What is Breaking Hearts?
Breaking Hearts
The act of playing the first heart card in a hand. Until hearts are "broken," players cannot lead with a heart. Hearts are typically broken when a player has no cards in the led suit and discards a heart.
Rules for Breaking Hearts
- Cannot lead hearts until they've been broken
- Hearts break when someone discards a heart (can't follow suit)
- Once broken, hearts can be led for the rest of the hand
- The Queen of Spades does NOT break hearts
Example
Player A leads 7♣. Player B has no clubs, so they play 5♥. Hearts are now broken. On future tricks, any player can lead with hearts.
Strategic Breaking
When and how hearts break matters strategically:
- Early break: Gives more flexibility but may reveal intentions
- Forced break: Sometimes you must break when void in the led suit
- Holding hearts: If hearts aren't broken, the K♥ and A♥ are safer
Exception: Leading Hearts
In most rules, you CAN lead hearts if:
- Hearts have already been broken, OR
- You have ONLY hearts left in your hand