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Download on Google Play- Use a standard 52-card deck for 3-5 players.
- Deal cards evenly; set aside any extras face-down.
- Follow the led suit if possible; otherwise play any card.
- Highest card of the led suit wins; no trump suit.
- Collect heart cards from tricks you win.
- Each heart captured: 1 point.
- Ace of Hearts: 5 points.
- Capturing all 13 hearts doubles your round score.
Rules
Smoorverliefd, meaning 'head over heels in love' in Dutch, is a romantic-themed trick-taking card game where collecting hearts is actually the goal rather than something to avoid. Players compete to gather the most heart cards through clever trick play.
Objective
Collect as many heart cards as possible through winning tricks. The player who captures the most hearts at the end of the round scores the highest.
Setup
- Players: 3 to 5 players.
- Deck: Standard 52-card deck.
- Deal: Deal cards evenly to all players. Set aside any extras face-down.
Gameplay
- Leading: The player to the dealer's left leads the first trick.
- Following suit: Players must follow the led suit if able. If not, they may play any card.
- Winning tricks: The highest card of the led suit wins. There is no trump suit.
- Collecting hearts: When you win a trick containing hearts, add those heart cards to your score pile.
Scoring
- Heart cards: Each heart captured is worth 1 point.
- Ace of Hearts: Worth 5 points as a bonus.
- All hearts bonus: Capturing all 13 hearts in a single round doubles your score for that round.
Variations
- Smoorverliefd with Trump: Hearts serve as a permanent trump suit, making them easier to capture but harder to manage.
- Blind Love: Players must bid how many hearts they expect to capture before play begins.
Tips and Strategies
- Lead suits where you are strong to win tricks, then hope hearts are discarded onto your winning tricks by opponents who cannot follow suit.
- Void yourself in a non-heart suit early to play hearts whenever that suit is led.
- The Ace of Hearts is extremely valuable — build your strategy around capturing or protecting it.
Tips & Strategy
Focus on winning tricks in rounds where hearts are likely to be discarded. Voiding a side suit gives you the flexibility to dump unwanted cards and play hearts strategically.
The player who controls when and how hearts enter play has a significant advantage. Try to engineer situations where hearts are dumped on tricks you are already winning.
Trivia & Fun Facts
The name Smoorverliefd literally translates to 'smotheringly in love,' reflecting the game's theme of desperately chasing hearts.
What does the Dutch word 'Smoorverliefd' mean in English?
History & Culture
Smoorverliefd likely developed as a playful inversion of Hartenjagen, the Dutch Hearts game. Its romantic theme made it popular as a lighthearted social game in Dutch gatherings.
Smoorverliefd reflects the Dutch love of playful card games with thematic twists. It is often brought out at social gatherings as a cheerful alternative to more competitive games.
Variations & House Rules
Making hearts the trump suit in one variant dramatically changes strategy. The Blind Love variant adds a bidding element that rewards accurate prediction.
Assign different point values to each heart card based on rank for more granular scoring, or add a penalty for the player who captures zero hearts.
