trick-taking · Australia

Rickety Kate

Also known as Rickety Kate · Australian Hearts · Black Lady (Australia) · Chase the Lady · Dirty Nasty Filthy Hearts

Rickety Kate is the Australian name for Hearts — the four-player trick-taking classic where the lowest score wins. "Rickety Kate" is the nickname Aussies give the Queen of Spades, the single most-feared card in the pack: pick her up in a trick and you cop a hefty 13 penalty points. On top of that, every heart you collect costs you a point. The whole game is a careful dance of ducking under tricks, voiding suits and sliding Rickety Kate onto an unsuspecting opponent — unless you're bold enough to take every penalty card and "shoot the moon". Rickety Kate runs on our Hearts engine, so the rules are standard Hearts with the familiar Australian name. Play free in your browser against smart bots or invite friends — no download, no signup, no real money.

4–4 players · free · no download · no signup

How to play Rickety Kate

Pass 3 cards in the current direction (left/right/across, or hold) — ditch your high spades and risky hearts.
The 2♣ leads the first trick — follow the led suit if you can.
Avoid winning any trick that contains hearts or Rickety Kate (the Q♠).
When you can't follow suit, slide Rickety Kate or a high heart onto an opponent.
Lead hearts only once they've been 'broken'.
Keep your score tiny — or take every penalty card to shoot the moon. Lowest total when someone hits 100 wins.

Rickety Kate rules

Goal

Finish with the LOWEST score. Avoid winning tricks that contain hearts or the Queen of Spades — 'Rickety Kate' herself. Each heart is 1 penalty point and Rickety Kate (the Q♠) is a painful 13. The game ends when a player reaches 100 points, and whoever has the fewest points at that moment wins.

Why 'Rickety Kate'?

Rickety Kate is the popular Australian nickname for the Queen of Spades, the most dangerous card in the deck. The name varies across Aussie households and pubs, but the target is always the same: don't be the one left holding the lady at the end of a trick. Internationally the same game is called Hearts, Black Lady or Chase the Lady.

The deal & passing

All 52 cards are dealt out, 13 to each of the four players. Before each hand you pass 3 cards to an opponent: left, then right, then across, then a 'hold' hand with no passing — the direction rotates every deal. Passing is your first chance to offload high spades and dangerous hearts before play begins.

Playing the tricks

Whoever holds the 2 of Clubs leads it to start. You must follow the led suit if you can; if you can't, you may play any card — which is your moment to dump Rickety Kate or a heart on someone else. The highest card of the led suit wins the trick (there is no trump). You can't lead a heart until hearts are 'broken' (first discarded), and no hearts or the Q♠ may be played on the very first trick.

Shooting the moon

If you take ALL the penalty cards in a single hand — all 13 hearts plus Rickety Kate, worth 26 points — you 'shoot the moon': you score 0 and every other player is hit with 26 points instead. It's a high-risk reversal that can flip the whole game.

Strategy tips

Pass away your high spades early — the A♠ and K♠ force you to win Rickety Kate if she's led.
Try to 'void' a suit so you can legally discard Rickety Kate onto whoever wins the trick.
Hold a few low cards in each suit so you can duck under tricks safely.
Don't lead spades early if you still hold the Q♠ — you'll be stuck eating her yourself.
Watch for an opponent who might be shooting the moon — take a single point to break it up.
Count which suits opponents have run out of; that tells you who can be handed Rickety Kate.

Variants

Hearts (international name) · Black Lady (with the Q♠) · Chase the Lady · No-pass Hearts · Omnibus Hearts (10♦ bonus)

Rickety Kate — frequently asked questions

What is Rickety Kate in cards?

Rickety Kate is the Australian nickname for the Queen of Spades in the game of Hearts. She's the most penalising card in the deck — taking her in a trick costs you 13 points, so the whole game is about avoiding her.

Is Rickety Kate the same as Hearts?

Yes. Rickety Kate is the Australian name for Hearts — same 52-card deck, same four-player trick-taking rules, same Queen-of-Spades-is-poison theme. On Love Card Games it runs on our Hearts engine, so the gameplay is standard Hearts under the Aussie name.

How do you win at Rickety Kate?

By having the LOWEST score when a player reaches 100 points. You want to avoid taking hearts (1 point each) and Rickety Kate, the Queen of Spades (13 points), or alternatively take everything to shoot the moon.

How many points is the Queen of Spades worth?

Rickety Kate (the Q♠) is worth 13 penalty points — far more than any single heart, which is just 1 point each. Collecting all 13 hearts plus Rickety Kate equals 26 points, which is what you take when you shoot the moon.

Can I play Rickety Kate free online?

Yes — Rickety Kate is free to play in your browser at Love Card Games, against smart bots or with friends. There's no download, no signup and no real money involved.

How many players do you need for Rickety Kate?

Rickety Kate is played by four players, each dealt 13 cards from a standard 52-card deck. You can fill empty seats with our smart bots or invite friends to a multiplayer table.