Get Ready for the Exciting Game of Have a Heart!

Have a Heart is a fun poker-style card game that you can play with 4 to 7 players. The objective of the game is to create the best possible hand and win the showdown at the end. But watch out, because there’s a twist involving the special heart suit!

Here’s how it works: players will start by putting some chips into a shared pot. The amount of chips should be decided before the game begins. Then, the dealer will shuffle the deck and ask another player to cut it. Each player will be dealt two cards face-down, moving in a clockwise direction, followed by a single face-up card. Once the cards are dealt, the first round of bidding will kick off.

How to Rank the Cards

In a game of poker, the cards are ranked in a specific order. The Ace is considered the highest card, followed by the King, Queen, Jack, and then the numbers 10 through 2, in descending order.

These rankings determine the value of the cards in a hand, and ultimately, the strength of the hand itself. When it comes to determining the winner of a showdown, these rankings are used in conjunction with the traditional poker hand rankings.

Typically, a 5-card hand is used in a showdown, but there are instances where this may be adjusted during gameplay. I’ll explain this further below.

The Game

Once the initial setup is complete, the first round of bidding begins. This starts with the player who is seated to the left of the dealer. During this bidding round, you will be placing bets based on your assessment of the odds of winning the showdown, taking into account the cards you currently possess.

After the first round of bidding is finished, the dealer will deal three cards face-up in the middle of the play area. This is called the grocery store. The leftmost card is marked and it costs 1 chip to buy. The next card is worth 2 chips, and the final card is worth 3 chips. You have to pay the chips into the pot.

Now, the dealer will start with the player on their left and that player will deal each player a second face-up card.

Once every player has received a card, the second round of bidding begins. This continues until all but one player has folded or every player has been dealt 4 face-up cards. When the 4th face-up card is dealt, a final card is dealt face-down to each player. This is the 7th and final card in every player’s hand.

If you enjoyed Have A Heart, you should try Horse Poker for another fun poker variation.

I’m Amber, and I go by they/them pronouns. I’m a writer and a gaming enthusiast based in Austin. I consider myself a gaming master and I have a soft spot for dogs, plants, and D&D.