
- Third hand: pass across the table
- Fourth hand: no passing (a "hold" hand)
Then the cycle repeats. Passing is where good players win or lose the hand, so we'll come back to it in the strategy section.
Step 2: How to play a trick
The player holding the 2 of clubs leads it to start the first trick. Play goes clockwise, and each player plays one card.
- You must follow suit if you can. If clubs were led, you must play a club.
- If you have no cards of the suit led, you can play any card. This is your chance to dump a heart or the Queen of Spades on someone.
- The highest card of the suit that was led wins the trick. There are no trumps in Hearts.
- The winner collects the cards and leads the next trick.
Step 3: Breaking hearts
You can't lead a heart until hearts have been "broken", meaning someone has already discarded a heart on a trick because they couldn't follow suit. The only exception is when you have nothing but hearts left in your hand.
Many people also play that nobody can dump hearts or the Queen of Spades on the very first trick. It's a common house rule, so agree before you start.
Step 4: Scoring
When all 13 tricks have been played, everyone counts the penalty cards they collected:
- Each heart = 1 point
- The Queen of Spades = 13 points
- All other cards = 0
That's 26 penalty points in every hand. Scores add up across hands, and when anyone reaches 100 points, the game ends. The player with the lowest total wins.
Shooting the moon
Here's the twist that makes Hearts exciting. If one player takes all 13 hearts and the Queen of Spades in a single hand, they "shoot the moon". Instead of taking 26 points, they score zero, and every other player gets 26.
It's risky. If you try and fall short by even one heart, you'll be stuck with a big score. But pull it off and you can swing a whole game in one hand.
8 Hearts strategy tips that actually work
- Pass your high spades, unless you can protect the Queen. The Ace and King of Spades are dangerous because they can win a trick that the Queen gets dumped on. But if you hold the Queen with several low spades, keeping her can be safe.
- Try to "void" a suit when passing. If you pass away all your diamonds, you can dump hearts and the Queen whenever diamonds are led.
- Get rid of high hearts early. Holding the Ace or King of Hearts late in the hand often means collecting a trick full of points.
- Lead low spades to flush out the Queen. If you don't have the Queen of Spades, leading small spades forces whoever has it to play it, often on someone else's trick.
- Watch what's been played. Count the spades and keep track of whether the Queen has fallen. It changes how safe your cards are.
- Keep a few low cards for the end. Twos, threes and fours let you duck under tricks when the table is full of points.
- Spot a moon shot early. If one player is winning every heart, make sure someone else takes at least one. Even one heart stops the moon.
- Dump on the leader. When you can't follow suit, give your penalty cards to whoever is closest to winning the game, not the person in last place.
Hearts vs Spades: what's the difference?
They look similar but feel completely different. In Hearts, everyone plays alone and tries to avoid tricks with points. In Spades, you play in teams of two, bid how many tricks you'll win, and spades act as trumps. If you enjoy Hearts, Spades is the natural next game to learn. You'll find both in the Card Room.
Play Hearts online free
The best way to learn is to play a few hands. In the MillionDollarJoke Card Room, you can play Hearts in your browser against three computer opponents, with no download or sign-up:
- Passing works exactly as described above (left, right, across, hold)
- The game only lets you play legal cards, so it's perfect for learning
- Shooting the moon is fully supported
- Every win earns Hype Points for the global leaderboard, and for your team in the Company Cup
The Card Room also has Crazy Eights (playable online with friends), Solitaire, Spades, Go Fish and a no-betting game of 21.
Hearts FAQ
How many cards do you pass in Hearts?
Three cards per hand. The direction rotates: left, right, across, then no pass.
Who goes first in Hearts?
The player with the 2 of clubs leads it on the first trick.
How much is the Queen of Spades worth in Hearts?
13 points, as much as all the hearts put together.
What does shooting the moon mean in Hearts?
Taking all 13 hearts and the Queen of Spades in one hand. You score zero and every other player gets 26 points.
When does a game of Hearts end?
When any player reaches 100 points. The player with the lowest score wins.
Can you play Hearts with 3 or 5 players?
Yes, with small changes (usually removing low cards so everyone gets an equal hand), but four players is the classic and best version.