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Hearts·Card Games
Hearts
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The game ends when any player reaches 100 points. Lowest score wins.
Why people argue about this
People often assume that if a game ends when someone reaches 100 points, it means they have to get exactly 100 to win, but actually, reaching or exceeding 100 is what wins - as long as no one has more than 100 points at the end.
Play proceeds clockwise. You must follow suit if you can.; If you cannot follow, you may play any card — this is how penalty cards get discarded onto other players.; The highest card of the suit led wins the trick, and that player leads the next.
Why people argue about this
People often assume that playing a trick with a card from another suit automatically disqualifies it as invalid, which isn't true according to Hearts rules. The confusion arises because they misinterpret the rule allowing you to play any card if you can’t follow suit, not realizing this means including cards of other suits in your play.
No penalty cards on the first trick — hearts and the queen of spades may not be discarded there.; Hearts cannot be led until they have been "broken" — that is, until a heart has been discarded on an earlier trick. The exception is a player holding nothing but hearts.
Why people argue about this
People often assume that hearts can be led in the first trick if they haven't been broken yet, which leads to arguments about whether a heart was played earlier or not. The confusion arises because the rule specifically states that hearts cannot be led until they've been "broken," meaning a heart must have already appeared on an earlier trick, except when you're holding no cards other than hearts.
One standard 52-card deck, no jokers.; Cards rank ace (high) down to two within each suit.; There is no trump suit.
Why people argue about this
People often assume that jokers are part of a standard 52-card deck for Hearts, which leads them to think they need to be included when setting up the game. However, the official verdict clearly states there is no trump suit and no jokers in a standard Hearts deck, so this assumption frequently causes confusion among players.
Four players, each dealt 13 cards.; Before play, each passes three cards face down to another player. The direction rotates each hand: left, right, across, then no pass (a "hold" hand), repeating.; The holder of the two of clubs leads it to the first trick.
Why people argue about this
People often assume that passing three cards is a one-time deal at the start of the game, forgetting that it happens every hand after the initial setup. The confusion arises because they overlook the continuous nature of this passing rule throughout each round.
Play proceeds clockwise. You must follow suit if you can.; If you cannot follow, you may play any card — this is how penalty cards get discarded onto other players.; The highest card of the suit led wins the trick, and that player leads the next.
Why people argue about this
People often assume that if they can follow suit, they must always do so, leading to arguments about whether a player should lead with their highest card of the suit just because they could have followed instead of playing another card entirely. The rule specifically allows for discarding cards when you can't follow suit, which some players might overlook or misinterpret as mandatory following.
After all 13 tricks, each player scores the penalty cards they took: Each heart: 1 point; Queen of spades: 13 points
Why people argue about this
People often assume that if a player takes all 13 hearts in their hand during play, they get 1 point for each heart, but actually, only one Queen of Spades scores 13 points no matter how many hearts are taken, making the scoring system more complex and prone to misinterpretation.
Jack of diamonds: taking it scores −10, giving a reason to win a trick.; Three, five or six players: remove cards so the deck divides evenly — commonly the two of diamonds and/or two of clubs.; Black Maria: the British relative, using the ace and king of spades as extra penalties.
Why people argue about this
People often assume that removing cards like the two of diamonds and clubs is just for fun, a quirky variation. However, they misunderstand the actual purpose: it's crucial for ensuring an even distribution among players, which maintains fair gameplay across different player counts. It's not about making tricks harder but about keeping the game balanced regardless of how many people are playing.
A player who takes all 13 hearts and the queen of spades scores 0, and every other player scores 26. Some groups let the shooter instead subtract 26 from their own score — agree which before dealing.
Why people argue about this
People often assume that if you take all 13 hearts including the queen of spades, it means your score is immediately zero, but actually, they're saying every other player scores 26 points in this scenario, not you yourself. The confusion arises because the rule doesn't penalize the shooter directly; instead, it affects how others' scores are calculated based on their own performance.