Play Hearts online — free card game
Looking for a free Hearts game online with no download? Classic Deck Games lets you play Hearts online against computer opponents in your browser — no login, no app install, and nothing to set up. This Hearts card game online uses standard four-player rules: pass cards before most hands, avoid penalty points, and shoot the moon when the table gives you a chance.
Whether you want to play Hearts against the computer on a break or play a full match on desktop, the table above deals instantly. Three bot opponents pass and play automatically — a true Hearts no download game on mobile or computer.
How to play
Hearts is a trick-taking game for four players with a standard 52-card deck. Each player receives 13 cards. There is no trump suit. The highest card of the suit that was led wins the trick. The player holding the 2♣ must lead it on the very first trick of every hand — there is no choice on that opening lead.
On each trick you must follow the led suit if you can. You must follow the led suit if you can. If you cannot, you may play any card (including a heart or the queen of spades, subject to the first-trick rule). If you cannot follow, you may play any card, including a heart or the queen of spades, subject to the first-trick restriction: On the first trick only, you may not play a heart or the queen of spades unless you have no legal alternative.
Hearts cannot be led until hearts are broken — meaning someone played a heart on a trick that was led in another suit. If your hand contains only hearts and/or the queen of spades, you may lead hearts (or the queen) even before they are broken. The player who wins a trick leads the next one. Your goal is to take as few penalty cards as possible — every heart is worth 1 point and the queen of spades is worth 13. When someone reaches 100 total points, the player with the lowest score wins the match.
Rules quick guide
New to the game? Here is the short version most tables use. Deal 13 cards to each seat, pass three cards (except on no-pass hands), then play thirteen tricks. There is no trump suit — the highest card of the suit led wins unless someone is forced to slough a penalty card because they are void in the led suit.
Watch the scoreboard as you play. Our table enforces legal plays — illegal cards are dimmed if you tap them — so you can learn without arguing over house rules.
For trick-by-trick examples, the full first-trick checklist, and a longer FAQ, see the complete Hearts rules. For better opening hands and smarter dumps, read the strategy guide.
Scoring
Only hearts and the queen of spades count against you. Clubs, diamonds, and other spades are worth zero. At the end of each hand, count the penalty cards in tricks you won and add that number to your running score. If you took three hearts and the queen of spades, that is 3 + 13 = 16 points for the hand.
After each hand, penalty points are added to running totals. When any player reaches 100 points or more, the player with the lowest total score wins the match. Lower is better — unlike most card games, you are trying to avoid points, not collect them. Shooting the moon is the one big exception: capture every heart and the Q♠ in a single hand and you score 0 while each opponent scores 26.
Worked examples, moon-adjusted hand scores, and late-match tactics are in the Hearts scoring guide.
Passing
Before most hands you pass exactly 3 cards to another player. The direction rotates in a four-hand cycle: pass left on hand 1, pass right on hand 2, pass across on hand 3, and no pass on hand 4. Passing is how you dump high hearts, the queen of spades, and awkward winners before play begins.
Strong passers send pain away and keep safe exits. Pass high hearts and the Q♠ when you can; keep low clubs for safe leads after the mandatory 2♣ opening. Short suits you plan to void are worth keeping so you can slough hearts later. On no-pass hands you play the cards you were dealt — there is no chance to unload danger cards first.
Online, select three cards and tap Pass; bots pass on their turns automatically. The passing guide covers the full cycle and what to send each direction.
Shooting the moon
If one player captures all 13 hearts and the queen of spades in a single hand, that player scores 0 for the hand and each opponent scores 26. This is called shooting the moon (or “running the cards”). Shooting the moon — sometimes called running the cards — is the boldest line in Hearts: instead of dodging penalty cards, one player tries to capture every heart and the queen of spades in a single hand.
When it works, the shooter scores 0 for that hand while each opponent scores 26 — a swing that can erase a bad match or put you in the lead overnight. When it fails, you usually take a huge pile of hearts and the queen anyway, so opponents will often duck winners and feed you low cards to stop the attempt.
When to try it, how to read whether the table is defending, and how passing sets up a moon run are covered in the shoot the moon guide.
FAQ
Quick answers for players who want to play Hearts online without reading the full rulebook first.
- Can I play Hearts online for free?
- Yes. Classic Deck Games is a free Hearts game online — open the table, deal a hand, and play with no payment or account.
- Can I play Hearts without downloading anything?
- Yes. This is a Hearts card game online in your browser. No app store, no install, and no download — it runs on mobile and desktop.
- Can I play Hearts against the computer?
- Yes. You play Hearts against three computer opponents. Bots pass and play automatically while you take your turn at the table.
- How do you win at Hearts?
- Avoid penalty points. When any player reaches 100 total points, the player with the lowest score wins the match.
- How many points is the queen of spades worth?
- The queen of spades is worth 13 penalty points — the same as all thirteen hearts combined. Each heart is worth 1 point.
- What does shooting the moon mean?
- Shooting the moon means one player captures every heart and the queen of spades in a single hand. The shooter scores 0 for that hand; each opponent scores 26.
- When are hearts broken?
- Hearts are broken when someone plays a heart on a trick that was led in another suit. After that, hearts may be led on later tricks (unless the only legal cards are hearts or the queen of spades).
- Which way do you pass cards in Hearts?
- The direction rotates every hand: pass left on hand 1, right on hand 2, across on hand 3, no pass on hand 4, then the cycle repeats. You pass exactly three cards each time.
Longer explanations, printable rules, and additional questions are on the full rules & FAQ page.
Similar games
If you enjoy trick-taking and penalty points, try these other free card games on Classic Deck Games — same no-login, browser-first setup as this Hearts table.
- Spades — Partnership bidding and trump — race to 500 with a computer partner.
- Crazy Eights — Classic shedding game — match suit or rank, 8 is wild.
- All card games — More free card games online, no download.