For five players, take the two of clubs and the two of diamonds out of the deck and deal 10 cards each; the three of clubs leads. For six, Trickster takes out the two of diamonds, the two and three of clubs and the two of spades, and deals 8 each; the lowest club leads. Seven players can share out 49 cards and leave three in a kitty. For more than seven, play Cancellation Hearts with two decks. Each hand still has 26 points in it.
Hearts works for bigger tables too. The rule that changes is the deal: take a few low cards out of the deck so that everyone gets the same number. The cards taken out are always low clubs, diamonds or spades, never a heart or the queen of spades, so each hand still has 26 points in it, and shooting the moon is still all 13 hearts and the queen.
Five players
Take out the two of clubs and the two of diamonds, and deal the remaining 50 cards: 10 each. With the two of clubs gone, the player holding the three of clubs leads it to the first trick.
That’s the method in Pagat, Trickster, 247 Hearts and John Hay’s rules. The alternatives:
- Take out both black twos (the two of clubs and the two of spades): Foster’s 1914 Complete Hoyle and the 1898 Card Games; the 1926 Hoyle says they are “sometimes” discarded.
- Keep all 52 and use a kitty (Pagat): deal 10 each and put the two spare cards aside face down; whoever takes the first trick (or first point) takes them.
- Bicycle’s rules say to take out only the two of clubs “so that each player will get 10 cards”. That leaves 51, which doesn’t divide by five, so take out the two of diamonds as well.
Passing with five. Pagat gives several cycles. The simplest are left, right, hold (the score sheet on this site uses this) and left, right. Longer ones add passes to the second player on your left and on your right.
Six players
Take out four cards to leave 48, and deal 8 each:
- Trickster takes out the two of diamonds, the two and three of clubs, and the two of spades. The player with the lowest club (the four) leads.
- Foster’s 1914 Complete Hoyle takes out all four twos.
The US Playing Card Company’s rule book passes only two cards with six or seven players, which makes sense with only 8 cards in a hand.
Seven players
No source names cards to take out for seven. The US Playing Card Company’s rule book deals the cards out “as far as they will go equally”: 7 each, with the 3 left over set aside face down and taken by whoever wins the first trick; nobody may look at them during the play. It passes two cards. Foster’s 1914 Complete Hoyle has the dealer sit out instead, so six play.
Eight or more: Cancellation Hearts
For a really big table, shuffle two decks together and play Cancellation Hearts: Pagat gives it for 6 to 10 players, and the US Playing Card Company’s rule book says that more than seven should play it. Two identical cards played to the same trick cancel each other out, and the points per hand double.
Keeping score
There are printable sheets for five players and six players, and the score keeper handles up to six. The game on this site is for four players.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you play hearts with 5 players?
Take the two of clubs and the two of diamonds out of the deck and deal the other 50 cards, 10 to each player. The holder of the three of clubs leads to the first trick. Pass three cards left, then right, then hold. Everything else, including the scoring, is as in the four-player game.
How many cards does each player get with six players?
8. Take four cards out of the deck to leave 48: Trickster takes out the two of diamonds, the two and three of clubs and the two of spades; Foster's 1914 Complete Hoyle takes out all four twos. The US Playing Card Company's rule book passes only two cards with six players.
Can more than seven people play hearts?
Yes, with Cancellation Hearts: two decks shuffled together, for 6 to 10 players in Pagat's rules or 7 to 10 in the US Playing Card Company's rule book. Two identical cards played to the same trick cancel each other out.