Can someone tell me how to play hearts? ya i know its a kids game but i want to know lol?

Question

Can someone tell me how to play hearts? ya i know its a kids game but i want to know lol?

Answer 1

Oh Hearts isn't just a kid's game - it's good for all ages and should be in everyone's repertoire.

Hearts is a trick taking game with a twist. In most trick taking games, the pattern of play is this:

A player (in Hearts, the player who hold the 2 of clubs) leads to the first trick by playing a card face up on the table. No one may lead Hearts until they have been 'broken' - which means that a player has discarded one to a previous trick. Each player must, in turn, play a card to the trick. If they can, they must follow suit - which is to play a card of the same suit led. If they cannot follow suit, then they may discard any card to the trick, though it will not win. Whoever played the highest card of the suit led wins the cards played - ie, wins the trick!

Now, the twist to Hearts is that it is a negative game. Hearts are called penalty cards and the object it to avoid taking them (or the queen of spades, which carries a large penalty). Other cards don't matter - just avoid taking a trick with Hearts played to it!

So, to start, choose who will deal first. Each of four players is then dealt 13 cards. There are no Jokers and all suits rank Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10....down to 2. Each heart carries 1 penalty point and the Queen of spades carries 13! Play continues (with deal moving to the right after each hand) until one player reaches 100 points.

Before the hand is played there is an exchange. In the first hand you choose three cards to pass face down to the player on your left. In the second hand, you pass cards to the player on your right. On the third hand, you pass cards to the player sitting opposite you. On the fourth round there is no exchange.

Play is as described above, with players trying to avoid taking penalties in their tricks. However, you cannot play a heart or the Queen of spades in the first round unless you have no choice.