Hearts
Avoid winning tricks with hearts in them, and steer clear of the queen of spades. Lowest score wins.
the best bit: dumping the queen of spades on your friend with a smile
- Players
- 4
- Time
- 30–60 min
- Learn in
- A few minutes
- Mood
- Chill
- Format
- Everyone for themselves
The 30-second version
Four players, 13 cards each. You play tricks like any trick-taking game, except here you don't want them. Every heart you take costs a point, and the queen of spades costs 13. When someone hits 100, the lowest score wins. Take every heart and the queen in one hand, though, and everyone else gets 26 instead.
don't explain it all up front. play one practice round.
Grab these
Set up
- Deal the whole deck, 13 cards each.
- Everyone chooses three cards and passes them face down to the player on their left. Pass yours before you pick up the ones you got.
How to play
-
Lead the 2 of clubs
Whoever has the 2 of clubs plays it to start the first trick.
-
Follow suit
Going clockwise, everyone plays a card of the suit that was led if they have one. If not, play anything.
-
Win the trick
The highest card of the suit that was led takes the trick. The winner leads the next one.
-
Break hearts
You can't lead a heart until someone has played one on a trick of another suit.
-
Count the damage
When all 13 tricks are played, score 1 point for each heart you took and 13 for the queen of spades.
-
Shoot the moon
Take every heart and the queen of spades in one hand, and you score 0 while everyone else gets 26.
-
Pass in a new direction
Each new hand, pass three cards in the next direction: left, then right, then across, then no passing. Then start over.
How to win
When anyone reaches 100 points, the game ends. The lowest score wins.
From experience…
- Holding the queen of spades with only one or two other spades is dangerous. Pass it on.
- If someone is taking every heart, grab one yourself to stop them shooting the moon.