How to Play Hearts
Hearts is a trick-taking game for four players, each playing alone. Unlike most card games you want to avoid tricks: every heart you take costs a point, and the Queen of Spades costs 13. When someone reaches 100 points, the player with the lowest score wins.
The deal
A standard 52-card deck, no jokers. Each player gets 13 cards. Aces are high: A K Q J 10 … 2.
Passing
Before each hand, everyone chooses three cards and passes them:
| Hand | Pass to |
|---|---|
| 1st | the player on your left |
| 2nd | the player on your right |
| 3rd | the player across |
| 4th | no passing (a "hold" hand) |
Then the cycle repeats. You can't look at the cards you receive until you've chosen your own three.
Playing the tricks
- The player with the 2♣ leads it to the first trick.
- Going clockwise, everyone plays one card. You must follow suit if you can. If you can't, play any card.
- The highest card of the suit led wins the trick, and the winner leads the next one. There are no trumps.
Two restrictions
- No points on the first trick. If you can't follow clubs on the first trick, you may not discard a heart or the Q♠ (unless your hand holds nothing else).
- Breaking hearts. You can't lead a heart until a heart has been played on an earlier trick, unless you hold only hearts.
Scoring
At the end of each hand, count the penalty cards you took:
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| Each heart | 1 |
| Queen of Spades | 13 |
There are 26 points in every hand.
Shooting the moon
If one player takes all 26 points, they score 0 and every other player gets 26 instead. It's risky: one stray heart and you've taken 25 points yourself. See shooting the moon.
End of the game
When anyone reaches 100 points at the end of a hand, the game ends and the lowest score wins. If two or more players tie for the lowest, kawu plays another hand.
Playing on kawu
- Click three cards and press Pass. Then click a card to play it; cards you can't play are dimmed.
- Hint suggests a pass or a card. Your game is saved if you close the page.
Ready? Play Hearts, or read the strategy guide.
Frequently asked questions
Who leads first in Hearts?
Whoever holds the 2 of clubs, after the cards have been passed. They must lead it.
Can you lead hearts on the first trick?
No. Hearts can't be led until a heart has been played on an earlier trick ("hearts are broken"), unless your hand has nothing but hearts.
Does the Queen of Spades break hearts?
Not on kawu: only a heart breaks hearts. The Queen of Spades can be led at any time after the first trick. Some house rules count it as breaking hearts.
What happens if two players tie for the lowest score at 100?
On kawu the game continues with another hand until one player has the lowest score alone.
Last updated 2026-10-18