How Many Hearts Are in a Deck of Cards?

By Neal Taparia - 8/26/2024


The Hearts card game has been a popular trick-taking game since the 1880s. If it’s a game you love to play or one you’re looking to get into, knowing how many cards (especially the Hearts) are in a deck can be beneficial. This will improve your understanding of the game and hone your strategic and overall skill sets.

A standard fifty-two-card deck has four suits: Spades, Diamonds, Clubs, and Hearts. There are thirteen Hearts cards, ranging from a two of Hearts to a King face card. The Ace can be the lowest or highest card in a deck, depending on how it is played.

The Basics of Hearts

Unlike Spades, where gathering cards with the Spades suit is a good thing, the goal of Hearts is to avoid the Hearts suit. Each Heart you collect is worth one penalty point.

What’s worse than a Heart card, however, is the Queen of Spades. What is the meaning of the Queen of Spades? The Queen of Spades carries the highest penalty thirteen penalty points. It’s usually best to avoid this card whenever possible.

Here’s a summary of how to play Hearts:

  • Deal thirteen cards to each player.
  • Before beginning, pass three cards to another player.
  • The person holding the Two of Clubs starts the game using that card.
  • Players follow the suit if they can. If they cannot play a card of the same suit, they can discard any card.
  • The player with the highest suit card wins the trick. Unlike Spades, there is no trump suit in the game of Hearts.
  • The Hearts suit can’t be played unless a Heart card or the Queen of Spades is discarded. However, the Queen of Spaces can be played at any time.
Most games end when someone scores fifty or one hundred points. When this happens, the player with the fewest points wins.

Why Knowing How Many Hearts Matters

Counting cards can be a useful tactic when playing a game of Hearts. As mentioned, each Heart card carries a penalty point and should be avoided.

One risky strategy you can utilize is known as ‘shooting the moon,’ While it is difficult to pull off, it could lead to a win. To shoot the moon, you must gather all the Hearts cards and the Queen of Spades.

If you succeed in shooting the moon, you either subtract twenty-six points from your score or add twenty-six points to each opponent’s score. If you’re unable to collect every Heart and the Queen of Spades, however, you’ll likely find yourself drowning in penalty points.

It’s not a move we suggest for beginners, but it’s one that can be helpful as your skills grow.

Practicing Hearts Online

Playing online at Hearts.co is a fun and easy way to improve your skills at any time, from anywhere, without needing other players to gather around a table. It's a great tool to familiarize yourself with the game's nuances, find your footing, and try new tactics against the computer!