Hearts Card Game

Hearts Card Game

Hearts is a four-player trick-taking card game and is commonly known as Black Lady by veteran card game players. In the hearts game, the goal is to score as few points as possible. 

There are a number of tricks you can employ to reach your goal, or you can just play by the hearts card game rules and still win this card game. As you go ahead, you will discover new information that will help you when you play the hearts game online or with your friends, but before that, you will need to know what you are getting yourself into.

The most appealing aspect of this game is the suspenseful anticipation of finding out who has the most sought-after cards. The dream hand of any player is to get all the hearts cards and the queen of spades together in one hand after just a few rounds of passing the cards. Now before we get into the intricacies of hearts online, here are a few details that every player must know:

• No of layers: 3 to 7 players
• Cards Used: Standard 52 card deck
• Number of Cards Dealt: 4 players get 13 cards each. If there are 3 players then everyone is dealt 13 hearts game cards and the rest of the hearts game online cards are put in the kitty. The kitty then goes to the person who plays the first trick. But in a 5 player game, the 2 of spades are removed from the deck to make sure that all players get 10 hearts cards equally.

History of Hearts Game

Reversis, a game that became popular in Spain is thought to have inspired Hearts. A penalty point is awarded for each trick won in the hearts game, plus bonus points are given for capturing J♥ or Q♥. In the late twentieth century, a version of hearts was available with every personal computer using the Windows operating system. This variant became popular after computers became a trend.

But when and how did the heart card game capture the hearts of so many people all over the world? 

It started when Europeans started playing cards with the standard 52-card deck. This new emergence of card games meant that skill games like poker also saw a shift from a 20-card deck to a 52-card deck. 

There used to be a trick tracking game called Reversin that was all the rage in Europe during the time. There is even a mention of this famous game that dates back to 1601 France. Many new age historians believe that most games similar to Hearts online evolved from the original Reversin card game. 

There is another theory about the origins of the hearts card game that challenges the Reversin theory. Turns out that there are a few theories that indicate an even earlier origin story in Spain as well as Italy. The game was initially played with a 48-card, conventional Spanish deck, and a counterclockwise play rotation. It is more likely that the game originated in Italy, the source of several older, harmful trick-catching games like Rovescino, a Tressete game that is still widely played in Italian society today.

How to Play the Hearts Game?

Check out how to play hearts card game below.

1. There are four players in the hearts game.
    
2. The dealer shuffles the deck and player in a clockwise direction.
    
3. Four players are dealt 13 cards from a conventional 52-card deck, one card at a time.
    
4. The player to the dealer's left takes the lead initially. Alternatively, the person holding the 2 of club cards may begin.
    
5. If possible, each player after the lead must follow suit. If he is unable to do so, he may play any card he desires.
    
6. When a player plays the highest card of the lead suit, he wins the trick. The winner of the trick leads the next.

Heart Card Game Rules

The following are the hearts card game rules.

• Highest to the lowest rank of cards: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
• The aggregate total of all scores for each hand must be a multiple of 26.
• Each heart equals one point and the Queen of Spades equals 13 points.
• After the cards have been dealt, each player chooses their 3 worst cards and passes them to an opponent. For example- If you have higher-value cards, or even a Queen of Spades, you will pass these cards to your opponent since you don't want high-value cards in your hand.
• How are the hearts game cards passed between players? Well, here is a gist:

1. First deal, the cards are passed to the right
2. The second deal they are passed to the left. 
3. Third deal the cards are passed across. 
4. Fourth deal is when players get to keep their cards.

• When he plays the highest card from the suit led, a player wins a trick. The trick's winner takes the next lead. 
• You cannot play the Heart card or the Queen of Spades on the first trick, even if you don't have any other Club cards. 
• When a player cannot play a card in the suit that has been led, he must place a hearts card on the table.
• The hearts card game is played till the 100 points, but some games are played till 50.
• If a player has all hearts and Queen of Spades they score 0. For example- Instead of losing 26 points, the player who gathers all 13 hearts and the queen of spades in one hand scores 0 while all of his opponents gain an additional 26 points.
• The person with the 2 of clubs makes the first pass and the online hearts game goes from there. But in a 5 person game, the person with 3 of clubs starts the hearts game online.
• Do you know what is shooting for the moon? Getting penalty cards is awful in general, but there's a twist! You get 0 points if you get ALL the penalty cards (13 hearts + Queen of spades), while the other three players each get 26 points! This is referred to as "Shooting the Moon." Trying this, however, might be a very risky strategy, as if another player gets just one of the hearts, you'll lose a lot of points.

Scoring in Hearts Card Game

Below is the reiteration of the scoring for the hearts game.

• Players sum up their tricks after all the cards have been played. For each heart card a player has, they suffer a penalty point. At the end of the game, the player with the queen of spades receives 13 points.
  
  Here's a Bonus: the player who gets the Jack of Diamonds gets ten points deducted from his total.
   
• If a player wins all the penalty cards (13 hearts and the Queen of Spades), he or she receives 0 points, while all opponents receive 26. Shooting the Moon is the name of this maneuver. When any player gets 50 or 100 points, the player with the fewest points wins.

