| Hartenjagen or Hearts as you may all know it is a | | | | Black Maria. Many so called professional players |
| very popular game. This game first came to be in | | | | avoided this game because it was dull according |
| the mid 18th century, around 1750, and it was | | | | to them, that is why a tournament of |
| developed in Spain from a game called Reverse. | | | | Hartenjagen was very rare. But at some point |
| Reverse is an older card playing game first | | | | someone thought of a brilliant idea that turned |
| mentioned in the early 17th century, the game is | | | | Hartenjagen into one of the most popular card |
| described as trick-taking card game, the same as | | | | games in the world. The idea was called Shoot |
| Hartenjagen. | | | | the Moon or Get a Key, and the idea was that if |
| Unlike other games what made this game so | | | | a player collects all hearts and the queen of |
| popular was the idea, and that is to have, what | | | | spades than all other players will get all 26 points. |
| would be a loosing hand for other games, and to | | | | That feature added a provocative twist and |
| win. Basically you will most likely lose if you have | | | | turned this trick-playing game from an avoid |
| high cards; the idea is to avoid penalty cards such | | | | tactics game to an all around action card game. |
| as hearts and in most versions of the game | | | | Later in the 20th century the Jack of Diamonds |
| queen of spades. In the beginning there was also | | | | was added as a variation to the play, it scored 10 |
| Jack of Hearts or Quinola Grande, while the queen | | | | points, but that is more or less avoided in |
| of hearts was called Quinola Pequena, meaning | | | | tournaments and in online games which are now |
| little queen. Somewhere in the middle 19th century | | | | pretty popular. The last rules that were brought |
| the game became amazingly popular and the | | | | to Hartenjagen were: Heart cannot be a leading |
| game of Reverse officially gave birth to the game | | | | card, passing of three cards before each play and |
| of Hartenjagen as we know it now. | | | | the opening with the deuce of clubs. The three |
| The actual thirteen points for queen of spades | | | | rules brought the Hartenjagen a totally new |
| were brought in with the new version of the | | | | dimension and made it into a worldwide popular |
| game, the one most of you know today, called | | | | game. |