A Card Game For The Whole Family

In most card games that involve the winning of tricks, the idea is to actually win the trick.  The game of Hearts, however, provides a fresh spin on that idea.  While Hearts is still a trick taking game, the object of the game is to avoid winning tricks that include the heart suit.  Even more important is to avoid the queen of spades.  The game began at the end of the 19th century, and has continued to grow in popularity since then.

Hearts, in many ways, is a game of strategy. Typically it is played by four players, and there aren't any official partnerships, however, players may often find that it is in their best interest to help another player out.  Just as in Hand 'n Foot, there is no trump suit to be concerned about.  Aces are high, and the deck used is a standard fifty-two card deck.  Another fact about the game that sets it apart from other card games is that the only scoring that takes place are penalty points.  The only cards that have any value are the hearts, which each count as a -1 point and the queen of spades which counts as -13 points.  While you may rack up huge scores in Hand 'n Foot, when playing Hearts you will want to avoid scoring at all.  The end of the game comes when someone has exceeded one hundred points, and the player with the lowest score at that point is the winner of the game.

Hearts is an excellent game for families to enjoy together, as people of all ages can play the game easily.  While there are no formal partnerships in Hearts, it is still an extremely social game.  If you are still waiting for your decks of Hand 'n Foot cards to arrive, you might want to give Hearts a try in the meantime.