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THESE CARD GAMES ARE ALSO PART OF THE HEARTS FAMILY

This is an adaptation of Hearts to an odd number of players. A widow is dealt face down on the table: 4 cards with 3 players; 2 cards with 5 players. The rest of the deck is dealt out. The widow is turned face up after the first trick and goes to the winner of that trick. He must of course pay for any hearts it contains.

SPOT HEARTS

This is a variation in cumulative scoring that can be applied to any member of the Hearts family. The charges for hearts taken go according to rank: Ace counts 14, King 13, Queen 12, Jack 11, the others, their pip value.

BLACK LADY

This is the best-known game of the Hearts family. It is what most people refer to when they speak of "Hearts."

Number of Players: 3 to 7. Best for 4, without partnerships.

Cards: The whole deck is dealt, giving equal hands to all. With more or less than 4 players, discard an appropriate number of deuces from the deck so that the deal will come out even.

The Pass: After looking at his hand, each player passes any 3 cards he chooses to the player at his left. He must choose his pass and put it on the table before picking up the 3 cards passed to him by his right-hand opponent.

The Play: The player at left of the dealer makes the opening lead. The cards are played out in tricks. Aces rank highest. A trick is won by the highest card played of the suit led. The winner of a trick leads to the next trick.

Objects of Play: To avoid taking the Queen of spades (called Black Lady, Black Maria, Calamity Jane, etc.), to avoid taking hearts, or to take all the hearts and the Queen of spades.

Scoring: If one player takes all 14 "minus" cards, nobody scores. Otherwise, 1 point is charged for each heart won, and 13 points for the Queen of spades. A running total score for each player is kept on paper. The one who first reaches 100 or more loses the game, and the one who has the lowest total at that time wins the game. (To make a shorter game for children, set the limit at 50.)

An alternative method is to score with counters, settling after each hand. Payments are made into a common pool, which is distributed equally to the players from time to time.

CANCELLATION HEARTS

This is a variant for 6 or more players. Use two decks shuffled together. Deal them out as far as they will go evenly. Put the extra cards face down on the table as a widow. This goes to the winner of the first trick.

The play is as in Black Lady. But when two identical cards, such as two Aces of spades, are played on the same trick, they cancel each other; they rank as zero and cannot win the trick. Thus, if a deuce is led and all higher cards of the suit played to the trick are paired and so cancelled, the deuce wins.

When ALL cards of the suit led are cancelled, the cards stay on the table and go to the next winner of a trick. The same leader leads again. The game is scored like Black Lady. Counters make for easier scoring than pencil and paper.

DISCARD HEARTS

This is Black Lady with the rule that the 3 cards are passed sometimes to the left and sometimes to the right. (The best plan is to alternate.) The pass often allows you to ruin your neighbor. Alternate passing gives him the chance to get back at you.

Related terms include solitaire card game and fish card game.