Hearts
Objective:
The objective of Hearts is to have the lowest score possible at the end of the game.
Number of Players:
Hearts is typically played by four players.
Deck:
A standard deck of 52 cards is used.
Card Values:
- Hearts suit: Each heart card is worth 1 point.
- Queen of Spades: The Queen of Spades is worth 13 points.
- All other cards: All other cards have no point value.
Gameplay:
- The player holding the 2 of Clubs plays it as the first lead card.
- Each player, in clockwise order, must follow suit if possible.
- If a player cannot follow suit, they may play any card, including hearts or the Queen of Spades.
- The player who plays the highest-ranking card of the lead suit wins the trick and leads the next trick.
- Hearts cannot be led until they have been "broken." Hearts are considered broken when a player cannot follow suit and plays a heart card.
- After each trick, the player who won the trick collects the cards and leads the next trick.
Scoring:
- At the end of each hand, players count the total number of heart cards and the Queen of Spades they have collected.
- Each heart card and the Queen of Spades count as penalty points.
- The player with the fewest penalty points after multiple hands or a predetermined number of points is declared the winner.
Hearts is a game that requires strategy and careful card management. Players must decide when to play certain cards and avoid collecting penalty cards to minimize their score.