Trump Hearts

A variation of Hearts for four players only, invented by Daniel Czech . This game uses the standard 52 card deck. This is a variation of Calamity Jane, and as such uses the rules for the Queen of Spades and "shooting the moon" [i.e. normal Hearts rules] .

Deal out all 52 cards to each player as in normal Hearts. However, instead of passing cards as in normal hearts, each player places three of the cards in his/her hand face down in the center of the table. These twelve discarded cards are shuffled by the dealer and stacked face down to form the trump pile. The player who was dealt the 2 of clubs is not allowed to discard it to the trump pile, since it must be led to the first trick.

The holder of the 2 of clubs must lead it to the first trick as in normal Hearts. The top card of the trump pile is flipped face-up. This card determines the "trump suit" for the first trick, and the trick is won by the player who plays the highest card of the trump suit. If no one plays a trump card, the person who plays the highest card in the suit that was led takes the trick. The winner of the trick places the face up card from the trump pile in his point pile, along with the four cards played to the trick, so the card from the trump pile is scored as if someone had played it to a trick that he had won.

The winner of each trick leads to the next, but before the lead to each trick, another card from the top of the trump pile is flipped face up to determine the new trump suit for the trick. This continues until the last trick of the hand, which is trick 10 since each player has only 10 cards in his/her hand after the initial discard. Before the lead to the 10th trick, flip up the remaining 3 cards of the trump pile. There is no trump in this 10th trick, but the player who wins the trick also scores those last three cards from the trump pile.