How to play Hearts

Hearts is the classic four-player trick-taking game — the one that came free with Windows for decades and taught a generation the sweet danger of the Queen of Spades. It's a game of avoidance: you don't want to win tricks, you want to dodge the cards that cost you. Played here against three computer opponents, it's quick to learn and endlessly replayable, with just enough room for bold plays like shooting the moon.

Goal

Score as few points as possible. Each heart is worth one point and the Queen of Spades is worth thirteen. When any player reaches 100 points the game ends and the lowest score wins.

Passing

At the start of each hand you choose three cards to pass to another player — left, then right, then across, then a hand with no passing, repeating. Pass away your most dangerous cards: high spades (especially the Queen), high hearts, and aces.

Playing a trick

• The player holding the 2♣ leads the first trick. You must follow the led suit if you can; if you can't, you may play anything.
• The highest card of the led suit wins the trick and leads the next one.
• You can't lead hearts until they've been "broken" — played on an earlier trick when someone was void — and no points may be played on the very first trick.

Shooting the moon & strategy

If you manage to take all 26 points in a single hand — every heart and the Queen of Spades — you "shoot the moon" and instead of 26 points, everyone else takes 26. It's a high-risk swing that can rescue a losing game. Most hands, though, are about staying low: void a suit early so you can dump dangerous cards, duck under high cards to lose tricks you don't want, and watch where the Queen of Spades goes. Try to keep a low spade or two so you're never forced to win the Queen, and don't be afraid to take a harmless trick to seize control of the lead.