Hearts JD

Hearts is a classic four-player card game that blends skill and strategy. The objective is to have the lowest score at the end of the game. The game is played over several rounds until one player reaches 50 points.

Objective:

The main goal of Hearts is to have the lowest score by the end of the game. The game typically continues until a predetermined score is reached, often 100 points.

Links

• How to play Hearts Rules www.pagat.com

Setup:

• Use a standard 52-card deck.
• Deal 13 cards to each player.

Gameplay:

1. Passing Cards:
   • Before each hand, players select and pass three cards to a neighbor (varies each round: left, right, across, or no passing).
   • The player holding the 2 of clubs leads the first trick.
2. Trick-Taking:
   • Players must follow suit if possible; otherwise, they can play any card.
   • The player with the highest card of the lead suit wins the trick and leads the next one.
   • Hearts cannot be led until they have been "broken" in a previous trick.
3. Scoring:
   • Each heart card taken in a trick is worth one penalty point.
   • The queen of spades is worth 13 penalty points.
   • Players aim to avoid taking hearts and the queen of spades.
4. End of Hand:
   • The hand continues until all 13 tricks are played.
   • Scores are tallied, and the next hand begins with passing cards again.

Winning:

The game continues until a player reaches the predetermined score (usually 100 points or another agreed-upon total). The player with the lowest score at the end of the game is the winner.

Strategies:

Players often try to "shoot the moon" by taking all the hearts and the queen of spades in a single hand. If successful, they score no penalty points, and each opponent receives 26 penalty points.