What is the goal of Hearts?
Most card games reward winning tricks. Hearts rewards dodging them - the whole game is about giving pain away and taking none yourself.
Low score wins
Every heart you capture costs 1 point and the Queen of Spades costs 13, so 26 points are handed out each hand. Your job is to take as few of them as possible. When a hand ends, points are added to each player's running total, and once someone crosses 100 the game is over - the player with the lowest total wins. Our scoring answer covers the details.
Avoiding tricks, not winning them
Because points ride on tricks, taking a trick is usually bad news. Good players win tricks only when they are safe - early in a suit, or when no penalty cards can fall. The skill is in unloading your high cards at harmless moments and keeping low cards as escape routes. That is why a strong hand in Hearts often looks weak in any other game.
The moon exception
There is one glorious way to break the rule: capture every heart and the Queen of Spades in one hand and you have shot the moon. Instead of 26 points, you get zero and each opponent gets 26. It flips the goal on its head, which is exactly why it is risky - as our answer on whether to attempt it explains.
Related questions
How is Hearts scored?
Each heart you capture costs 1 point and the Queen of Spades costs 13, so every hand distributes exactly 26 points. Scores accumulate hand after hand, and when a player reaches 100 the game ends with the lowest total winning. Shooting the moon - capturing all 26 - gives you zero and your opponents 26 each.
What is shooting the moon in Hearts?
Shooting the moon means capturing every penalty card in a single hand - all 13 hearts plus the Queen of Spades, 26 points in total. Instead of taking those points, you score zero and each opponent is charged 26. It is the most dramatic single swing in the game.
How do you win at Hearts?
Win by passing your dangerous cards wisely, creating a void suit so you can discard freely, and counting spades so you know when the Queen will fall. Duck tricks late in each hand, keep low cards as exits, and never let an opponent sneak a moon past you.