Play Hearts Card Game Online for Free
Hearts is a popular classic trick-taking card game that can be played online for free with other players or against computer opponents. The game is also known as Black Lady, Black Maria, or Black Widow. The objective of the game is to score as few points as possible by avoiding taking tricks that contain hearts or the queen of spades, which are worth one and 13 points respectively. However, there is also a twist: if a player manages to take all 13 hearts and the queen of spades, they score zero points and make the other players score 26 points each. This is called shooting the moon.
How do you play the Hearts card game?
Hearts is usually played by four players using a standard 52-card deck. The cards are ranked from ace (high) to two (low), and the suits are irrelevant. The game consists of several rounds, each of which has four phases: dealing, passing, playing, and scoring.
Dealing
At the beginning of each round, the cards are shuffled and dealt face down to each player, so that everyone has 13 cards. The player who holds the two of clubs will start the first trick.
Passing
Before the first trick is played, each player must choose three cards from their hand and pass them face down to another player. The direction of passing changes every round: in the first round, players pass to the left; in the second round, to the right; in the third round, across; and in the fourth round, there is no passing. The passing phase resumes in the fifth round and so on.
Playing
The player who holds the two of clubs leads the first trick by playing it face-up on the table. The other players must follow suit if they can, meaning they must play a card of the same suit as the lead card. If they cannot follow the running suit, they can play any card they want. The trick is won by the player who played the highest card of the lead suit. The winner of the trick is the one to lead the next one.
There are some restrictions on what cards can be played:
– Hearts cannot be led until they have been broken, meaning someone has played a heart on a previous trick when they could not follow suit.
– The queen of spades cannot be played until spades have been broken, meaning someone has played a spade on a previous trick when they could not follow suit.
– In the first trick of each round, no one can play a heart or the queen of spades, even if they have no cards of the lead suit.
Scoring
After all 13 tricks have been played, each player counts how many hearts and how many queens of spades they have taken. Each heart is worth one point and each queen of spades is worth 13 points. The total points for each player are added to their previous score from previous rounds.
If a player has taken all 13 hearts and the queen of spades, they have shot the moon and scored zero points for that round. The other players score 26 points each for that round.
When one or more players reach or exceed 100 points, the game comes to an end. The player who has the lowest score at that point is the winner. If there is a tie for the lowest score, the game continues until there is a clear winner.
What Is the Object of The Game of Hearts?
The goal in the card game Hearts is to keep your points as low as possible. Usually, four players use a regular 52-card deck. Each heart is worth 1 point, and the Queen of Spades adds 13 points. Players aim to finish with the fewest points.
During each round, players avoid collecting specific cards, especially hearts and the Queen of Spades, as these add to their score. There’s also a tactic called “shooting the moon.” This is when a player tries to win all the hearts and the Queen of Spades in one round. If they manage it, they give 26 points to each opponent instead of taking points themselves.
The game continues until someone hits a set point limit, often 100 points. The player with the lowest score by the end wins.
Hearts Card Game Rules
- The goal of the classic Hearts game is to avoid getting points by taking tricks that contain heart cards or the queen of spades.
- Each heart card carries one point whereas the queen of spades carries 13 points.
- You need a standard deck of 52 cards and one or two jokers to play Hearts.
- You can play Hearts with two to six players. Each player gets 13 cards at the start of the game.
- Before the game begins, you have to pass three cards to another player. This helps you get rid of some unwanted cards. You pass to a different player each round: left, right, across, and no passing in the last round.
- The game starts with the player who has the two of clubs. He has to play this card first. Then everyone else plays a card of the same suit if they have one. If they don’t possess a card of the same suit, they can play any other card that they want.
- The highest card of the suit that was played first wins the trick. The winner takes all the cards from the trick and starts the next round.
- You can’t play a heart card as the first card of a round unless someone has already played a heart before. This is called breaking hearts. You also can’t play the queen of spades until someone breaks hearts.
- When one player reaches 100 points or more, the game comes to an end. The player who has the lowest score s announced the winner of that game.
- There is a special rule called “shooting the moon” that can make the game more interesting. If you manage to take all the heart cards and the queen of spades in one round, you get zero points and all the other players get 26 points each. This is a risky move, but it can pay off if you succeed.
What 3 cards do you pass in Hearts?
The choice of which three cards to pass depends on your strategy and your hand. Generally speaking, you want to pass cards that are likely to give you points or help your opponents shoot the moon. Some common examples are:
– High hearts: these are risky to keep because they are likely to win tricks that contain other hearts.
– The queen of Spades: this is the most dangerous card in the game because it is worth 13 points by itself. However, sometimes you may want to keep it if you have a good chance of shooting the moon or if you have enough spades to control when it is played.
– High cards of other suits: these are also risky to keep because they may win tricks that contain hearts or the queen of spades. However, sometimes you may want to keep them if you have a strong suit or if you want to prevent your opponents from shooting the moon.
What is the queen of spades in the Hearts card game?
The Queen of Spades is a special card in Hearts that is worth 13 points by itself. It is also known as the Black Maria or the Black Lady. The queen of spades can be very dangerous to keep in your hand because if you win a trick with it, you will get a lot of points that you want to avoid. However, sometimes you may want to keep it if you are trying to shoot the moon or if you have enough spades to control when it is played.
What are the rules for 5-player Hearts?
There are different ways to play Hearts with 5 players. One way is to remove the two of diamonds and the two of clubs from the deck and deal 10 cards to each player. The player who has the three of clubs leads the first trick. The passing and playing rules are the same as in the 4-player game.
Another way is to deal 10 cards to each player and leave two cards face down in the middle of the table. These two cards are called the kitty. Before passing cards, each player can bid on how many points they think they will take in that round. The player who bids the lowest gets to exchange two cards from their hand with the kitty. The passing and playing rules are the same as in the 4-player game.
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What is a trick in Hearts?
A trick is a round of play where each player plays one card from their hand. The first card played is called the lead card, and it determines the suit that must be followed by the other players if possible. The player who plays the highest card of the lead suit wins the trick and collects all four cards on the table. The winner of a trick is the one to lead the next.
How to play Hearts card game online for free
If you want to play Hearts card game online for free, there are many websites and apps that offer this option. Some of them are:
CardGames: This website allows you to play Hearts online with other players or against computer opponents. You can choose from four levels of difficulty: easy, medium, hard, and expert. You can also customize your appearance and settings, such as passing direction, shooting the moon penalty, and point limit.
Free-Hearts: This website lets you play Hearts online with other players or solo against three computer opponents. You can choose from three levels of difficulty: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. You can also chat with other players and view your statistics and rankings.
Hearts Card Classic: This website offers a simple and classic version of Hearts that you can play online in your browser for free. You can play against three challenging computer opponents based on advanced artificial intelligence. You can also adjust your speed and sound settings.
Microsoft Store: If you have a Windows device, you can download Hearts Free from the Microsoft Store and play it offline or online with other players or against computer opponents. You can choose from four levels of difficulty: easy, medium, hard, and expert. You can also change your appearance and options, such as passing direction, shooting the moon penalty, and point limit.
These are some of the ways you can enjoy playing Hearts card game online for free. Have fun and good luck!
Is Hearts a Game of Skill or Luck?
Skill is very important in Hearts. How well you play your hand, remember the cards that have been played, and predict what your opponents will do can determine your success. Top players use tactics to avoid high-point cards and aim for “shooting the moon” if they can.
Luck also plays a part in the game. The cards you receive can greatly affect your chances. Sometimes, a bad hand or surprising moves from other players can ruin even the best strategies.