The house rules

How to play

Hearts rewards careful exits, a good memory, and knowing when not to take the trick.

Aim low

Every heart is 1 point and the queen of spades is 13. The player with the lowest score wins.

Rounds cycle through passing left, right, across, then holding. Everyone chooses before cards move.

The two of clubs opens the round. You must follow the led suit when you can; the highest card of that suit takes the trick.

Hearts cannot lead until a heart has been discarded on another suit. The queen of spades does not break hearts.

No heart or queen of spades may be discarded on the opening trick unless there is no safe legal card.

Capture all 13 hearts and the queen of spades: you score zero and every opponent scores 26.

After a round takes any total to 100 or more, the game ends. Lowest total wins; tied low scores share the win.