Card Games Similar to Bridge

Bridge is a popular card game that has been a favorite trick-taking game for centuries. Like the Hearts game, it is a member of the Whist card game family. Played in pairs, it blends fun and logic and is a great way to exercise your brain while building a sense of camaraderie with friends.

If you’re a fan of Bridge and games similar to Pinochle, there are other trick-taking games you may love. Some of the most popular options are Hearts, Spades, and Pinochle. They are played differently but all offer mental challenges and endless enjoyment.

A Game After Your Own Heart(s)

Like Bridge, the Hearts game is a fellow descendant of Whist. However, it’s a game that stands out from others. In most games, the goal is to win tricks. In Hearts, the goal is to avoid them, especially if the trick contains cards of the Hearts suit or the Queen of Spades because they carry penalty points. Also, in a game of Hearts, there is no trump suit.

Here are the basics of how to play Hearts:

• Each player gets thirteen cards.
• Before the round starts, pass three cards to another player.
• The Two of Clubs starts the game.
• Players must follow the suit with each play. If you don’t have a card that matches the suit, you can discard any card.
• Hearts can’t be played until the suit has been broken or the Queen of Spades has been played.

Understanding how scoring works in Hearts is important to figuring out strategies for winning. Hearts cards carry one penalty point each, while the Queen of Spades carries thirteen penalty points. Rounds continue until someone reaches a score of fifty or one hundred, depending on the rules set ahead of time. Whoever has the lowest score at the end, wins.

Trick-Taking Fun In Spades

Another common trick-taking game alternative to Bridge is Spades. In a game of Spades, players strive to win tricks and gather as many points as possible.

Here is a summary of how to play Spades:

• Played with two or four people in teams of two, each player receives thirteen cards.
• Each player peeks at their hand and bids the number of tricks (between zero and thirteen) they believe they’ll win.
• Once someone leads the first trick, players must follow suit. If they cannot, they can play any card they have in hand.
• Spades is the trump suit. If multiple Spades are played in one hand, the highest Spade wins the trick.
• The winner of each trick leads the next round.

Players receive ten points for each trick and one point for each trick over the set bid. However, winning fewer tricks than the bid called will cause players to lose ten points.

In most games, the first team to reach 500 points wins.

The Popularity of Trick-Taking Games

Trick-taking games like Bridge, Hearts, and Spades are driven by strategy and luck. They are consistently popular among card game enthusiasts. With so many to choose from, there’s a game for every mood and interest.

Players tend to suggest Spades or Hearts as great introductions to more complicated trick-taking games like Bridge. If you’re interested in getting in some rounds of Hearts, give a game at Hearts.co a try. Our site offers unlimited free games–no matter the time of day or where you are in the world!