| Beginner's Korner
You are a newcomer to the game of Hearts, and you want to play against other novices. Maybe you tried an old Windows program that had Hearts as part of a games package. Perhaps you sat in on a fast game several years ago in college or at work and someone told you about Hearts on the Internet. Of course, you selected Zone.com, and after signing in, you come to the Hearts area. After reviewing the Rules, it's time to play!
The best place to start is in one of the novice areas. Don't even think about a rated or tournament room at this point! If you are really nervous, then sit down at a table, and play against three Bots (computer players). In this way, you will get used to the mechanics of the game. Then you can start or join a table with real players. It is unlikely that someone will pounce on you like a snow leopard if you allow a Moonshot or pass the Q-J-3 of Spades to the person with the low score! There may be a lot of chatter, and occasionally a frustrated player will quit a game if he or she is losing badly. After a while, you will reach a comfort level, and then you may want to consider acquiring a rating.
There is plenty of teaching material out there. A number of companies have produced CDs that have superb Hearts programs. The level of play may be adjusted, and the "Bots" in these games have excellent artificial intelligence. You might want to acquire a copy of my Hearts book. Hop over to a search engine (Google is good one), and research all of the Hearts material available. The best way to improve your game is to watch the experts in action. Go to a rated area and kibitz a game featuring seasoned players (2000+) in action. Come out to a "live" tournament and test your skill against different opponents. Maybe some of your new online pals will travel to a live event, and then you can have the ultimate challenge game!
After a while, you will climb the ratings chart, and then be ready to play the intermediate competition or the "pros." We all start out as small fish and fear those hungry sharks are swimming around looking for easy prey. Then we get a little bigger and grow our own teeth. Finally, it's time to hop into the big pond and do some of our own biting! Hearts has been around a long time, and is a lot of fun.
Ten Basic Strategy Tips for the Novice Player
Note: These are guidelines. Every hand is different, and the score often dictates a specific strategy for a given situation. Hearts is game of collusion, and there are times when you must cooperate with an opponent to "hit" the player with the low score, stop a Moon, or protect the player with the high score (when you are in third place). | |
