Hearts passing directions

Many Hearts rulesets include passing: before play starts, each player selects 3 cards to pass. The direction rotates each hand. Try it in the Hearts game.

Passing cycle (table)

Hand	Direction	Notes
1	Left	Pass to the player on your left
2	Right	Pass to the player on your right
3	Across	Pass to the player opposite
4	No pass	Keep your hand

Then the cycle repeats: left → right → across → no pass.

What should you pass?

Passing is a big part of Hearts skill. A common goal is to reduce your chance of winning penalty tricks.

High Spades (to avoid getting stuck with Q♠)
High Hearts (to reduce late-trick risk)
High cards in a suit you want to void

Passing directions: how it changes your plan

Direction	Practical note
Left	You’ll face the receiver later in trick order; plan to exploit what you passed away.
Right	Be careful handing control cards to the player who acts after you in many tricks.
Across	You often see “harder” passes here; keep your defense solid against Q♠ dumps.
No pass	Play more conservatively; you must manage the hand you’re dealt.

Related Hearts FAQ pages

Need a quick definition? See the Hearts glossary.

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