Game Rules
HeartsAvoid instead of win

A trick-taking game with reversed logic. Whoever collects the fewest penalty points wins – unless you shoot the moon.

Players3 – 6
Time15 – 25 min
Deck52 cards · 1 deck
LevelMedium
I · The idea

Hearts are
bad

I

Hearts reverses the usual trick-taking logic: you do NOT want to win certain cards. Every heart card is 1 penalty point, the Queen of Spades is 13 penalty points.

Whoever has the fewest penalty points at the end of a round is ahead. A player who collects ALL penalty cards “shoots the moon” and scores 0 points instead – everyone else gets 26.

II · Preparation

Before the
game begins

II
1
Deal the cards
Deal 52 cards evenly. With 4 players: 13 cards each.
2
Pass cards
Before each round, everyone passes 3 cards to another player (direction changes every round).
3
First player
Whoever holds the 2 of Clubs starts the first round – the 2 of Clubs must be played as the first card.
Before you start

When passing cards, get rid of your highest hearts and the Queen of Spades if you have them – they are the most expensive cards in the game.

III · Card values
What costs
penalty points
III
♥
Every heart card
1 point
Each of the 13 heart cards counts as one penalty point – regardless of rank.
♠Q
Queen of Spades
13 points
The Queen of Spades alone counts 13 penalty points – the most expensive single card in the game.
M
Shooting the moon
0 instead of 26
Whoever collects ALL penalty cards of a round scores 0 points – everyone else gets 26.
0
Goal
As few as possible
Whoever has the fewest total points at the end leads the game.
IV · Gameplay

Trick by
trick

IV
1
2 of Clubs opens
The player with the 2 of Clubs starts the round – mandatory card.
2
Follow suit
Everyone must play the suit led if possible.
3
Avoid collecting hearts
Whoever wins a trick containing a heart card or the Queen of Spades collects the penalty points.
4
Breaking hearts
Only after a heart card has been played may hearts be led actively.
5
Count points
Penalty points are added after each round. Whoever reaches 100 points first has lost – fewest total points wins.
V · Variants
Variants
V

Hearts comes pre-installed on many computers and smartphones.

O
Omnibus Hearts
The 10 of Diamonds counts -10 points – can amplify the moon effect.
S
Spot Hearts
Each heart card counts its face value instead of a flat 1 point.
3
Three players
With three players: one card is removed before dealing.
J
Jack of Diamonds
The Jack of Diamonds gives -10 points as an extra bonus.
VI · Tips & tricks

What really
matters

VI
Strategy tips
+

When passing cards, get rid of your highest hearts and the Queen of Spades if you have them – they are most dangerous in your own hand.

+

Play high cards in short suits early in the round – you get rid of them before being forced to collect a penalty card.

+

Watch whether a player is collecting suspiciously many hearts – they might be trying to shoot the moon.

+

Consider shooting the moon yourself if you already hold many penalty cards – sometimes “collect everything” is safer than “avoid almost everything”.

Common mistakes
–

Trying to hold the Queen of Spades too long instead of discarding her at the first safe opportunity.

–

Forgetting that hearts may not be led until a heart card has been played (“Hearts Broken”).

–

Missing an opponent's moon attempt and accidentally feeding them the last missing penalty cards.

–

Playing too aggressively when your own hand is objectively weak – sometimes damage control matters more than risk.

Berlin Hold'em · Matching decks
Get the right deck

Hearts is quickly explained and endlessly replayable – with cards that keep every Queen of Spades easy to handle.

View all designs →
20s Playing Cards – Double Pack For bigger groups and long game nights. View product Viking Playing Cards – Double Pack Two decks, ideal for 5+ players. View product
← Back to all games Berlin Hold'em