What Is Black Queen?
Black Queen is a trick-taking card game for around four players in which the goal is to avoid taking certain cards. It belongs to the Hearts family of games, and the same basic game is also known under names such as Black Lady and Black Maria. The “black queen” in question is the queen of spades, which carries a heavy penalty.
Rules differ from one household or region to the next, so the version below is the commonly played one, based on Hearts. Where groups often differ, this guide says so. If you have played Hearts, you will find Black Queen very familiar.
A note on similar names
Searches for “black queen” sometimes lead to different games:
- Red or Black is a guessing and betting or drinking game in which players guess the color of a drawn card. It has nothing in common with Black Queen apart from the colors.
- Sleeping Queens is a commercial card game with its own special deck, in which players wake queens. It is not played with a standard deck.
- Black cards in a deck simply means spades and clubs, which are 26 cards in total in a standard 52-card deck.
None of those games are what this page describes.
What You Need
- Players: Four is standard, each playing individually. Variants exist for three, five or six players, but they involve removing cards or changing the deal.
- Deck: A standard 52-card deck with no jokers.
- Scoring: Paper and pencil, since scores are tallied over multiple hands.
Card Ranking and Goal
Cards in each suit rank from high to low: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. There is no trump suit.
The goal is to finish with the lowest score. You get penalty points for certain cards that you take in tricks:
- Queen of spades (the Black Queen): 13 points
- Each heart: 1 point
All together, there are 26 penalty points in each hand (13 for the queen plus 13 for the hearts). The game normally ends when one player reaches an agreed total, often 100, and the player with the lowest score wins.
Dealing and Passing
- Deal all 52 cards, 13 to each player.
- Each player looks at their hand and chooses three cards to pass face down to another player. Usually the direction rotates: left on the first hand, right on the second, across on the third, and no passing on the fourth. Then the pattern repeats.
- Players should pass their three cards before looking at the cards they receive.
Passing is where much of the strategy lies. Players typically try to pass away high cards and dangerous cards such as the queen of spades.
How to Play a Hand
- The player holding the 2 of clubs leads it to start the first trick.
- Play moves clockwise. Each player must follow the suit that was led if they can.
- A player who cannot follow suit may play any card. On the first trick, many groups do not allow hearts or the queen of spades to be played, even by a player with no clubs. Check your house rules.
- The highest card of the suit that was led wins the trick, and the winner collects the cards and leads the next trick.
- Hearts cannot be led until a heart has been played on an earlier trick. This is called “breaking hearts.” The queen of spades may be led at any time.
- After all 13 tricks are played, each player counts the penalty cards they took.
Scoring
At the end of the hand, each player adds up their penalty points:
| Card taken | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Each heart | 1 point |
| Queen of spades | 13 points |
Shooting the moon
If one player takes all 13 hearts and the queen of spades in the same hand, that is called “shooting the moon.” In the common version, that player scores 0 for the hand and every other player scores 26. Some groups instead let the player subtract 26 from their own total. Agree on which method you are using.
Jack of diamonds and other variants
Some groups make the jack of diamonds worth -10 points for the player who takes it. Others change the point values or remove cards for three-player games. These are optional. If you want to keep it simple, stick to the basic scoring above.
Ending the game
When one player reaches the agreed total, usually 100, the game ends and the player with the lowest total wins. Play to 50 for a shorter game.
Basic Strategy
These tips follow standard Hearts thinking and apply equally to Black Queen.
- Get rid of dangerous cards. The queen of spades, and high spades such as the ace and king, can be dangerous if you hold them while someone else holds the queen. In your pass, consider sending away high cards.
- Try to void a suit. If you run out of a suit, you can discard hearts or the queen when that suit is led. Short suits are useful.
- Lead low. Leading a low card often gives you the best chance of not winning the trick.
- Pay attention to the spades. If you hold the queen with several lower spades, you may be able to protect it. If you hold only the queen, it is usually safer to unload it at the first chance.
- Track the hearts. Knowing how many hearts have been played tells you whether it is safe to take a trick.
- Think before shooting the moon. The reward is large but you need a very strong hand with many high cards and control of every suit, and a failed attempt can leave you with a bad score.
- Watch for shooters. If one player is collecting every penalty card, you may need to take a heart yourself to stop them.
Common Questions
How many cards does each player start with?
In a four-player game, each player starts with 13 cards. If you are playing Sleeping Queens instead, each player starts with five, but that is a different game.
Can you play with fewer than four players?
Yes. Three-player versions usually remove the 2 of diamonds so the cards can be dealt evenly (17 each), with the other changes decided by the group. Treat the details as house rules.
What if I have no clubs for the first trick?
Many groups do not allow penalty cards on the first trick. Others do. Decide before you start.
Is the queen of spades always 13 points?
In the common version, yes. Some variants use different values, so state the value before the game starts.