Playing a game of Hearts guide, Card game tips, Favourite pastime for players
Guide to playing a game of Hearts
21 Aug 2020
A quintessential guide to playing a game of Hearts (the card game)
The internet and technology have given rise to online casinos, which have now become one of the most favourite pastimes of quite a lot of people around the world. In fact, the online gambling industry is estimated at a whopping USD 59.6 billion in 2020. These numbers are not surprising considering how you can easily play at the best casinos online, slouching in your most loved spot, without having to spend any hefty amounts on going all the way to a land-based casino.
Among the thousands of games that online casinos offer, the trick-taking card game – Hearts – is quite loved. While it is a four-player, variations allowing three to six players also exist. It is an exciting game, and seems quite easy to play at the first look. However, according to expert casino game reviewers, most people struggle to understand its rules and the basic idea of the game. In this post, we will be uncovering exactly that.
If you don’t have a physical deck of cards, you can play Hearts online, where you can engage in thrilling card games and even invite friends to join you in a virtual gaming session. Playing Hearts online offers a convenient way to enjoy this classic card game from the comfort of your own space.
Let’s take a look!
Guide to playing a game of Hearts – basics
A game of Hearts is played using a standard 52-card deck. In some variations, even the joker cards are added to the deck.
The dealer swiftly shuffles the cards and deals an equal number of cards to each player, finishing all the cards in the deck. More simply, if the game is being played between four players, each player will get 13 cards (52 divided by 4 =13).
The ranking of cards from high to low is:
- Ace
- King
- Queen
- Jack
- 10
- 9
- 8
- 7
- 6
- 5
- 4
- 3
- 2
In case there are three or five players, a few cards will be left undealt and put face down on the table. The first player to take the first round gets these remaining cards as well.
The aim of the game is to have a hand with the lowest points.
How to play Hearts
Right after the cards are dealt, each player should pass 3 cards to the player on their left. These 3 cards should be the ones that the player deems are not a good fit for their hand.
Once passing is over, the first round begins with the player who has a 2 of Clubs. They will place the card on the table, and each player should play a card of the same suit; in this case, it would be a card of Clubs.
In case they don’t have it, they can either play any other card or use a scoring card. However, you cannot play a scoring card in the first round.
Scoring cards
Each card’s value is equal to its face value. As the name of the game suggests, the cards that fetch you scores are Hearts! 1 card of Hearts holds a value of 1 point. Another card that has points is the queen of Spades, also known as Black Maria, valued at 13 points. This is the worst card to have in the game.
So, all the cards of Hearts and 1 queen of Spades is the highest score that can be achieved in around.
Playing a round
As mentioned before, each player must play a card of the same suit as that on the table. The one who plays the highest card of that suit would win the round and take all the four cards, placing them in a pile away from their hand.
The winning player can now play a card of their choice. However, this card cannot be a scoring card.
Calculating scores
Once a round is played, the scores of each player are calculated.
1 heart = 1 point
Queen of Spades = 13 points
Say a player has 4 Hearts and a Black Maria. Then their total score would be: 4 + 13 = 17.
The game continues till a player gets 100 points or more. At this point, the player with the lowest points wins.
There’s a catch here, though.
If you score over 100, you lose. However, if you get exactly 100, your score resets to 0. Achieving this requires strategy and special mathematical skills.
One of the best ways to increase your winning chances in a game of Hearts is to get rid of the risky cards at an early stage.
Apart from Hearts and Black Maria, also analyze the cards that might end up getting you scoring cards.
For instance, if you have a lot of more than 3 high-ranked Spades, you can be sure that one of the players will once reach a point where they would throw in a scoring card. This could lead to an increase in your overall score.
Quintessential guide to playing a game of Hearts Conclusion
Hearts is a game of math. You need special skills and presence of mind to win the game. Learn a few strategies and try playing it at a new online casino!
Comments on this Guide to playing a game of Hearts advice article are welcome.
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