Common Hearts mistakes

Hearts is easy to learn, but some rules trip people up. This guide follows our Hearts rules page. For tactics see the Hearts strategy guide.

Passing mistakes

• Passing in the wrong direction. The cycle is left, right, across, then no pass.
• Looking at received cards before choosing. Pick your three cards to pass first.
• Passing your good low cards and keeping high ones. Low cards are your safe exits.
• Keeping the queen of spades with no cover. A queen with fewer than four spades is easy to attack.

Rules mistakes

• Not leading the two of clubs. The holder opens the first trick with it.
• Playing penalty cards on the first trick. You cannot play a heart or the queen of spades on the first trick unless your hand has only penalty cards.
• Leading a heart before hearts are broken. A heart can be led only after a heart has been discarded, unless your hand holds only hearts.
• Thinking the queen breaks hearts. In this version only a discarded heart does.
• Thinking spades must be broken. Only hearts must be broken.
• Not following suit. If you have the suit led, you must play it.

Scoring mistakes

• Miscounting the hand. Hearts are 1 point each and the queen of spades is 13, so the hand’s total is 26.
• Forgetting the moon. The shooter scores 0 and each opponent adds 26 in this version.
• Ending at the wrong number. The game ends when someone reaches 100 or more, and the lowest total wins.
• Mixing moon rules. Some groups subtract 26 from the shooter instead. Agree the form before starting.

Play mistakes

• Winning early tricks with high cards. Early tricks often contain hearts you don’t want.
• Ignoring who is void. A player with no cards in a suit can dump penalty cards on you.
• Shooting the moon without enough control. A failed shot leaves you with the hearts.
• Not stopping a moon attempt. Taking a single heart is enough to stop it.