Hearts Strategy

There are many different strategies and tactics to winning hearts online. Every rule has an exception, therefore every tip you read here shouldn't rely on 100% of the time.

1. Never Pass Spades in a Hearts Card Game: Try to keep as many Spades as you can when playing hearts card games online. If the Queen of Spades is handed to you, you will not only have a stronger defense, but you will also have the ability to bleed the Spades dry and compel an opponent to play the Queen if it isn't in your control.
    
2. Don't pass the Ace of Hearts in a Hearts Card Game: It can either act as a deterrent to someone attempting to Shoot the Moon or as a desirable card if you are shooting yourself. You should never let someone else take the initiative, even if you don't have any more hearts or relevant cards in your hand.
    
3. Pass the 2 of Clubs in a Hearts Card Game: The player who is dealt that card is the one who will begin the game. You don't want to be the one who wins the first trick because it gives you a significant advantage.
    
4. Never pass the Ace of Clubs in the Hearts Card Game: You can get a significant edge by winning the first trick. With the Ace of Clubs, you can lead the second trick and steer the game in the way that best suits your hand.
    
5. Pass the Q of Spades to the Right in a Hearts Card Game: If you have the Q of Spades in your hand, pass it to the player on your right every time your passcards.
    
6. Don't Pass Your Last Club in the Hearts Card Game: If you play off-suit on the first trick, the other players will know exactly what your plan is. They'll notice you've thrown away your clubs and adapt their game accordingly. For the first trick, you'll need at least one club.
    
7. Pay Attention to What Others are Passing in the Hearts Card Game: If all three are of the same suit, he's most likely creating a void. If he's only passing you low cards, he might be attempting to go for the stars. Take note of this information and use it to your advantage.

Go ahead and use these tips when you play hearts. Now, let us check some of the hearts game variants that people play around the world.

Hearts Game Variants

Just like every game that has existed for a long time, the game of Hearts has been adapted too. Here are a few variations of the hearts card game online:

1. Dragon hearts online.
2. Dummy hearts online.
3. Four Queens hearts card game.
4. House Hearts for Two.
5. Joker hearts card game.
6. Reverse hearts card game.
7. Super hearts game.
8. Ten of Hearts 10 Points.
9. Toss hearts game.
10. Trump hearts game.
11. Two Blind Bitches.
12. Two-Player Hearts Game.
13. Valentine Hearts Game.
14. Wilson System.

You can play any variant of the hearts game online but when you play hearts card game with your friends you can change it up and make your own variant too. Let us see the difference between poker and hearts game.

Poker Vs Hearts

Play Online Poker and Win Real Money

The Hearts card game is great if you want to play for the heck of it. Poker, on the other hand, is the game for you if you want to walk away looking like a winner with the moneybags you've won from other card game players. 

The Spartan Poker App is also a great place to discover and play cash games online. The rules are easy to follow. But if you find yourself confused, the Spartan Poker website is a treasure trove of card game trivia, lingo, and general information. 

You can even get real cash rewards when you win events hosted by the Spartan Poker App. The app is designed to foster the ethics and integrity of its poker players while also providing a seamless poker game experience filled with nail biting excitement. 

Did you know that you can play poker games and win amazing cash prizes daily? Download the official Spartan Poker app on your mobile phone or laptop. Beat your opponents in the game and win cash daily with free poker games!

Did you know that you can play poker and win amazing cash prizes daily? Download the Spartan Poker official poker app on your mobile phone or laptop. Beat your opponents in the game and win cash daily with free poker game!

Hearts Card Game FAQs

What is the best free Hearts game?

Q.1) Hearts Deluxe and Hearts card games Online are some of the most famous Hearts card games that you can play. The most convenient way to play for a Microsoft user is to play hearts online or use the preinstalled hearts card game on their laptop or PC.  

Q.2) How do you play Hearts on the computer?

The game is played according to the normal Hearts rules. The player is asked for their name when the game initially loads, and then the game begins. Against the player, the computer employs all three hands. When at least one player has 100 points at the end of a hand, the game is over.

Q.3) Is Hearts a strategy game?

In Hearts, as in many other Whist family games, one basic strategy is to void or short-suit a particular suit in their hand; that is, to have very few or no cards of that suit in their hand before play begins. Voiding can be accomplished by passing cards, playing the first few tricks, or a mixture of the two.

Q.4) What is the aim of the card game Hearts?

This trick tracking game is one of the best card games online to play with friends. There are various strategies to employ when attempting to win at the hearts card game because the only way to win is to have the fewest points at the end of the game.

Q.5) What is the maximum amount of points that can be earned in a heart card game?

There is no limit to the number of points you can accumulate during a game. But the goal is to accumulate the least amount of points, so statistically, you should not rack up more than 10 points to be safe. However, if you are determined to lose a hearts game online, gather cards of high value; they will instantly increase the number of points you have.

Q.6) What is the maximum number of cards to be played by each player in a heart card game?

Players in the hearts online game or live version can only pass three cards at a time, but they can play one card at a time during tricks. This interesting game is definitely a fun pass time for people of all ages and its gameplay is fairly simple. Kindly check out the Intro to Hearts Card Game for more information about how the cards are to be dealt.