Shooting the Moon in Hearts: When and How
Normally, taking every heart and the Queen of Spades would be a disaster: 26 points. But do it in one hand and the disaster lands on everyone else.
What shooting the moon means
If one player takes all 13 hearts and the Q♠ in a hand, they score 0 and each other player scores 26. On Cheettukali the score sheet tells you when someone has shot the moon.
What hand can shoot?
- Lots of high hearts (A, K, Q, J…), ideally long.
- Control of the other suits: Aces and Kings, so you can win the lead back.
- The Q♠ with the A♠ or K♠, or very few spades.
Most hands can't shoot. A good rule: don't plan a moon shot unless you could win nearly every trick even if someone ducked.
How to play it
- Don't show your plan too early. Take the first few tricks with high side-suit cards.
- Draw out other players' high hearts by leading yours from the top.
- Watch the passing: if you passed high hearts away, forget it.
How to stop it
When one player has taken all the points so far, win one trick with a heart in it, even if it costs you a few points. Hold on to one high heart late in the hand for this. Keep an eye on the "Taken" count beside each name: it shows who is collecting the points.
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FAQ
What happens when you shoot the moon in Hearts?
You score 0 for the hand and every other player scores 26.
How do you stop someone shooting the moon?
Take at least one heart trick yourself. A few points for you is much better than 26 for everyone else.