How do you play/win the card game, hearts?

Question

please help.. im just playing on the computer for now.. but i don't really get it.. are you trying to get tricks? ..and what exactly is a trick.. do you want to put down low cards or high cards? and when you're passing cards.. which ones are you tyring to get rid of? I've looked it up on the internet, but i can't understand it.. i'm just terribly confused.. thank you for the help :-]

Answer 1

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. 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!