Hearts scoring is easy to follow once you stop counting tricks and start counting penalty cards. Every heart you capture is worth 1 point. The Queen of Spades is worth 13 points. That makes 26 points in every normal round, and in Hearts, points are bad.
Scores carry over from one round to the next. When somebody reaches the limit, usually 100, the player with the lowest total wins. The one big exception is Shooting the Moon: one player takes all 13 hearts and the Queen, then applies a 26-point swing. If you need the turn order and play restrictions as well, use the complete Hearts rules and playable table.
Hearts scoring rules: card values
| Card captured | Penalty points |
|---|---|
| Any heart, from 2 through Ace | 1 point each |
| All 13 hearts together | 13 points |
| Queen of Spades | 13 points |
| Any other card | 0 points |
| Total available in one round | 26 points |
The rank does not change a heart’s score. The 2 of Hearts and Ace of Hearts are both worth one point. The Ace is harder to get rid of safely because it wins more tricks, but it is not worth any extra points.
The Queen of Spades is different. She is worth 13 points by herself, whether or not the same player captures any hearts. The Ace and King of Spades are worth zero points, although they can be dangerous because they may win a trick containing the Queen.
Clubs and diamonds are worth zero under the rules used on Trick Card Games. You may have seen the Omnibus Hearts variation, where the Jack of Diamonds subtracts 10 points. That is a real house rule, but it is not part of our current game.
How are points collected in Hearts?
Each player puts one card into a trick. Whoever wins that trick takes all four cards and the penalty points among them. The winning card itself may be worth nothing.
Suppose Clubs are led and you win with the Ace of Clubs. The other three cards are the 8 of Clubs, 4 of Clubs, and 7 of Hearts. You take the trick and receive 1 point because it contains one heart. Your Ace of Clubs still scores nothing by itself.
If a trick contains the Queen of Spades and two hearts, its winner receives 15 points: 13 for the Queen and one for each heart. A trick with four ordinary clubs is worth zero.
This is the part that catches most new players: winning tricks is not the same as scoring points. Five clean tricks can still leave you on zero. One badly timed trick containing the Queen of Spades puts 13 on your score.
Hearts scoring example: one complete round
Here is a normal round. The 13 hearts and Queen of Spades ended up in four different piles:
| Player | Penalty cards captured | Round score |
|---|---|---|
| You | Queen of Spades and 3 hearts | 16 |
| West | 5 hearts | 5 |
| North | 2 hearts | 2 |
| East | 3 hearts | 3 |
Add the four results: 16 + 5 + 2 + 3 = 26. That 26-point check is useful. If an ordinary round adds up to anything else, a heart or the Queen has been missed.
Those points are then added to the scores from earlier rounds:
| Player | Score before round | Points added | New total |
|---|---|---|---|
| You | 32 | 16 | 48 |
| West | 47 | 5 | 52 |
| North | 28 | 2 | 30 |
| East | 61 | 3 | 64 |
North is currently leading because 30 is the lowest total. Hearts is an avoidance game, so a larger score is worse.
Shoot the Moon scoring: where do the 26 points go?
A moon only counts when one player captures every penalty card: all 13 hearts and the Queen of Spades. Taking 12 hearts and the Queen is not close enough. It is simply a 25-point round.
At most tables, the shooter gets 0 points and every opponent gets 26 points. For example:
| Player | Score before round | Moon adjustment | New total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shooter | 42 | 0 | 42 |
| West | 38 | +26 | 64 |
| North | 51 | +26 | 77 |
| East | 67 | +26 | 93 |
The other common choice is to subtract 26 from the shooter’s score. Under that rule, the shooter above would fall from 42 to 16 while everyone else stayed where they were. Our online Hearts game uses add-to-opponents by default and lets you switch to subtract-26.
One detail is easy to miss: you do not have to win every trick to Shoot the Moon. You only need every penalty card. A moon shooter often wins most of the tricks anyway, but the score checks the hearts and Queen, not the trick count.
What happens when a player reaches 100 points?
The usual limit is 100 points. Once a round pushes any player to 100 or more, compare all four totals. The lowest score wins. Trick Card Games also has a 50-point quick game, scored the same way.
Reaching the limit does not mean that player wins. It triggers the end check. For example, if the totals become 84, 101, 76, and 95, the player on 76 wins.
On our table, a tie for the lowest total means you play another round. The game waits for one player to hold the low score alone instead of choosing a winner arbitrarily.
The limit matters when you consider a moon attempt. Adding 26 to three opponents can end the game immediately, and the resulting order may not favor you. Check the totals before turning a safe hand into a risky one.
Let the scoreboard change your Hearts strategy
The same hand can call for a different plan when you are leading by 25 points than when you are trailing by 25.
- Protect against the Queen first. Thirteen points equal an entire suit of hearts. Low spades can be useful cover when you hold the Ace or King.
- Count exposed hearts. Late in a round, knowing how many hearts remain helps you judge whether a high card is likely to collect points.
- Watch for a moon attempt. If one opponent has taken nearly every heart, capturing even one remaining penalty card stops the moonshot.
- Read the match score. A player comfortably in the lead should usually avoid a risky moon attempt. A player far behind has more reason to try one.
- Use the passing phase to shape risk. The right pass can remove the Queen, preserve low-spade cover, or create a void. See what cards to pass in Hearts for complete hand examples.
Common Hearts scoring mistakes
Counting the Queen of Spades as one point
The Queen is worth 13, not one. She has the same penalty value as all 13 hearts combined.
Giving extra points for high hearts
Every heart is worth one point. Rank affects who wins the trick, not the penalty value.
Scoring every trick
Clean tricks are worth zero. Only hearts and the Queen of Spades count in standard Hearts.
Calling 25 points a moonshot
Shoot the Moon requires all 26 points. Letting one opponent take a single heart breaks the attempt.
Declaring the first player at 100 the loser immediately
Finish and score the round first. Then compare all four totals; the lowest score wins. A moon adjustment can change the order dramatically.
Hearts scoring FAQ
How many points are in one round of Hearts?
There are exactly 26 penalty points: 13 from the hearts and 13 from the Queen of Spades.
Are all hearts worth one point?
Yes. Every heart from 2 through Ace is worth one penalty point.
Is the Queen of Spades worth 12 or 13 points?
She is worth 13 points. The Queen’s rank does not determine her score.
Do the Ace and King of Spades score points?
No. They are worth zero, but they may force you to win the trick containing the Queen of Spades.
Can you Shoot the Moon without taking every trick?
Yes. You must capture all 13 hearts and the Queen of Spades, not necessarily all 13 tricks.
What score wins Hearts?
The lowest cumulative score wins once any player reaches the chosen limit, normally 100 points. In a 50-point quick game, the same lowest-score rule applies.
On your next game, try to predict the four round scores before the result appears. Keep track of the Queen and use 26 as your check. You can play Hearts online and see the running totals after every hand.