HG♥Hearts Guide IndiaA lighter hand. A clearer game.
Playing a trick

The first trick and “breaking hearts”

Separate the rule for following from the rule for leading.

A named reference

Bicycle’s overview prohibits discarding a heart or the queen of spades on the first trick when a player has no clubs. It also says hearts may be led after a heart or the queen of spades has been discarded.

Why the version matters

Other descriptions differ in the treatment of breaking hearts and exceptions. Do not take one line from a different source and quietly add it to your table’s rules.

An original practice prompt

Before a demonstration, identify who is leading and who is following. Ask which part of the selected reference governs each choice. Keep a disputed exception as a specific question until the group resolves it with the same complete source.

Reference

bicyclecards.com ↗

Checked 2026-10-20. Source settings may differ from another table.