How Does Passing Direction Work in Hearts?
Short Answer
In standard 4-player Hearts, you pass 3 cards each hand in a repeating pattern: left, right, across, then hold (no passing). After the hold hand, the cycle repeats.
The Standard 4-Player Passing Cycle
| Hand # | Passing Direction | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Left | Pass to the player on your left |
| 2 | Right | Pass to the player on your right |
| 3 | Across | Pass to the player across from you |
| 4 | Hold | No passing - keep your hand |
How Many Cards Do You Pass?
Most Hearts games have you pass 3 cards. The passing step is where a lot of the strategy begins because you can offload risky cards and shape your hand.
- Passing basics: Hearts passing cards glossary
- Common danger card: Queen of Spades
Why Passing Direction Matters
- Information: The direction changes who is likely to receive your high cards
- Defense: On an "across" hand, you can target a strong opponent directly
- Tempo: Hold hands are more volatile because no one can fix a bad hand
Easy Way to Remember It
A common mnemonic is: Left, Right, Across, Keep. If you forget, just look for the hand where nobody passes - that's the "hold" hand, and the pattern restarts after it.