Hearts

Objective

• The objective of Hearts is to have the lowest total score when the game concludes. Players accumulate points through winning point cards during tricks.

Setup

1. Use a standard 52-card deck with jokers removed.
2. Shuffle the deck completely.
3. Deal all 52 cards face down, one card at a time, clockwise to four players.
4. Each player receives 13 cards.
5. Players must keep their cards hidden from other players.

Gameplay

• Card Passing
  • Before the first trick, players must pass three cards to another player.
  • Passing rotation follows this sequence:
    • Round 1: Pass cards to the left
    • Round 2: Pass cards to the right
    • Round 3: Pass cards across the table
    • Round 4: No card passing
  • Players select three cards and place them face down, then pass them simultaneously according to the round's pattern.
• Trick-Taking Rules
  • The player with the 2 of Clubs leads the first trick by playing that card.
  • Subsequent tricks are led by the winner of the previous trick.
  • Suit Following Rule: Players must follow the suit led if possible.
    • If unable to follow suit, any card may be played.
  • The highest card of the led suit wins the trick, and the winner collects the played cards placing them face down.

Winning the Game

• The game concludes when a player reaches a predetermined score limit, and the player with the lowest total score at that point wins.