How to score Hearts

How the scoring works, hand by hand

Hearts is scored at the end of each hand. Play it out, then count who won what.

There is nothing to tap while you play — come back when the last trick is taken.

What you need

One regular deck of cards. Four players is best, but two to seven can play.

Everyone plays for themselves — there are no partners.

Deal out all the cards. With four players that is 13 each. If they do not divide evenly, put the spare cards face down — whoever wins the last trick takes them too.

Passing cards

Before playing, everyone passes three cards face down. Pass to your left on the first hand, to your right on the second, across the table on the third, and keep your cards on the fourth. Then start again.

Pick up the cards passed to you only after you have passed your own.

Pass the cards you least want — high hearts and high spades are a good start.

Playing the hand

Whoever has the two of clubs leads it to the first trick.

You must follow the suit that was led if you can. If you can’t, play any card — that is your chance to get rid of a heart or the Queen.

The highest card of the suit that was led wins the trick, and the winner leads next.

Two rules: nobody may play a heart or the Queen on the very first trick unless they have no choice, and nobody may lead a heart until someone has thrown one on another suit.

Points are bad

At the end of the hand, count the cards you won.

Each heart costs 1 point. The Queen of spades costs 13. Every other card costs nothing.

So there are 26 penalty points in every hand, and the player with the SMALLEST total is winning.

Shooting the moon

If one player takes every heart AND the Queen of spades, they have “shot the moon”. You don’t have to say you’re trying.

Then the rules flip. Usually everyone ELSE takes the 26 points, and the shooter takes nothing.

Some families take 26 off the shooter’s score instead. You choose which in the rules.

How the game ends

Keep playing hands until somebody’s total reaches 100.

That player has not won. Reaching 100 ENDS the game, and then the lowest score wins it.

If two players are tied for the lowest, play another hand to break the tie.

How you’ll score in the app

After each hand, tap “New hand”. For each player, count the hearts they won and tap them in.

Then, under “Who took the Q♠?”, tap whoever won the Queen. The app checks all 13 hearts are counted before you save.

If someone shot the moon, the app sees it by itself and scores it the way your rules say.

Words you will hear at the table

If it is your first time

• Get rid of high spades early if you don’t hold the Queen — or she may land on your trick later.
• Watch who is collecting hearts. If one player has them all, somebody needs to take one to stop the moon.
• An empty suit is useful: when you can’t follow suit, you can throw away a heart or the Queen.