Hearts

Regular Hearts (e.g. the basic game)

Players: 3-6

Decks: 1

Cards

The normal pack of 52. With other than four players strip low ranking cards to make the deal even. Six players: 2, 3 , 2 , 2 . Five players: 2 and 2 . Three players: 2 . The cards in each suit rank: A (high), K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. Each heart is worth one point.

Deal

The entire pack is dealt to each player one card at a time beginning with the eldest hand.

Play

Eldest hand makes the opening lead. Each of the following players must play in suit if they can. If they cannot they may play any card in their hand. The trick is won by the highest card of the suit led. The winner of the trick is leads the next trick.

Scoring

The number of hearts taken by each player are counted and added to that player's point total. When a player passes 100, the player with the least number of points wins the game.

Optional Rules

Widowing: Instead of stripping the deck with players other than four, the excess cards are dealt into a widow which is either taken by the first trick or by the first point trick.
Players often rule against playing point cards out of suit on the first trick (against that uncommon occurrence that a player is dealt void in a suit).
It is sometimes played that hearts cannot be lead until hearts have been "broken". Hearts are broken when at least one heart has been played out of suit on a trick.

Black Lady Hearts

All rules are the same as Regular Hearts (See Above) with the following additional rules:

The Q counts for 13 points.

Passing

Before the first lead of a hand or round each player passes three cards to the player on his right (usually the cards that he least desires). Before looking at the pass he or she is receiving the player must pass.

With five or six players only two cards are passed.

Optional Rules

Black Lady is often played with the widowing, no leading hearts until broken, and no points on first trick rules from Regular Hearts.
Black Lady Hearts is often played that whomever has the 2 leads it to begin the hand or the 3 is played if the 2 is not available (dealt into a widow). Additionally, some players refine this rule by saying that only the player's lowest club may be played on the first trick.
Some players consider the Q to break hearts as well as any heart when playing with the rule where hearts cannot be lead until hearts have broken. Occasionally, it is further ruled that the Q cannot be played until hearts have "broken".
Black Lady's Passing rule is often modified so that the players first pass left or right, then the opposite direction, then across. Also, some include a "hold" hand where no passing takes place. For example, if play is going clockwise: 1^st hand: pass left, 2^nd hand: pass right, 3^rd hand: pass across, 4^th hand: hold. And so on until the games ends. Note: with six players it becomes more complicated, usually recited: left, right, 2 people to the left, 2 people to the right, across, hold. The result is that eventually you will have passed at least once to all players including yourself (the hold hand).
Some players simplify the "Passing rule" to alternating left and right passes, leaving out the other passes.
Black Lady is often played with a take-all or slam rule. Referred to as "Shooting the Moon" or "Running Them". To slam in Black Lady you must take all hearts and the "Black Lady" the Q. If a player is successful in shooting the moon 26 is subtracted from his score OR 26 is added to each of the other player's scores. Some also rule that this is at the discretion of the player that shot the moon. Rarely, players will not include the Q as being needed to complete the run of the hearts.
Making the Black Lady less deadly by adjusting its point value to 5 points.

Cancellation Hearts

Players: 6 - 10

Decks: 2

All rules are the same as that of Black Lady except that when two identical cards are played on the same trick, neither of them can win the trick. For example: If the 1^st player plays J, the 2^nd player 10 , 3^rd player 6 , and 4^th player the other J , the 2^nd player will take the trick since clubs were led, and the J's cancel.

It is possible that none of the cards played are able to take the trick. In that case, the cards are held over and won by the winner of the next trick. For example, if the 2^nd player in the example above had played 7 instead of 10 then no one would be able to take the trick since all cards in the suit led have been canceled.

Joker Hearts

Joker hearts is played with either the regular hearts rulesor the Black Lady. Hearts rules with any or all of the optional rules listed therein.

The only change is a joker is added to the deck (if necessary remove the 2 from the deck to make the deal even). The joker ranks as a heart between 10 and J. However, when the joker is played on a trick hearts immediately become trump for that trick. For example: 1^st player leads 5 , 2^nd player (out of diamonds) plays K , 3^rd player plays his lowest diamond (6) in hopes that player 4 will play higher however the 4^th player plays the joker, making hearts trump and the K takes the trick.

Usually the joker is worth 1 point. Rarely, the joker is worth 5 or even 20 points.

Omnibus Hearts

Omnibus is played with the rules of Black Lady including the passing rules and the "take all" rule. It also has the additional rule that the 10 (sometimes the J) is worth -10 points. Very rarely, when playing with the 10 rule, players will require that the 10 is needed to "run the hearts".