A four-player trick-avoidance game: take as few hearts as possible and never the queen of spades.
- Variant code
- standard-4p
- Players
- 4
- Deck
- Standard 52-card deck.
- Teams
- Individual play, no partnerships.
- Scoring engine
- none (manual)
- Reviewed
- 2026-11-10 (editorial; revision 1)
Quick start
Four players, thirteen cards each. Pass three cards to the left on hands one to three. The holder of the 2 of clubs leads. Follow suit; hearts cannot be led until broken. Avoid hearts (1 point each) and the queen of spades (13). First to 100 ends the game and the lowest score wins.
Players and object
Four players, standard deck, individual play. Finish with the lowest score.
Claim and evidence (players)
Four players play as individuals.
- Hearts - Pagat (players)
- Hearts rules overview - Bicycle Cards (rules)
Setup and deal
Deal the whole deck, thirteen each. Pass three cards to the left on hands one to three; no pass on hand four.
Claim and evidence (deal)
Thirteen cards each with a three-card pass for the first three hands.
- Hearts - Pagat (passing)
Leading and turn order
The 2 of clubs is led to the first trick; the winner of a trick leads the next. Play proceeds clockwise.
Claim and evidence (turn)
The holder of the 2 of clubs leads the first trick.
- Hearts - Pagat (play)
- Hearts rules overview - Bicycle Cards (general)
Legal play
Follow the led suit if you can. On the first trick you may not play a heart or the queen of spades. Hearts are broken once a heart is discarded; only then may hearts be led.
Scoring
Each heart adds 1; the queen of spades adds 13. A player who takes every heart and the queen has shot the moon: they add 0 and the others each add 26.
Claim and evidence (scoring)
Each heart 1 point; the queen of spades 13; shooting the moon changes the round.
- Hearts - Pagat (scoring)
- Hearts rules overview - Bicycle Cards (general)
Ending the game
The game ends when a player reaches 100; the lowest score wins.
Claim and evidence (win_condition)
The game ends at 100 points and the lowest score wins.
- Hearts - Pagat (game)
Worked example
Ann takes four hearts (+4). Ben takes the queen of spades (+13). Cal takes nothing (+0). Dee shoots the moon (+0; Ann, Ben and Cal each +26). With a 100-point end the game continues and the lowest total is rewarded.
House-rule choices
Passing direction, the no-pass hand, whether shooting the moon subtracts 26 instead of adding to others, and whether the queen of spades may be played on the first trick.
Common questions
Can I lead hearts before they are broken? No. What if I cannot follow suit? You may discard a penalty card if the first-trick restriction allows it.
Worked example
A normal round and a shoot-the-moon round
Round 1: ann +4, ben +13, cal 0, dee 0. Round 2 moon by dee: everyone else +26.
| Expected result | Value |
|---|---|
| ann | 30 |
| ben | 39 |
| cal | 26 |
| dee | 0 |
Reproduced by an editor; no scoring engine shipped for this variant.
Sources and review
Written in original wording and checked against the references below for this exact variant. External prose is not copied. Every material claim carries its own evidence.
- Hearts - Pagat (reference)
- Hearts rules overview - Bicycle Cards (reference)
Glossary
- Shoot the moon
- In Hearts, one player taking every heart and the queen of spades; the scores of the other players change.
- Trump
- The suit that outranks all other suits for the current hand or deal.