# How do you decide which cards to pass in Hearts? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** board-card-word-game\ **Created:** [November 3, 2021, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-decide-which-cards-to-pass-in-hearts/953748 "2021-11-03T20:08:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2021, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-decide-which-cards-to-pass-in-hearts/953748/21 "2021-11-05T05:21:24Z")
Almost always pass a low or lowish heart, and almost get one (vs. computer) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2021, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-decide-which-cards-to-pass-in-hearts/953748/22 "2021-11-05T12:14:39Z")
What’s the reasoning for that? Never passing low hearts is usually taught as basic strategy for passing. You want them (unless maybe you’re trying to shoot and those are the low cards for your hand) to duck tricks when hearts are led. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2021, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-decide-which-cards-to-pass-in-hearts/953748/23 "2021-11-05T14:49:32Z")
> [@Cugel](#): > > Almost always pass a low or lowish heart > [@pulykamell](#): > > What’s the reasoning for that? It’s a hedge against the other guy shooting the moon. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2021, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-decide-which-cards-to-pass-in-hearts/953748/25 "2021-11-05T15:30:15Z")
That an interesting point. I generally follow the strategy outlined here: > **[Advanced Strategy — Hearts: Card Game Help Center](https://mobilityware.helpshift.com/hc/en/42-hearts-card-game/faq/2629-advanced-strategy/?s=how-to-play-settings&f=advanced-strategy)** > > Pass the 2 of Clubs. The 2♣️ determines which player starts. If you pass the 2♣️ to another player, you may be able to win the first trick — However, in a game where I’m passing to someone who is likely to try to shoot the moon due to the state of the game (or their style of play), I would consider passing low hearts, depending on the state of the rest of the suit in my hand. Shooting is just so rare in the games I play – the players are good about recognizing when a shoot attempt is being made (and a dicey shoot attempt should be made non-obviously to start) and put a kibosh to it pretty early on. I’d be curious what an AI would come up with as optimal passing strategy in various situations. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2021, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-decide-which-cards-to-pass-in-hearts/953748/26 "2021-11-05T15:49:44Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > in a game where I’m passing to someone who is likely to try to shoot the moon One of the players that I sometimes play with is notorious for his attempts to shoot the moon. He always gets a low-to-medium heart from me. If I’m passing a high heart, I will also pass a low heart. > [@pulykamell](#): > > optimal passing strategy in various situations As we’ve seen from this discussion, every situation is different (duh). I almost always pass the two of clubs, and I try my best to void either clubs or diamonds. I don’t know if that’s optimal or not, but it’s what I do. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2021, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-decide-which-cards-to-pass-in-hearts/953748/27 "2021-11-06T01:15:55Z")
If I am dealt high hearts and the bitch I always ditch my low stuff and try to shoot the moon, mostly to keep it interesting. Mostly I succeed, but occasionally I get caught out, and that’s OK. If not, I try to clear my hand of a suit, typically clubs but also diamonds. I always trade out the two of clubs, because then I know who has it and can get rid of another card of higher rank safely while also observing what others throw out. Usually by the third trick I know what everybody has simply by what they played during the first two, and at that point you’re mine. I wasn’t allowed to play cards anymore with my fellow military members because I won all the time and I called their cards out before they threw them. Playing hearts with card counters isn’t a particularly good idea. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2021, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-decide-which-cards-to-pass-in-hearts/953748/28 "2021-11-06T01:47:56Z")
For general hearts strategy, you do need to keep track of how many of each suit cards are out there, what likely suit splits are, and definitely have an idea of what players are possibly short in a suit or generally what their hand makeup is based on the cards they play in tricks. Shooting the moon is particularly difficult with the folks I play with, because they keep track of all this and can sniff a shoot attempt quite early. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-decide-which-cards-to-pass-in-hearts/953748.md?page=1)