Hearts - Variations

Variations

• "Booster Nines": If a nine is played, the trick is extended by one round.
• "Complex Hearts": A variant using the complex number system. Hearts are worth one point each, Q♠ = 13i, J♦ = -10, and 10♣ multiplies the score for the given hand by 2i. The first player to reach an absolute value of 100 is the loser.
• "Danger Hearts": Ten rounds are played using standard scoring, and each player has three lives. If a player receives 15 or more Hearts in a round, he or she loses a life.
• "Cancellation Hearts": For 6 to 11 players, using two decks shuffled together. If exactly the same card is played twice in one trick, the cards "cancel" each other, and neither can win the trick. If two of such pairs appear in the same trick, the whole trick is canceled and the cards are given to the winner of the next trick.
• "Gong Zhu" or "Chinese Hearts" (拱猪) (Pinyin – gŏng zhū, literally "chase the pig"): Cards have negative values instead of positive penalties. 5♥ through 10♥ = -10, J♥ = -20, Q♥ = -30, K♥ = -40, A♥ = -50, Q♠ = -100, J♦ = +100, and 10♣ doubles the score for the round.
• "Joker Hearts": One or more Jokers are added, which can be played any time (regardless if following suit is possible). They cannot win tricks or score any penalty points.
• "Likha": A Middle Eastern variant. The Q♠ is referred to as the "likha." 10♦ is another penalty card, worth 10 points. Shooting the moon inflicts a 37-point penalty instead of an award.
• "Partnership Hearts": Players seated opposite each other form two-person teams. Team members combine their scores. A team that successfully shoots the moon causes the other to earn 52 penalty points.
• "Queens": All Queens are worth 13 points; the game ends when a player reaches 108. Hearts can be lead at any time, and penalty cards can be played on the first trick. Shooting the moon inflicts the normal penalty instead of an award. The dealer of each round is the player who received the Q♠ in the previous round.
• "Rickety Kate": Exactly the same as Hearts, minus shooting the moon, as named in Australia.
• "Royal Hearts": A game produced by Parker Brothers. The Q♠ is worth 26 points instead of 13. Q♥ doubles the point value of all Hearts taken by that player. Q♦ is worth −10 points, and Q♣ negates the Q♠'s point value if both are captured by the same player.
• "Small Hearts": The 2s through 7s of each suit are taken out, forming a piquet pack. The 8♣ leads. Each Heart is worth one point, the Q♠ is worth seven points, and J♦ is optionally worth −5 points. Shooting the moon awards −14 points.