How long does a game of Hearts take?
Hearts scales nicely to the time you have: one quick hand with your coffee, or a full game when you want the complete arc.
One hand
A hand is 13 tricks, and online - where the AI opponents West, North and East play without hesitating - it takes about two to five minutes depending on how long you think. That single-hand length is exactly why the daily challenge is one hand: a complete, ranked test of skill that fits in a coffee break.
A full game to 100
A game ends when someone crosses 100 points, which typically takes 6 to 12 hands - fewer if points pile onto one unlucky player, more if everyone spreads the pain evenly. Online that is usually 15 to 30 minutes. Around a real table, with shuffling, dealing and table talk, the same game stretches to an hour or more.
Variants change the clock
Spot Hearts plays to 500 points, but since each hand deals up to 129 points, game length stays in the same range. Multiplayer races are decided in a single shared deal, so they are as fast as one hand. For what totals to aim at along the way, see what is a good Hearts score.
Related questions
What happens at 100 points in Hearts?
When any player's total reaches or passes 100 at the end of a hand, the game is over, and the player with the lowest total wins. Reaching 100 doesn't stop play mid-hand - the hand finishes first, then scores are checked.
What is the Daily Challenge?
The daily challenge is a single hand of Hearts dealt identically to every player in the world that day. You play the one hand, and the fewer points you take, the higher you rank on the daily leaderboard. Same cards for everyone - so the ranking is pure skill.
How do you play Hearts?
Hearts is a four-player trick-taking game using a standard 52-card deck, 13 cards each. After passing three cards, the player holding the 2 of clubs leads it, everyone must follow suit if they can, and the highest card of the led suit takes the trick. You want to avoid taking hearts (1 point each) and the Queen of Spades (13). Lowest total score wins.