What is a Good Score in Hearts?
6-7 Points Average
With 4 players sharing 26 penalty points each hand, the average is ~6.5 points. A "good" hand scores 0-3 points. The game ends when someone hits 100 points (they lose).
Understanding Hearts Scoring
- Each Heart: 1 point (13 total)
- Queen of Spades: 13 points
- Total per hand: 26 points distributed among players
- Goal: Have the LOWEST score when someone hits 100
Score Benchmarks
| Hand Score | Rating | What Happened |
|---|---|---|
| 0 points | Perfect | Avoided all penalty cards |
| 1-3 points | Good | Minimal hearts taken |
| 4-6 points | Average | Expected share of points |
| 7-12 points | Bad | Got stuck with penalty cards |
| 13+ points | Terrible | Got the Q♠ or got dumped on |
| 26 points | Variable! | Shot the moon - could be great OR terrible |
Shooting the Moon
Taking ALL 26 points is called "shooting the moon". Instead of gaining 26 points, you give 26 to each opponent (or subtract 26 from yourself). High risk, high reward!
Strategy to Keep Your Score Low
- Be "short" in suits: Having few cards in a suit lets you discard hearts when others lead it
- Pass high cards: During card passing, get rid of Aces and face cards
- Track the Q♠: The 13-point Queen of Spades is dangerous
- Lead low: Let others win tricks with penalty cards
Typical Game Length
With 26 points per hand and a 100-point limit:
- ~15-20 hands per game on average
- Faster if someone shoots the moon successfully
- A 100-point game takes 20-40 minutes