Hearts strategy

The card game Hearts is a complex subject. This article only attempts to introduce the basic strategic concepts.
Game Concept

Hearts (also Black Lady, Chase the Lady and Black Maria) is a trick-taking playing card game for four players (although versions for other numbers are possible). A standard deck of 52 playing cards is used. The objective of the game is to have the fewest points at the completion of the game. Tricks containing any heart and the queen of spades give points to the winner of the trick. There are no trumps.

The fundamental theorem of hearts
Hearts strategy starts with the passing stage. The pass can be used to void a suit but this may not be the best strategy as the void may be filled with (higher) cards passed in; this is especially dangerous with spades and hearts. Passing high clubs and diamonds, even voiding these suits is perceived by many to be the best passing strategy.

During the play, strategy will vary from hand to hand but, where a player seems destined to take some tricks, it is often best to take tricks early before others have become void in the suit concerned.

Another important aspect of Hearts is teamwork. As there is typically one leader and all the other players trailing, the most advanced strategy appears when the trailing players team up to give the leader points. Playing the queen and other point cards only when the player with the lowest score can take them, passing favorable cards to trailing players, and setting up the leader all require teamwork and unselfish play.

Deciding to shoot the moon is a critical decision that can be "make or break," as success is worth 26 good points whereas failure risks up to 25 penalty points, as the winning player is the one with the fewest penalty points.

Passing
What to pass from your hand during the passing phase is the first place that strategy comes into play. First, it is nearly always a mistake to pass low spades (jack or under). A low spade is usually the safest lead for any player except the one who holds the queen, thus they are handy cards to have.

You can also read passes from other players as unintended signals. A player passing ace, king or queen of spades is likely short of this suit. A player passing low hearts (especially two or more) is contemplating a run. A player passing a low spade is probably a novice. A pass of low cards in general means possible run. .

Sharp players will generally pass a middling heart and orient their own hand in such a way as to prevent the run by their opponents while minimizing their own exposure to points, especially the queen of spades. .

Odds, counting cards, and chance
Knowing how many cards of each suit that are yet to be played is a determinant factor within each trick. As a player has revealed their void of a particular suit, the odds shift drastically. The employment of variable change is an important aspect of increasing the odds of not receiving any penalty cards.

Taking a penalty cards is some times to one's benefit, as doing so might enable one to keep low cards to avoid capturing future tricks and greater penalties.

JD Game
In "JD" Games, the J♦ becomes a point card. Unlike the normal practice of having the Q♠ add 13 points to one's score, the J♦ subtracts 10.

Another variant of this game is to have the 10♦ as the point card.

Leading
The person playing the first card of each trick is called the Lead. Besides taking into account the cards one might receive when leading, one must also pay attention to whom the lead is towards (That is, who will be the last person to lay down a card in the trick).

In JD Games, it is poor strategy to lead a diamond when the person to your is lowman.

Terms, Expressions, and Keys to winning
The following are terms and expressions used by those who know the game. Utilizing these may not always lead to a win, but will increase the probability to win. Also, a misunderstanding of these facets might draw scorn from the other players.

*Covering - Insuring the person you pass to doesn't shoot the moon, as this player is the one for whom you are "responsible". This can be done in a multitude of ways, the most efficient of which is to pass a heart lower than a heart you maintain. Playing a point card when a player you aren't responsible for is another way. Passing any number of low cards is yet another way to ensure that player does not shoot the moon.

*Ducking - Not covering. Whether or not the person you passed to shoots the moon, ducking is seen as selfish play, and might bear with it the scorn of the other players. Exceptions for this is when one doesn't cover to enable a trailing player (the highman) to shoot the man and reduce his or her score, ensuring the game continues.

*Lowman/Highman - The person with the lowest score is the lowman (the one who is winning). The person with the highest score is the highman (the one who is most losing). It behooves the 2nd and 3rd place players to keep the highman in the game by passing that player desirable cards or leading in such a way where the odds remain as low as possible for that player's score to increase. In addition, the game becomes played in such a way where the odds remain as high as possible for lowman to receive points.

*Leading - Leading ♠ gives the last player to play the trick the best odds of not receiving the Q♠, as it either allows that player to fearlessly release their A♠ or K♠, while giving that player a chance to play the Q♠ if and when another is forced to discard their A♠ or K♠. Needless to say, leading ♠ to lowman is seen as poor play, while leading it to highman is seen as wise. (In JD Games, the same holds true for leading ♦)

*Tramming - In online versions of Hearts, there is an option to tram (the rest are mine). The tramming player takes all remaining points, if he or she sees it as inevitable. This cannot be done if the hand is still in question or if a player is attempting to shoot the moon. Tramming disallows players from witnessing the cards each player was holding, consequently limiting insight into the psychology of the other players.

*Shooting the moon - Shooting the moon is a very common scoring variant. If one player takes all the penalty cards on one deal, that player subtracts the total number of penalty points available (normally 26) from their previous total score. Alternatively, 26 penalty points can be added to each of the other three players' scores. Attempting to shoot the moon is often a risky strategy, as failure to capture even one of the penalty cards will result in the remaining penalty points (as many as 25) being added to one's score. This element of risk, along with the aspect of reaping success through a spectacular failure, has led to a number of

Psychology
As with most games of chance, reading a player's tendencies and cues are keys to success. With Hearts, one must also be concerned with vengeance, as well as lack of knowledge of the game. Players who take risks that result in an a decrease in the probability for others to win is deemed as selfish (in a game that thrives on teamwork). Some players might retaliate against this player by distributing point cards to that player. A good rapport with the other players is always a plus, as it's nearly impossible to beat three good players when they team up against you.

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