Hearts (2 player card game)

Objective: The objective of Hearts is to have the lowest score at the end of the game by avoiding collecting certain cards during tricks.

Adaptation for 2 Players: Hearts is typically played with 4 players, but it can be adapted for 2 players by making some adjustments to the rules. In the 2 player version, each player is dealt 10 cards instead of 13.

Setup:

1. Use a standard 52-card deck.
2. Shuffle the deck thoroughly and deal 10 cards to each player, one at a time.
3. Place the remaining cards face down in the center of the table to form the stock.

Scoring:

• In Hearts, the goal is to avoid collecting hearts and the queen of spades during tricks, as each heart card and the queen of spades carry penalty points.
• The scoring is as follows:
  • Each heart card collected during tricks is worth 1 penalty point.
  • The queen of spades is worth 13 penalty points.
• The player with the fewest penalty points at the end of the game wins.

Gameplay:

1. Passing Cards:
   • Before the first trick, players pass 3 cards to their opponent. In the first round, Player 1 passes to Player 2, and in the second round, Player 2 passes to Player 1.
   • In subsequent rounds, no cards are passed, and players proceed with the trick-taking phase.
2. Leading the Trick:
   • Player 1 leads the first trick by playing any card from their hand.
   • In subsequent tricks, the winner of the previous trick leads the next one.
3. Playing Cards:
   • Players must follow suit if possible, meaning they must play a card of the same suit as the first card played in the trick.
   • If a player cannot follow suit, they may play any card, including a heart or the queen of spades.
4. Scoring Tricks:
   • The player who played the highest card of the suit led wins the trick and leads the next one.
   • The winner of each trick collects the cards played and starts the next trick.
5. Scoring Points:
   • At the end of each hand, players tally the penalty points in the cards they collected.
   • If a player collects all the hearts and the queen of spades (a.k.a. “shooting the moon”), they can choose to either subtract 26 points from their score or add 26 points to their opponent’s score.
6. Ending the Game:
   • The game typically consists of multiple hands until a predetermined score limit is reached or a certain number of rounds have been played.
   • The player with the lowest score at the end of the game wins.

Differentiating Turns:

• Player 1’s Turn: Player 1 leads the first trick and starts the game. They also pass cards to Player 2 in the first round.
• Player 2’s Turn: Player 2 leads the second trick and continues alternating leading tricks with Player 1. They also pass cards to Player 1 in the second round.

Summary: Hearts is a classic 2 player card game where the objective is to avoid collecting hearts and the queen of spades. By adapting the rules for 2 players, each player manages their own hand and must strategically play cards to minimize penalty points. The player with the lowest score at the end of the game is declared the winner.