Hearts

Hearts is a trick-taking game with a twist: most points are bad for you. You play with three computer players around the table, and the aim is to finish the game with the lowest score.

How to play

A game is a series of hands. In each hand every player gets 13 cards, and play goes round the table one card at a time. One round of four cards is called a trick.

Passing. Each hand begins with a pass. Choose three cards you want to get rid of, tap Pass, and they go to a neighbor while you receive three. The direction changes each hand: left, right, across, and then no pass at all, and then it starts over.

Leading and following. The player holding the 2 of clubs starts by leading it. Everyone must play a card of the suit that was led if they can. A player with none of that suit may play any card.

Winning a trick. The highest card of the suit that was led takes the trick. The winner collects the cards and leads the next one.

Points. Each heart you take is 1 point, and the queen of spades is 13. Cards of other suits are free. The 26 points in each hand are shared out by who takes the tricks.

Hearts are held back. Nobody may lead a heart until one has been played, which is called breaking hearts, unless a hand holds nothing else. On the first trick, nobody may play a heart or the queen of spades unless they have no other choice.

Shooting the moon. If one player takes all thirteen hearts and the queen of spades, that player scores 0 and everyone else gets 26.

The end. When any player reaches 100 points, the game is over and the lowest score wins. If the lowest score is shared, one more hand is played.

On a phone, tap a card to play it, or tap three cards to choose a pass. On a computer, click the same way. Cards with a gold edge are the ones you may play, so you never have to guess. The Scores button shows the running totals.

The levels

The levels change how well your three opponents play. The cards and rules stay the same.

• Easy: the computers play mostly safe low cards and make mistakes.
• Medium: they follow simple rules, such as dumping the queen of spades and high hearts.
• Hard: they count cards, remember who ran out of a suit, and try to stop a moon shot.
• Expert: they imagine the cards they cannot see and play the hand out many times before choosing.

With four players, an even share is one game in four.

Today's game

The daily game is played at Medium. Everyone who plays on the same calendar day gets the same deals, hand after hand.

Tips

1. When you pass, give away your highest cards in the dangerous suits, especially the queen of spades if you hold it without much support.
2. Keep a few low cards in every suit. They let you play under a trick that holds points instead of winning it.
3. Try not to take tricks that contain hearts. Each one is a point, and they add up fast.
4. If you can discard on a trick led in a suit you have run out of, throw a high heart or the queen of spades then.
5. Watch the spades. Holding the ace or king of spades with no low spade beside it is risky, because a spade lead can force you to take the queen.
6. Watch who is collecting points. If one player has taken all the hearts, they might be trying for the moon, and you may need to take a heart yourself to stop it.

A bit of history

Hearts belongs to a long line of trick-taking games where the goal is to avoid certain cards rather than to collect them. That idea has kept it popular with groups of four for a very long time.

Questions

Why can't I play this card? Only cards with a gold edge can be played. Most often the reason is that you must follow the suit that was led.

What does a pass of "none" mean? Every fourth hand has no passing at all. You play with the cards you were dealt.

Is shooting the moon good for me? Yes, if you pull it off. You score 0, and every opponent gets 26. If you fall short, you will have collected a lot of points yourself, so it is a gamble.