This no-trump game likely originated from Reversis, an old trick-taking card game that was popular in Spain and France in the 17th and 18th centuries. Will you 'shoot the moon' in this free online version of the popular trick-taking game Hearts? Sharpen your strategy in this classic evasion-type card game where the player with the fewest points wins.

The Hearts game ends when the first player reaches 100 points - the player with the lowest score is the winner. If you manage to take every single penalty card (13 Hearts and the Queen of Spades), then you can 'Shoot the Moon.' Instead of receiving the 26 points, you get away scot-free with 0 points while all your opponents suffer the 26 points as a result of you collecting the full set of penalty cards. BUT there's one instance where taking penalty cards is good. You don't want to take any penalty cards. If a player's hand only contains Hearts and Hearts haven't been broken yet, then they must pass the lead to the next player to the left and try to find a better hand for their next turn.Īs you may recall, the goal of the Hearts game is to have the fewest points - the lower the score, the better.

When this happens, it means that 'Hearts are broken.' It's important to note that a player cannot lead with a Heart until Hearts have been broken. The highest card of the leading suit wins the trick, and that player then gets to lead the next trick.Īfter the first trick, if a player is unable to follow the suit of the leading card, they can put down a Heart instead. You are not permitted to play a penalty card on the first trick. If you're unable to follow the suit of the leading card, you can play any card that isn't a Heart or the Queen of Spades. In this example, it means you would play a club card. In this example, if a 2 of Clubs is placed on the table by your opponent, you must 'follow suit.' This means that you must play a card of the same suit if you have it in your hand. On the first trick and every subsequent trick, you must follow the suit of the leading card with each action. The player holding the 2 of Clubs will place the card face-up on the table.

In the first round, after the cards are dealt, select three cards and pass them face-down to your opponent on the left. As you learn how to play the game of Hearts, remember that the deal and the play are all done clockwise.

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