How to play Hearts (Short)

Hearts is a trick-taking card game for four players in which you try to take as few hearts as you can and avoid the queen of spades.

Hearts played to 50 points.

About Hearts (Short)

Hearts: Short plays exactly like the classic game but ends after the hand in which a player reaches 50 points, so a game is usually shorter.

A player can be given up to 26 points in one hand, so someone can reach 50 in just two hands, before passing across or the hand without a pass ever comes round. The queen of spades alone is more than a quarter of the target, and taking all 26 leaves each of the other three players past half way.

Every point weighs twice as much as in the classic game, so when your spades are short, pass the queen of spades or the ace and king that can catch her. Try for all 26 only with a very strong hand: a failed attempt can cost you up to 25 points, half the target, in a single hand.

To play the short game with friends, open an online table and choose 50 points; with Fill empty seats with bots ticked, bots take any seat nobody fills. Alone against the computer, this page always plays to 50.

The goal of Hearts

Hearts is a trick-taking game for four players with no partners, played against three computer players. Hearts and the queen of spades cost points, so the aim is to finish with the lowest total.

How to set up Hearts

Each player is dealt 13 cards from a 52-card deck. Aces are high and there are no trumps. Before each hand you choose three cards to pass: to the left in the first hand, then to the right, then across, and in the fourth hand nobody passes.

Hearts rules

Whoever holds the two of clubs leads it to the first trick. You must follow the suit that was led if you can; if you cannot, you may play any card. The highest card of the led suit wins the trick, and the winner leads the next one.

No heart and not the queen of spades may be played to the first trick, unless your hand holds nothing else. Hearts may not be led until a heart has been played to an earlier trick, unless your hand is all hearts. The queen of spades does not break hearts and may be led at any time.

The full Hearts guide, with strategy tips and common questions