2026-03-26Solitaire Arcade
Learn how to pass cards in Hearts, including what to pass, when to void a suit, how passing direction changes strategy, and the common mistakes beginners make.
Passing is your first move in Hearts — before a card hits the table.
A good pass removes danger, shortens a suit for a void, or sets up control. A bad pass leaves you stuck with high cards and no safe lead.
For the full rules before the passing tips, see the How to Play Hearts guide.
In standard four-player Hearts, each player is dealt 13 cards.
Before play begins, each player chooses three cards to pass to another player. At the same time, each player receives three cards from someone else.
The passing direction usually rotates each hand: pass three cards to the left, then to the right, then across, then no pass — and the pattern repeats.
The no-pass hand is played with the cards you were dealt, which makes it a little more unpredictable.
The pass is your first strategic decision.
You have not seen a single trick yet, but you can already reduce risk. You can get rid of dangerous cards, shorten a suit, prepare to become void, or keep control cards if your hand is strong enough.
A good pass usually removes dangerous high cards, reduces your risk of taking the Queen of Spades, helps you create a void in one suit, gets rid of high hearts, makes your hand easier to lead safely, or supports a rare shooting-the-moon attempt.
Most beginner players pass cards they simply dislike. Stronger players pass cards for a reason.
Most of the time, beginners should think about passing dangerous high cards.
High cards win tricks. Winning tricks is risky because tricks can contain hearts or the Queen of Spades.
Common cards to consider passing include the Ace of Spades, King of Spades, Queen of Spades, high hearts, unsupported Aces and Kings, and high cards in short suits.
The exact pass depends on your full hand. A high card is not always bad, but a high card with no support can become a problem.
For example, the Ace of Clubs may be safe if you have several lower clubs and can control when to play it. But if it is your only club, it may force you into an awkward trick early.
The Queen of Spades is worth 13 points, so it deserves special attention.
If you are new to Hearts, passing the Queen is often the safest choice. It removes the biggest penalty card from your hand and lets someone else manage it.
But there are times when keeping the Queen can be reasonable. You may keep the Queen of Spades if you have several low spades to protect it, you can avoid being forced to play it too early, you are experienced enough to control when it is played, or you are considering shooting the moon.
If you have the Queen with only one or two other spades, be careful. A short spade suit can leave you exposed if other players lead spades to force the Queen out.
For beginners, the calm choice is simple: if the Queen looks dangerous, pass it.
The Ace and King of Spades can be just as uncomfortable as the Queen.
If the Queen has not been played, the Ace or King of Spades may win a trick that contains it. That is one of the fastest ways to collect 13 points.
If you hold the Ace or King of Spades without enough low spades underneath, passing them is often sensible.
Low spades are useful because they let you follow suit without winning. A hand with the Queen, plus several low spades, can sometimes survive. A hand with only the Ace, King, and Queen of Spades is much more dangerous.
High hearts are risky once hearts have been broken.
The Ace, King, and Queen of Hearts can easily win heart tricks later in the hand. Since every heart is worth one point, collecting several heart tricks can quietly build a bad score.
Passing high hearts can make your hand safer, especially if you do not have enough low hearts to lose control.
That said, low hearts are different. Low hearts can help you avoid winning heart tricks later. Do not pass low hearts automatically just because they are penalty cards.
A void means you have no cards in a suit.
This is powerful in Hearts because if another player leads that suit, you do not have to follow. You can discard a dangerous card instead.
For example, if you pass away your last three diamonds, you may become void in diamonds. Later, when diamonds are led, you can throw away a high heart, the Queen of Spades, or another risky card.
Creating a void is one of the best uses of the pass.
Good suits to void are usually suits where you only have one, two, or three cards. If you can pass all of them, your hand may become much more flexible.
Be careful, though. If you pass low cards just to create a void, you might remove cards that were helping you stay safe in that suit.
The passing direction changes how aggressive you can be.
When you pass left, the player receiving your cards plays after you in each trick. This can be uncomfortable because you may give them cards they can use against you later. Avoid giving the player on your left an easy setup if you can. A safe beginner approach is to pass danger away, but avoid handing over a perfect shooting-the-moon hand.
