How to Play Black Maria

By Jaques of London · Est. 1795 · Updated 2026-08-17

Black Maria is a trick-avoidance card game for three to seven players in which the goal is not to win certain cards. Chief among the penalties is the Queen of Spades, known as Black Maria, whose 13 points can wreck a round in a single trick. The game rewards careful hand management, shrewd passing decisions, and reading your opponents' intentions under pressure.

It is a staple of family card nights and kitchen-table play across Britain. The rules are simple enough to explain in minutes yet the strategy runs deep, making it equally satisfying for children who have mastered basics and adults who enjoy a competitive session.

A little history

Black Maria belongs to the Hearts family of trick-avoidance games, which became widely popular in Britain and North America during the nineteenth century. The specific name and the practice of passing cards before play are closely associated with the British tradition, though the precise origins of the game under this name are unclear. It shares mechanics with American Hearts but pre-dates its current standardised form; beyond that, the documentary record is thin and any firmer claim would be speculation.

Setting up

1. Remove cards from the deck to ensure an even deal: with 3 players remove the 2 of Clubs, leaving 51 cards (17 each); with 4 players use the full deck (13 each); with 5 players remove the 2 of Clubs and 2 of Diamonds (50 cards, 10 each); with 6 players remove the 2 of Clubs, 2 of Diamonds, and 2 of Hearts (51 cards, but uneven, standard practice is to play with 48 cards, removing two twos of different suits so each player gets 8); with 7 players remove three low cards so 49 remain (7 each). Agree on the exact removals before play.
2. Choose a dealer by cutting the deck; highest card deals. The deal passes clockwise after each round.
3. Shuffle thoroughly and deal all cards one at a time, face down, clockwise.
4. Each player examines their hand, then selects three cards and passes them face down to the player on their left. All players pass simultaneously before anyone looks at what they received.
5. Players pick up the three cards they received, completing their final hand. Play begins.

How to play

1. The player holding the 2 of Clubs leads it to the first trick. If that card was removed to balance the deal, the player holding the lowest Club leads it instead.
2. Play proceeds clockwise. Each player must follow suit if able. If a player cannot follow suit, they may play any card from their hand.
3. There are no trumps. The highest card of the led suit wins the trick.
4. The winner of each trick leads the next.
5. Hearts may not be led until a heart has been discarded on a previous trick, or until the leader has nothing but hearts remaining in hand. (Some groups waive this restriction; agree before play.)
6. The Black Maria (Queen of Spades) and all thirteen Hearts are penalty cards. Players collect them face up in front of themselves as tricks are won.
7. Play continues until all cards have been played, completing the round.
8. Score the round: each Heart scores 1 penalty point; the Queen of Spades (Black Maria) scores 13 penalty points. All other cards score nothing.
9. Exception, Shooting the Moon: if one player wins all 13 Hearts AND the Queen of Spades in a single round, they score 0 and every other player scores 26 instead. This must be declared or will be identified automatically when scores are totalled.
10. Record cumulative scores. Deal the next round. Play continues until one player's cumulative total reaches or exceeds 100 points (or another agreed target).
11. The player with the lowest cumulative score at that point wins the game.

Winning and scoring

The game ends the moment any player reaches or passes 100 penalty points at the end of a round. The player with the fewest penalty points at that moment wins. In the event of a tie for lowest score, the tied players share the win or play a sudden-death round, as agreed before the game. The Queen of Spades alone carries 13 points, so a single bad trick can dramatically change standings. If a player Shoots the Moon, takes every Heart and the Queen of Spades in one round, they score 0 for that round and every other player is given 26 penalty points instead.

The fine points

The most common dispute concerns the heart-led restriction. The standard ruling is that Hearts cannot be led until one has been shed on a trick in which another suit was led, or until the leader holds only Hearts. If a player accidentally leads a Heart before this condition is met, the card should be taken back without penalty if caught immediately; if other players have already played, the trick stands and Hearts are considered broken from that point. The second frequent dispute is over Shooting the Moon: in most British play the shooter is identified when all tricks are counted, and the bonus is applied automatically. There is no requirement to announce the attempt in advance unless your group has agreed a house rule to that effect.

With uneven hands in three- or five-player games, some groups treat the extra card(s) removed as a kitty won by the winner of the first trick. The penalty cards in the kitty count against that player's score for the round. Agree on this before dealing to avoid arguments mid-game.

How to win more often

• Pass your highest Spades, especially the Ace and King, in the pre-play exchange. Holding either alongside the Queen creates severe risk; stranding someone else with them is a strong opening move.
• Count Hearts as they fall. If you are tracking who has taken none, a player who is clean mid-round may be trying to Shoot the Moon; consider throwing them a Heart to break the attempt even at cost to yourself.
• Void yourself in one suit during the pass if possible. A void lets you shed dangerous cards, including the Queen of Spades, on any trick in that suit rather than winning it.
• Do not play high cards early without purpose. Leading an Ace forces you to win the trick and takes on whatever penalties your opponents choose to discard on it.
• In late play, keep track of who holds what. If you know an opponent must win the last trick, it is correct to dump all remaining penalty cards on it regardless of suit restrictions.

Variations

Omnibus Hearts

A popular extension that adds a bonus card: the Jack of Diamonds scores minus 10 points (a benefit) for the player who wins it. This introduces a second strategic target alongside Shooting the Moon and rewards players who pursue tricks selectively rather than avoiding them entirely.

Spot Hearts

Instead of each Heart scoring a flat 1 point, cards score their pip value: Ace is 14, King 13, Queen 12, Jack 11, and numbered cards at face value. The Queen of Spades retains her 13-point penalty. This sharply increases the cost of high Hearts and changes passing strategy from the outset.

Two-Player Black Maria

Deal 13 cards to each player. Place the remaining 26 cards in a draw pile. After each trick, both players draw one card from the pile until it is exhausted, then play out the remaining hand. Scoring is standard. The game plays quickly and suits pairs who want a head-to-head session without a full group.

Black Lady (No-Pass Variant)

The three-card pass is omitted entirely; play begins immediately after the deal. This removes the planning element from setup and makes each round more dependent on what you are dealt, giving less experienced players a slightly more even footing. It also shortens the game considerably.

Black Maria: frequently asked questions