How to Play Hearts

Hearts is a very interesting card game.

Objective

The player with the least amount of points by the games end is declared the winner.

Game Layout

Hearts is played using a standard 52 card deck, which can bought almost anywhere. Also you may occasionally come across some unique decks of cards which were made especially with the game of Hearts in mind.

Game Description

Hearts is a popular trick-taking card game for three or more players, but the best known version may be the 4 player Windows Hearts which is included with most versions of the Windows operating system. The entire deck is dealt out, and is split evenly to each player. Some variations remove some cards to even out the cards. The most commonly removed cards include all four of the two cards with six players, the twos of club and diamonds with five players, and the two of clubs with three players. As an alternative, all cards can be kept but some will remain undealt. These extra cards may then be dealt to the player who gets the first penalty point.

Rules

Unlike with most other types of card games, having a high score is a negative thing. As a result, you have to have the lowest score to win the game by the end. The ending is determined when a player either exceeds 100 points, or in some cases after a certain amount of deals. Points are earned by winning any trick which had hearts played in it. Some variations include addition penalty cards such as the Queen of Spades, the Ace and 10, or Ace and King.

Strategy, Skills and Tactics

Within most versions of the game, players are allowed to pick three cards to pass either to their left,right, or center during the games passing phase. They will then get three cards from another player themselves. Before seeing what the other cards they recieved are, they must pick which cards they themselves wish to send off. An older rule is that the cards are always passed to the person on the player’s right, but some versions make passes rotate after a hold round every four rounds where no cards are passed. The pass sequence would be as follows:

Rounds one, five, nine pass left

Rounds two, six, and ten: pass right

Rounds three, seven, and eleven: pass across

Rounds four, eight, and twelve: hold. No passing occurs.

During a three player game the order is left, followed by right, then hold.

For a five player game this order would be left, right, left next-but-one, right next-but-one, and then hold. This would allow every player to give and receive to every other player during the course of each game.

Trick play looks like other games, with no trump cards. The player on the left of the dealer makes the first trick. The other players play in a clockwise direction, and must follow in the first player’s suit. Some games include a pool of chips which everyone contributes to evenly.

Last update : 13-12-2007 16:47

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