When you pass right, the player receiving your cards plays before you. This can give you a little more information because you see their card before you play in each trick. Passing right can be a good time to remove dangerous cards while still having some control over your response.
When you pass across, your cards go to the player opposite you. This is often the most neutral-feeling pass. Use the same basic principles: reduce danger, create voids, and clean up awkward suits.
On a no-pass hand, you manage what you were dealt. Be patient, protect your low cards, and avoid taking control too early.
Most passes dump danger. A moon pass does the opposite — keep winners, pass away low cards that might lose you tricks.
That only makes sense on a clearly dominant hand. Otherwise pass for safety.
Scoring, when to attempt a moon, and how to block one are covered in Shooting the Moon in Hearts.
Example 1 — Queen of Spades with few spades: you hold Q♠, 8♠, 3♠. If spades are led a few times, you may be forced to play the Queen. A beginner-friendly pass would often include the Queen of Spades.
Example 2 — High hearts: you hold A♥, K♥, 9♥, 4♥. The Ace and King of Hearts are dangerous later in the hand. Passing one or both high hearts may make your hand safer. Keeping the 4♥ is usually fine because low hearts are easier to play without winning.
Example 3 — Creating a void: you have only K♦, 8♦, 2♦. You could pass all three diamonds and become void in diamonds, giving you a chance to discard dangerous cards when another player leads diamonds later.
Example 4 — High spades without protection: you hold A♠, K♠ with no lower spades. You may be forced to win a spade trick before the Queen appears. Passing one or both high spades is often safer.
Passing random cards wastes your best chance to improve the hand. Every pass should have a purpose: remove danger, create a void, or support a clear plan.
Passing all your low cards leaves you without protection. Low cards help you avoid winning tricks. If you pass too many away, you may leave yourself with a hand that wins when it does not want to.
Keeping dangerous spades without support is risky. The Ace, King, and Queen of Spades can be uncomfortable if you do not have lower spades to protect them.
Passing the Queen of Spades into a moon hand can backfire. Be careful if you are passing several strong cards to the same player — you may accidentally help them shoot the moon.
Creating a void at any cost can remove your safest cards. Voids are useful, but balance matters.
Before choosing your three cards, ask:
Do I have the Queen of Spades?
Do I have the Ace or King of Spades?
Do I have high hearts I cannot control?
Can I safely create a void?
Am I keeping enough low cards?
Does my pass make my hand safer?
Am I accidentally helping another player shoot the moon?
If your pass reduces risk and gives you more control, it is probably a good pass.
Pass dangerous high cards, respect the Queen of Spades, keep useful low cards, and look for a void when the suit count is right.
The hand is not won in the pass, but a clean pass makes everything after it easier.
Play Hearts online and try different pass directions — left, right, across, and no-pass hands each feel different.
Shooting the moon in Hearts means taking every heart and the Queen of Spades in one hand. Learn how scoring works, when to attempt it, how to block it, and why failed tries hurt.
2026-04-02 · Solitaire Arcade
Learn beginner Hearts strategy: avoid penalty points, pass with purpose, watch the Queen of Spades, create voids, lead safely, and avoid the common mistakes that cost hands.
2026-03-19 · Solitaire Arcade
Learn how 500 scoring works: the contract table, failed bids, defender points, Misère, and the race to 500 or down to -500.
2026-08-22 · Solitaire Arcade
In 500, a Jack can change suits. Learn trump ranking from the Joker down, how the right and left bower work, and why the left bower counts as trump.
2026-08-19 · Solitaire Arcade
Misère flips 500 upside down: the bidder tries to take no tricks. Learn how Misère and Open Misère work, what makes a safe hand, and how to defend.
2026-08-17 · Solitaire Arcade
Bags are overtricks in Spades. Learn how bag scoring works, when the 10-bag penalty hits, when to duck tricks, and how to manage bags without missing your bid.
2026-08-15 · Solitaire Arcade
Learn how to bid in 500: count likely tricks, value bowers and trump, use the kitty as an upgrade, know when to pass, and choose a contract you can actually make.
2026-08-14 · Solitaire Arcade
Australian 500 and American 500 share the same bones — bidding, trump, bowers, and a race to 500 — but the auction, inkles, Misère, and scoring can feel like different games.
