How does shooting the moon work?

Take all 13 hearts and the Queen of Spades in one round and you score 0, while every other player scores 26. It only counts when you take every single point card — miss one and the points fall on you as normal. Most rounds aren't worth attempting; a clear void in two suits is the usual signal that a shoot is on.

Can I lead the Queen of Spades?

Yes, at any time after the first trick. The lead restriction only applies to hearts (which must be broken first). Leading the Queen on a spades trick is legal but rare — it usually means dumping it on a trick someone else has already committed to winning.

Why can't I play hearts on the first trick?

The standard rule keeps the opening trick clean of points. You may only play a heart or the Queen of Spades on trick one if you have no clubs at all. This prevents an unlucky 2-of-Clubs lead from immediately costing the leader points.

What if two players tie at the lowest score?

Both are declared winners. The game ends the moment any player hits 100 points, and the title goes to whoever has the lowest total at that point — ties included. A tiebreaker round isn't traditional.

Play Hearts Online Free — Classic Trick-Taking Card Game

Play Hearts Online — Avoid the Queen of Spades

Hearts is a four-player trick-taking card game where the goal is to win as few points as possible. Hearts cost 1 point each and the Queen of Spades costs 13. Pass three cards each round, follow suit when you can, and the player with the lowest score when someone reaches 100 wins. Free in your browser, no sign-up.

How Do You Play Hearts?

Goal: finish with the fewest points when any player hits 100.

Setup

Players: you (South) and three AI opponents (West, North, East).
Deal: standard 52-card deck dealt evenly — 13 cards each.
Points: every heart is worth 1 point; the Queen of Spades is worth 13.

Rules

Each round begins with passing three cards. The direction rotates: left, right, across, then no pass.
The player holding the 2 of Clubs leads the first trick. Follow suit if you can; otherwise play anything.
The highest card of the lead suit wins the trick and leads the next.
You can't lead hearts until a heart has been played on an earlier trick — hearts must be "broken" first.
No hearts or Queen of Spades on the first trick unless you have nothing else.
Take all 13 hearts and the Queen of Spades in one round and you "shoot the moon": you score 0, everyone else gets 26.

Strategy

Pass your high spades. Holding the Ace, King, or Queen of Spades risks getting stuck with the Queen of Spades trick. Pass them unless you're going for the moon.
Create a void. Pass all your cards in one suit. When that suit is led later, you can throw your high hearts or the Queen of Spades on it.
Lead low. Leading a 2 or 3 in a side suit draws out high cards from opponents before you have to play yours.
Watch for a moon attempt. If one player is winning every trick, hand them a heart on purpose to break the run. Losing 1 point beats losing 26.
Track the Queen of Spades. Once it's played, high spades are safe again. Until then, keep small spades to duck under it.

About This Version

Three AI difficulty levels (easy, medium, hard) from the menu. The hard AI tracks the Queen of Spades, attempts moon shoots when its hand fits, and coordinates passing with simulated partner awareness. Install it as an app from your browser menu to play offline.

A Short History

Hearts evolved from Reversis, a Spanish point-trick game played in the late 1700s. The modern penalty-card version with the Queen of Spades (sometimes called the Black Lady, Black Maria, or Slippery Anne) took shape in the United States in the early 1900s and became a Microsoft Windows fixture from Windows for Workgroups 3.1 in 1992.

Other Card Games to Try

Spades — partnership trick-taking with bidding and Nil
Klondike Solitaire — the classic single-player game
FreeCell — all cards face-up, four free cells
TriPeaks — clear three peaks one card at a time