Hearts Blog: strategy and card lore
Strategy guides, history, and tips for Hearts, Omnibus, Spot Hearts and Black Maria.
Welcome to the Hearts.now blog - your shortcut to lower scores and more fun at the table. You'll find plain-English strategy for classic Hearts, Omnibus and Black Maria, smart passing and moon-shot advice, and the history of one of the world's favorite card games. New here? Learn the game on the rules hub, then put it to work in a daily challenge.
Push-Your-Luck Thinking in Hearts and When Going for the Moon Pays Off
Learn when shooting the moon in Hearts is worth the risk, how to read threshold hands, detect rival moon-chasers, and pass cards that set up your run.
The Queen of Spades Is Not the Problem: How Hearts Is Actually Lost
Thirteen points in one card makes the queen an obvious villain. She is not what loses games. Two decisions made before a single trick is played are.
Shooting the Moon: The Math of the Most Dangerous Play in Hearts
Most players attempt the moon twice a year, by accident, too late. It is not a stunt - it is a line with identifiable preconditions and a break-even lower than instinct suggests.