Spades vs Hearts
Spades and Hearts look alike at first: four players, a full 52-card deck, thirteen cards each and the duty to follow suit. Underneath they pull in opposite directions. In Spades you and a partner bid how many tricks you will take and then try to hit that number, with spades always trump. In Hearts there is no trump and no partner, and every trick that carries a heart or the Queen of Spades costs you points.
So the skills transfer, but the instincts do not. A Spades player wants control of the lead and long trumps; a Hearts player wants to duck, void a suit early and avoid being the one left holding the Queen.
Side by side
| Spades | Hearts | |
|---|---|---|
| In one line | Partnership trick-taking: bid your tricks, spades are trump. | Avoid hearts and the Queen of Spades; low score wins. |
| Players | 4 | 4 |
| Family | Trick-taking | Trick-taking |
| Type | Table game, bots or friends | Table game, bots or friends |
| Options | Play to: 250 or 500 | Play to: 100 or 50 |
| Online turn timer | 30 seconds | 30 seconds |
The differences that matter
- Goal: in Spades your side scores for making its combined bid; in Hearts the lowest score wins when someone reaches the target.
- Partners: Spades is played in fixed partnerships (seats 1 and 3 against 2 and 4); in Hearts every player is on their own.
- Trump: spades are always trump in Spades and cannot be led until broken; Hearts has no trump suit at all.
- Before play: Spades starts with an auction including the risky Nil bid; Hearts starts by passing three cards (left, right, across, then no pass).
- Big swings: overtricks become bags in Spades and ten of them cost 100 points; in Hearts taking all 26 points shoots the moon and hands everyone else 26.
Which should you play?
Choose Spades if you like planning with a partner, counting trumps and committing to a number before the first card is played.
Choose Hearts if you prefer a cut-throat game for four individuals where avoiding damage is as satisfying as winning tricks.
How to play Spades
Four players in partnerships (seats 1&3 vs 2&4). Spades are always trump.
Each player bids the tricks they expect to win, or bids Nil (win none). Spades cannot be led until broken.
Making your team's combined bid scores 10 points per trick plus 1 per extra trick (bag); missing it loses 10 per bid trick.
Nil succeeds for +100, fails for -100. Ten bags cost 100 points. First side to the target wins.
How to play Hearts
Four players. Each hand starts by passing three cards (left, right, across, then no pass).
The player with the 2 of clubs leads it. You must follow suit if you can; no points on the first trick unless forced.
Hearts cannot be led until a heart has been played. Each heart is 1 point, the Queen of Spades 13.
Taking all 26 points ("shooting the moon") gives everyone else 26 instead. The game ends when a player reaches the target; lowest score wins.