INTRODUCTION

Hearts is a 4 players trick taking cards game.

Your goal in each hand is to:

- Avoid winning any tricks including a heart or the Queen of Spades (aka the Black Maria)

- or Win all 13 hearts and the Black Maria THE DEAL Hearts is commonly played with a standard 52-card deck, 2 through Ace of each suit. The entire deck is dealt giving each of four players 13 cards

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PASSING CARDS

After looking at his or her hand, each player chooses three cards and passes them face down to player at his left side. All players must pass their cards before looking at the cards received from an opponent

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START PLAYING

The player holding the 2 of clubs after the pass plays that card to start the first trick

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GAME PLAY

Each player must follow suit if possible. If a player has no cards in the suit led, a card of any other suit may be discarded. If, however, a player has no clubs when the first trick is led, a heart or the Black Maria cannot be played.

The highest card of the suit led wins a trick. The winning player sets the trick in front of himself so that it's easy to tell how many tricks each player has won.

The winner of a trick starts the next trick. Hearts may not be led until a heart, or the Black Maria has been played (this is called breaking hearts).

The Black Maria can be led at any time. There is no trump suit in Hearts

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SCORE

At the end of each hand, count the number of hearts each team has taken, as well as the Black Maria. Hearts are 1 point each; the Black Maria is 13 points.

If one team has won all 13 hearts and the Black Maria (this is known as shooting the moon), than player  subtracts 26 points from his or her score. Hearts is played to predefined ending score points.

When one player reaches or passes the agreed-upon score, the game ends. The player with the lowest score wins

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WINNING

At the end of the game, the player with the lowest score wins