The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07.
hearts
card game played by three to six players with an ordinary deck. All the cards are dealt to the players. After a card is led, each hand must follow suit if possible. The object is to avoid accumulating points by taking tricks that contain cards of the heart suit. In black lady, a popular variation of hearts, the queen of spades is to be equally avoided. Although its origins are unknown, it first gained popularity in England in the 1890s.