2026-08-12 · Solitaire Arcade
2026-03-26Solitaire Arcade
Learn how to pass cards in Hearts, including what to pass, when to void a suit, how passing direction changes strategy, and the common mistakes beginners make.
Passing is your first move in Hearts — before a card hits the table.
A good pass removes danger, shortens a suit for a void, or sets up control. A bad pass leaves you stuck with high cards and no safe lead.
For the full rules before the passing tips, see the How to Play Hearts guide.
In standard four-player Hearts, each player is dealt 13 cards.
Before play begins, each player chooses three cards to pass to another player. At the same time, each player receives three cards from someone else.
The passing direction usually rotates each hand: pass three cards to the left, then to the right, then across, then no pass — and the pattern repeats.
The no-pass hand is played with the cards you were dealt, which makes it a little more unpredictable.
The pass is your first strategic decision.
You have not seen a single trick yet, but you can already reduce risk. You can get rid of dangerous cards, shorten a suit, prepare to become void, or keep control cards if your hand is strong enough.
A good pass usually removes dangerous high cards, reduces your risk of taking the Queen of Spades, helps you create a void in one suit, gets rid of high hearts, makes your hand easier to lead safely, or supports a rare shooting-the-moon attempt.
Most beginner players pass cards they simply dislike. Stronger players pass cards for a reason.
Most of the time, beginners should think about passing dangerous high cards.
High cards win tricks. Winning tricks is risky because tricks can contain hearts or the Queen of Spades.
Common cards to consider passing include the Ace of Spades, King of Spades, Queen of Spades, high hearts, unsupported Aces and Kings, and high cards in short suits.
The exact pass depends on your full hand. A high card is not always bad, but a high card with no support can become a problem.
For example, the Ace of Clubs may be safe if you have several lower clubs and can control when to play it. But if it is your only club, it may force you into an awkward trick early.
The Queen of Spades is worth 13 points, so it deserves special attention.
If you are new to Hearts, passing the Queen is often the safest choice. It removes the biggest penalty card from your hand and lets someone else manage it.
But there are times when keeping the Queen can be reasonable. You may keep the Queen of Spades if you have several low spades to protect it, you can avoid being forced to play it too early, you are experienced enough to control when it is played, or you are considering shooting the moon.
If you have the Queen with only one or two other spades, be careful. A short spade suit can leave you exposed if other players lead spades to force the Queen out.
For beginners, the calm choice is simple: if the Queen looks dangerous, pass it.
The Ace and King of Spades can be just as uncomfortable as the Queen.
If the Queen has not been played, the Ace or King of Spades may win a trick that contains it. That is one of the fastest ways to collect 13 points.
If you hold the Ace or King of Spades without enough low spades underneath, passing them is often sensible.
Low spades are useful because they let you follow suit without winning. A hand with the Queen, plus several low spades, can sometimes survive. A hand with only the Ace, King, and Queen of Spades is much more dangerous.
High hearts are risky once hearts have been broken.
The Ace, King, and Queen of Hearts can easily win heart tricks later in the hand. Since every heart is worth one point, collecting several heart tricks can quietly build a bad score.
Passing high hearts can make your hand safer, especially if you do not have enough low hearts to lose control.
That said, low hearts are different. Low hearts can help you avoid winning heart tricks later. Do not pass low hearts automatically just because they are penalty cards.
A void means you have no cards in a suit.
This is powerful in Hearts because if another player leads that suit, you do not have to follow. You can discard a dangerous card instead.
For example, if you pass away your last three diamonds, you may become void in diamonds. Later, when diamonds are led, you can throw away a high heart, the Queen of Spades, or another risky card.
Creating a void is one of the best uses of the pass.
Good suits to void are usually suits where you only have one, two, or three cards. If you can pass all of them, your hand may become much more flexible.
Be careful, though. If you pass low cards just to create a void, you might remove cards that were helping you stay safe in that suit.
The passing direction changes how aggressive you can be.
When you pass left, the player receiving your cards plays after you in each trick. This can be uncomfortable because you may give them cards they can use against you later. Avoid giving the player on your left an easy setup if you can. A safe beginner approach is to pass danger away, but avoid handing over a perfect shooting-the-moon hand.
