by Ransom Noble

Created on: March 06, 2009

Hearts is a fun card game that can be played in a group of people. The most common variation has four players, but it can be easily adapted for any number three to seven. Rules below are for four players; changes for a different number will be listed under variations.

A standard deck of 52 cards without jokers is used. Cards are shuffled and a cut is offered to the dealer's right. This is considered polite for most card games. Deal begins with the player on the dealer's left and continues clockwise. For 4 players, each receives 13 cards.

Passing cards:
It is standard practice to have a pattern to passing cards for each hand. This passing occurs once, after the deal, and does not happen again until the next hand is dealt. Three cards are always passed between players. In a four-player game, the order of passing is left, right, across, hold. Good etiquette requires each player to remove all three cards from the hand before picKing up cards passed to replAce them. Example: the first hand, each player passes three cards to the left; the second hand, each player passes three cards to the right; the third hand, each player passes three cards to the player across the table; the fourth hand, each player keeps the cards as dealt.

What is a trick?
A trick consists of one card donated by each player. One player leads a card fAce-up in middle of the table, and all others have to follow suit if possible. The highest card played in the suit that was led wins the trick. The player who wins the trick leads the next one. For the first trick, whoever holds the two of Clubs leads it. If a player does not hold the suit in question, any card may be played. Cards are ranked from high to low: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. Example: One player leads the Four of Diamonds, the next player lays down the Ten of Diamonds, the third player puts down the Nine of Diamonds, and the fourth player plays the Jack of Hearts. The ten of Diamonds wins this trick, because it is the highest card played in the suit that was led.

What is the object?
The main object of the game is to finish a hand without getting point cards. There are 26 possible points in every game. The Queen of Spades is worth 13 points, and each heart is worth one point each. All other cards (every Diamond, Club, and all the Spades except the Queen) have no point value in this game. Example: During a hand, one player takes three tricks, including the Ace, Ten, and Four of Hearts and the Queen of Spades. Total points

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