Hearts Glossary
Quick definitions for the most common Hearts terms. Use these as anchors, then jump into the full guides in the FAQ hub when you want more detail.
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Trick
One round of play where each player contributes one card. The highest card in the lead suit wins the trick.
Learn more: 13 tricks per hand • Opening trick rules
Lead
The first card played into a trick. The suit of that card becomes the suit everyone must follow if possible.
Learn more: When hearts can be led
Follow suit
Play the same suit that was led when your hand contains at least one card of that suit.
Learn more: First trick flow
Void
Having no cards left in a particular suit. A void is powerful because it lets you discard danger cards off-suit.
Learn more: Passing and void creation
Passing
The pre-hand step where each player chooses three cards to send away on left, right, or across rounds.
Learn more: Passing cycle
Breaking hearts
Hearts are broken once a heart is discarded off-suit. After that, hearts may normally be led.
Learn more: Detailed rule
Penalty points
The points you are trying to avoid. Hearts count 1 each and the Queen of Spades counts 13.
Learn more: Scoring table
Queen of Spades
The single most dangerous card in standard Hearts, worth 13 penalty points by itself.
Learn more: Why it matters
Shooting the moon
Capturing every penalty card in one hand so the scoring flips and everyone else takes 26 points instead.
Learn more: Moon-shot rules
2 of Clubs
The card that usually starts the first trick in the standard ruleset.
Learn more: Opening lead rule
Hand
The 13 cards dealt to a player for one round of play.
Learn more: Deck and hand size
Game length
The total time from the first hand to the moment one player crosses the end threshold, usually 100 points.
Learn more: Typical duration
Skill vs luck
Hearts mixes the randomness of the deal with meaningful long-term decisions in passing and trick play.
Learn more: Long-run view
Win rate
The percentage of full games you finish in first place.
Learn more: How to read win rate
No download
A browser-based experience that does not require an installer or app store package.
Learn more: Browser play explained
2 or 3 players
Variant forms of Hearts that change the deal or add special rules because the standard game is built for four players.
Learn more: Player-count variants
Trump suit
A suit that beats all others in many trick-taking games. Standard Hearts does not use a trump suit.
Learn more: How tricks work here