Thirteen hearts and the Black Lady

Hearts

Every heart you take costs a point and the queen of spades costs thirteen, so the whole game is played backwards: you are ducking tricks, not winning them. Pass three cards on before a card is led, follow suit when you can, and count the spades — because the one hand nobody can escape is the one holding the king and the ace with nothing small underneath.

Take all twenty-six yourself and you have shot the moon, and the score goes the other way entirely. Sixteen rule sets here — plain Hearts, Black Lady, Black Maria, Omnibus, Spot, Black Jack, Greek, Chasse Coeur, Joker, Royal, Partnership, Heartsette, Auction, Domino and Cancellation, plus the 1887 original — and the rule variations the game picked up along the way as house rules.

3 to 11 players. Free to play in your browser, against friends or against robots.

Tricky Games