trick-taking · USA / Worldwide
Omnibus Hearts
Also known as Hearts with the Jack of Diamonds · Jack of Diamonds Hearts · Ten of Diamonds Hearts · Bonus Hearts
Omnibus Hearts is the popular four-player variation of Hearts that adds one twist to the classic point-dodging game: the Jack of Diamonds (sometimes played as the Ten of Diamonds) is a bonus card worth minus 10 points for whoever captures it. Everything else works just like standard Hearts — you still want the LOWEST score, every heart still costs a point and the Queen of Spades still costs a brutal 13 — but now there is one trick worth chasing instead of ducking. The bonus card slows scores down, so Omnibus Hearts is often played to a lower target like 75 instead of 100. On Love Card Games it plays on our Hearts engine with the Jack-of-Diamonds bonus turned on, free in your browser against smart bots or friends — no download, no signup.
4–4 players · free · no download · no signup
How to play Omnibus Hearts
- Pass 3 cards in the current direction (left, right, across, or hold) before looking at what you get.
- The 2♣ leads the first trick — follow the led suit if you can, otherwise play any card.
- Avoid winning tricks with hearts (1 point each) or the Q♠ (13 points).
- Grab the Jack of Diamonds when you can — it's worth minus 10, the one card you want.
- Lead hearts only after they're broken; the highest card of the led suit wins each trick.
- Keep your penalty score tiny — or take everything to shoot the moon — and aim for the lowest score when someone hits the target (usually 75).
Omnibus Hearts rules
Goal
Finish with the LOWEST score. Each heart you capture is 1 penalty point and the Queen of Spades is 13 penalty points. The Omnibus twist: capturing the Jack of Diamonds (J♦) is GOOD — it scores minus 10, the only card you actually want to win. The game ends when a player reaches the target score (commonly 75 because the bonus card keeps scores low), and the player with the lowest total wins.
The deck & the deal
Omnibus Hearts uses a standard 52-card deck with no trump suit and is built for exactly 4 players. All cards are dealt out one at a time, giving each player 13 cards. There are no point penalties for hearts, the Q♠ or the J♦ played on the very first trick of a hand.
Passing
Before each hand you pass 3 cards face down to an opponent before looking at what you receive. The direction rotates every deal: pass left, then right, then across, then a 'hold' hand with no passing — and the cycle repeats. Think carefully before passing the J♦ away, since it is worth minus 10 to whoever ends up taking it.
Playing the tricks
Whoever holds the 2 of Clubs leads it to start the first trick. You must follow the led suit if you can; if you cannot, you may play any card. The highest card of the led suit wins the trick — there is no trump — and the winner leads the next trick. You may not lead a heart until hearts have been 'broken' (a heart has been discarded on an earlier trick) unless your hand is nothing but hearts.
Scoring & the bonus card
At the end of each hand, add up penalties: 1 point per heart taken, 13 for the Queen of Spades, and SUBTRACT 10 for the player who took the Jack of Diamonds. A full hand therefore totals 26 penalty points minus the 10-point bonus. Because the bonus card softens the score growth, Omnibus Hearts is normally played to 75 (some play 61 or 100) — whoever is lowest when someone crosses the target wins.
Shooting the moon
If you capture ALL the point cards in a hand — all 13 hearts and the Q♠ (26 points) — you 'shoot the moon': you score 0 and every other player is hit with 26 points instead. In Omnibus Hearts the J♦ bonus is applied on top: the player who took the Jack of Diamonds still gets minus 10 deducted, and that may be the shooter themselves, making a successful moon shot even more rewarding.
Strategy tips
- Treat the Jack of Diamonds like gold — try to hold winning diamonds or capture the trick it falls in for the minus-10 bonus.
- Think twice before passing the J♦ to an opponent; you may be handing them a 10-point head start.
- Still pass off your high spades (A, K, Q♠) and dangerous high hearts to avoid the big penalties.
- Void a suit early so you can dump the Queen of Spades — or angle to capture the bonus diamond.
- Watch for an opponent shooting the moon and take a single point to stop them; the J♦ bonus makes a successful shot extra costly.
- Because the target score is lower than standard Hearts, a single bad hand hurts more — protect your lead aggressively.
Variants
Jack of Diamonds bonus (minus 10) — the standard Omnibus rule · Ten of Diamonds as the bonus card instead of the Jack · Game played to 61, 75, or 100 points · Standard Hearts (no bonus card) · Black Lady / Black Maria (Q♠ only)
Omnibus Hearts — frequently asked questions
What is Omnibus Hearts?
Omnibus Hearts is a four-player variation of Hearts in which the Jack of Diamonds (sometimes the Ten of Diamonds) is a bonus card worth minus 10 points for whoever captures it. Everything else follows standard Hearts rules — lowest score wins.
Is the bonus card the Jack of Diamonds or the Ten of Diamonds?
Both versions exist. Our game plays the most common form, where the Jack of Diamonds (J♦) is the minus-10 bonus card. Some traditions use the Ten of Diamonds instead, but the effect is the same: minus 10 to the player who takes it.
How is Omnibus Hearts different from regular Hearts?
It's standard Hearts plus one extra rule: the Jack of Diamonds scores minus 10 instead of nothing, so there's one trick worth chasing. Because that bonus slows score growth, games are usually played to a lower target like 75 rather than 100.
How do you win at Omnibus Hearts?
By having the LOWEST score when a player reaches the target (commonly 75). Avoid hearts (1 each) and the Queen of Spades (13), and try to capture the Jack of Diamonds for minus 10.
How does shooting the moon work in Omnibus Hearts?
Take all 13 hearts and the Q♠ in one hand and you score 0 while everyone else gets 26. On top of that, the minus-10 Jack of Diamonds bonus still applies to whoever took it — which can be the shooter, making a moon shot even better.
Can I play Omnibus Hearts free online?
Yes. Omnibus Hearts is free to play in your browser at Love Card Games, against smart bots or with friends, with no download and no signup. It runs on our Hearts engine with the Jack-of-Diamonds bonus enabled.