When you pass right, the player receiving your cards plays before you. This can give you a little more information because you see their card before you play in each trick. Passing right can be a good time to remove dangerous cards while still having some control over your response.
When you pass across, your cards go to the player opposite you. This is often the most neutral-feeling pass. Use the same basic principles: reduce danger, create voids, and clean up awkward suits.
On a no-pass hand, you manage what you were dealt. Be patient, protect your low cards, and avoid taking control too early.
Most passes dump danger. A moon pass does the opposite — keep winners, pass away low cards that might lose you tricks.
That only makes sense on a clearly dominant hand. Otherwise pass for safety.
Scoring, when to attempt a moon, and how to block one are covered in Shooting the Moon in Hearts.
Example 1 — Queen of Spades with few spades: you hold Q♠, 8♠, 3♠. If spades are led a few times, you may be forced to play the Queen. A beginner-friendly pass would often include the Queen of Spades.
Example 2 — High hearts: you hold A♥, K♥, 9♥, 4♥. The Ace and King of Hearts are dangerous later in the hand. Passing one or both high hearts may make your hand safer. Keeping the 4♥ is usually fine because low hearts are easier to play without winning.
Example 3 — Creating a void: you have only K♦, 8♦, 2♦. You could pass all three diamonds and become void in diamonds, giving you a chance to discard dangerous cards when another player leads diamonds later.
Example 4 — High spades without protection: you hold A♠, K♠ with no lower spades. You may be forced to win a spade trick before the Queen appears. Passing one or both high spades is often safer.
Passing random cards wastes your best chance to improve the hand. Every pass should have a purpose: remove danger, create a void, or support a clear plan.
Passing all your low cards leaves you without protection. Low cards help you avoid winning tricks. If you pass too many away, you may leave yourself with a hand that wins when it does not want to.
Keeping dangerous spades without support is risky. The Ace, King, and Queen of Spades can be uncomfortable if you do not have lower spades to protect them.
Passing the Queen of Spades into a moon hand can backfire. Be careful if you are passing several strong cards to the same player — you may accidentally help them shoot the moon.
Creating a void at any cost can remove your safest cards. Voids are useful, but balance matters.
Before choosing your three cards, ask:
Do I have the Queen of Spades?
Do I have the Ace or King of Spades?
Do I have high hearts I cannot control?
Can I safely create a void?
Am I keeping enough low cards?
Does my pass make my hand safer?
Am I accidentally helping another player shoot the moon?
If your pass reduces risk and gives you more control, it is probably a good pass.
Pass dangerous high cards, respect the Queen of Spades, keep useful low cards, and look for a void when the suit count is right.
The hand is not won in the pass, but a clean pass makes everything after it easier.
Play Hearts online and try different pass directions — left, right, across, and no-pass hands each feel different.
Shooting the moon in Hearts means taking every heart and the Queen of Spades in one hand. Learn how scoring works, when to attempt it, how to block it, and why failed tries hurt.
2026-04-02 · Solitaire Arcade
Learn beginner Hearts strategy: avoid penalty points, pass with purpose, watch the Queen of Spades, create voids, lead safely, and avoid the common mistakes that cost hands.
2026-03-19 · Solitaire Arcade
Learn how 500 scoring works: the contract table, failed bids, defender points, Misère, and the race to 500 or down to -500.
2026-08-22 · Solitaire Arcade
In 500, a Jack can change suits. Learn trump ranking from the Joker down, how the right and left bower work, and why the left bower counts as trump.
2026-08-19 · Solitaire Arcade
Misère flips 500 upside down: the bidder tries to take no tricks. Learn how Misère and Open Misère work, what makes a safe hand, and how to defend.
2026-08-17 · Solitaire Arcade
Bags are overtricks in Spades. Learn how bag scoring works, when the 10-bag penalty hits, when to duck tricks, and how to manage bags without missing your bid.
2026-08-15 · Solitaire Arcade
Learn how to bid in 500: count likely tricks, value bowers and trump, use the kitty as an upgrade, know when to pass, and choose a contract you can actually make.
2026-08-14 · Solitaire Arcade
Australian 500 and American 500 share the same bones — bidding, trump, bowers, and a race to 500 — but the auction, inkles, Misère, and scoring can feel like different games.
2026-08-12 · Solitaire Arcade
