Two free sheets for the card table: the rules of four-player hearts on one page, with tick boxes for the house rules your table plays (the moon, the queen of spades, the target and more), and a one-page cheat sheet with the passing cycle, the first trick, breaking hearts and the scoring at a glance. Press Print on the sheet you want, or choose Save as PDF in the print window.
Print the sheet you need with its Print button. To keep a copy on your computer, choose Save as PDF in the print window. The rules match the game on this site; the full explanations, with a worked hand, are on how to play hearts, and each house rule is explained on hearts house rules.
Hearts rules: four players
Players and cards. Four players, each for themselves. A standard 52-card deck, no jokers. Cards rank A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. No trumps.
Deal. Deal all 52 cards one at a time, clockwise: 13 each. The deal passes to the left after every hand.
Pass. Look at your hand and pass three cards face down: to the left on the 1st hand, the right on the 2nd, across on the 3rd, and no pass on the 4th. Then repeat. Pass yours before you pick up the cards passed to you.
Play. The holder of the 2♣ leads it. Follow suit if you can; if you can’t, play any card. The highest card of the suit led wins the trick, and the winner leads next.
First trick. No hearts and no Q♠ on the first trick, even if you have no clubs. (A player with nothing but hearts and the Q♠ plays a heart.)
Breaking hearts. Nobody may lead a heart until a heart has been played to an earlier trick, unless they hold only hearts (or only hearts and the Q♠). The Q♠ may be led at any time and does not break hearts.
Scoring. Each heart: 1 point. The Q♠: 13 points. 26 points in every hand. Points are bad.
Shooting the moon. Take all 13 hearts and the Q♠ and you score 0 for the hand. Then you choose: +26 to each other player, or −26 from your own score.
Winning. The game ends after the hand in which anyone reaches 100. The lowest score wins. Tied for lowest: play another hand.
Our table’s house rules
- Shooting the moon: ☐ Shooter chooses ☐ +26 to the others ☐ −26 from the shooter ☐ Best for the shooter
- Q♠ breaks hearts: ☐ No ☐ Yes
- Game ends at: ☐ 100 points ☐ 75 points ☐ 50 points
- Tie for lowest: ☐ Play another hand ☐ Shared win
- Passing: ☐ Left, right, across, hold ☐ Left, right, across ☐ Always left ☐ No passing
- Points on the first trick: ☐ Not allowed ☐ Allowed
- J♦ −10: ☐ Off ☐ On
- Exactly on target: ☐ No change ☐ Resets to half
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Hearts cheat sheet
Card order (every suit) A · K · Q · J · 10 · 9 · 8 · 7 · 6 · 5 · 4 · 3 · 2
No trumps. Only the suit led can win a trick.
The pass (3 cards)
| Hand | Pass to |
|---|---|
| 1, 5, 9 … | Left |
| 2, 6, 10 … | Right |
| 3, 7, 11 … | Across |
| 4, 8, 12 … | No pass |
Play
- 2♣ leads the first trick
- Follow suit if you can
- Can’t follow: play anything
- No points on the first trick
- No heart leads until hearts are broken
- Q♠ may be led any time
Scoring
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| Each heart | 1 |
| Queen of spades | 13 |
| Every hand | 26 in all |
Shooting the moon: all 13 hearts + Q♠. The shooter scores 0 and picks: +26 to each other player or −26 from their own score.
Winning: the game ends after the hand in which anyone reaches 100. Lowest score wins. A tie for lowest: play another hand.
Check the count: a hand’s points add up to 26, unless someone shot the moon.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I save these hearts rules as a PDF?
Press the Print button on the sheet you want, then choose Save as PDF (or Microsoft Print to PDF) as the printer in the print window.
Which hearts rules do these sheets use?
The standard four-player game, the same as the game on this site and the rules page: pass three cards left, right, across and then hold; the two of clubs leads; no points on the first trick; only a heart breaks hearts; 1 point a heart and 13 for the queen of spades; and the game ends at 100. The tick boxes cover the rules tables most often play differently.
Is there a hearts cheat sheet?
Yes. The second sheet on this page fits the passing cycle, the play rules, the scoring and the moon on one page, to keep beside the score sheet.