Once you learn how to play Hearts, you’ll likely find yourself playing repeatedly, using new techniques to hone in your game. Now, there is a lot to read and explain about this trick-taking online game, but fear not; once you start playing, it’ll all become clear to you.

Objective of Hearts

The object of the game is to play as many rounds as necessary until one of the players gains 100 points. After someone reaches that score, they’ve lost, and the win goes to whoever has the lowest score out of all four players. 

Terminology

Before we dive into how to play hearts, there are some terms that you should become familiar with to have an easier time learning to play.

Tricks

A trick in the game of Hearts Online is the equivalent of everyone in the game having completed their turn. There are 13 cards dealt per game; each trick involves one card from every player. In all, one round of Hearts consists of 13 tricks.

Passing

Every three out of four rounds, you’ll have the opportunity to Pass three cards along to other players. This is done before the first trick has begun. In the first round, you’ll pass three cards to the left, the second to the player across from you, and the third round to your right. In the fourth round, you keep all of your cards. This pattern repeats as the rounds progress.

Shoot the Moon

To “shoot the moon” means collecting all 13 heart cards and the Queen of Spades in one round. This is an advanced kind of move and doesn’t happen often. When someone shoots the moon, they end the round with 0 points but cause all other players to gain 24 points.

Rounds

Each round of Hearts consists of 13 tricks. After every round, players will get to review their round score and total score. The game continues round after round until one of the four players has reached 100 points.

Points

The point of the game is to be the player with the least number of points at the end of the game. Clubs and diamonds have no scoring value. The only spade with any point value is the Queen of Spades, worth 13 points. Otherwise, all heart cards are worth 1 point each.

How to Play Hearts Online

Hearts is played using one deck of cards without the Jokers. In a four-player game, 13 cards are dealt to each player face down. Card values go from the lowest (2s of any suit) to the highest (Aces of any suit). The following is a sequence of events after the cards have been dealt.

  • After receiving your hand, three cards must be passed to the player on your left. A sound strategy is to give any high point or rank cards to make them someone else’s problem. Aces, Kings, and Queens are good options to pass to opponents.
  • The first trick of a round is started by whoever has the 2 of Clubs. All other players must follow suit (if they have any club cards) in hopes of losing the trick. Losing the trick means that someone else placed a card of greater value than you did, which causes them to win the trick and will take all 4 cards that were played.

    If any of the three other players did not have any cards of that suit, they could use any card of any suit aside from hearts and the Queen of Spades in the first trick.
  • Hearts cannot be played in a trick until the hearts are broken. This means that after the first trick is completed, anyone who does not have a suit that is at play in current or following tricks may use a heart.
  • As tricks come and go, it’s best to remove as many heart cards as possible, as well as the Queen of Spades, if you wound up with it in your hand. If, by the end of the round, you haven’t won any tricks that included the Queen of Spades and any heart cards, you’ll have a perfect score of zero (unless a different player was shooting for the moon, in which case you and all corresponding players will accrue 24 points!)

Tips

Losing a Suit

If you play your hand in such a way that you remove a suit, you’ll be able to toss away any high-tier or point cards more easily when someone else plays your missing suit. For example, if someone plays a 5 of clubs, and you have no clubs, you can use any card you don’t want to be stuck with (typically Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks, etc.).

Play Under the Trick

If other players are starting a trick in a suit you have cards for, try, if possible, to use the highest card of that suit in your hand, but make sure that the card you use is at least one lesser than the highest valued card in the trick.

For example, if the trick involves three cards by the time your turn comes up, and they are 2, 9, and 5 of Spades, and you have an Ace, 8, 3, and 4 of Spades in your hand, you’d want to play the 8. The 8 of Spades is the highest in your hand that you can play without winning the trick, as it is one less than the 9 in the trick.