Gulf · Trick-taking · Partners
Hokm: rules and how to play
حكم الحاكم
Hokm is a fast partnership game with no bidding at all. One player, the hakem (the ruler), sees five cards and names trump, the hokm. Then two teams race to be first to seven tricks, and the hand stops the moment one of them gets there. Win the hand and the hakem stays; lose it and the role moves on.
At a glance
- Players
- 4, in two teams of two
- Deck
- 52 cards, ace high
- Goal
- First team to 7 points
- A game
- Short hands, first to 7 tricks
01
How to play in one minute
- To find the first hakem, deal cards face up one at a time until an ace appears: whoever gets it is the hakem.
- Shuffle again. The hakem takes five cards, looks at them and names trump.
- Deal the rest: five each to the others, then two rounds of four to everyone. Everyone holds 13.
- The hakem leads. Follow suit if you can; if not, trump or throw any card. The highest trump wins.
- The first team to 7 tricks wins the hand and a point; a kot (7 to none) scores 2, or 3 against the hakem's team. First to 7 points wins.
02
The rules
The hakem and the deal
One 52-card deck, ace high. To pick the first hakem, cards are dealt face up one at a time, starting on the dealer's right, until an ace appears; whoever gets it is the hakem. All 52 cards are then shuffled again. The hakem gets five cards, looks at them and names the trump suit, the hokm; any suit may be named. Then the others get five each, starting on the hakem's right, and two rounds of four go to everyone, starting with the hakem.
Playing
Play goes to the right and the hakem leads the first trick. Follow the suit led if you can. If you can't, play any card: you may trump, but you don't have to. The highest trump wins the trick; with no trump in it, the highest card of the suit led wins. The winner leads the next trick. The hand stops as soon as a team has 7 tricks, and the remaining cards are not played.
Scoring
- The team that takes 7 tricks wins the hand and 1 point.
- Kot, 7 tricks to none: 2 points. A kot against the hakem's team scores 3.
- If the hakem's team wins the hand, the same hakem stays. If it loses, the player on the hakem's right becomes the new hakem.
- The first team to 7 points wins the game.
The hakem's team wins 7 tricks to 4: it scores 1 point and the hakem stays. Had the other team won 7 to 0, it would have scored 3.
03
Tips from the table
- As hakem, name the suit you hold most of in your five cards. Eight more cards are coming, and trump length wins hands.
- The hand ends at 7 tricks, so cards left in your hand never matter. Cash your sure winners before the race is over.
- A kot against the hakem's team pays 3. When the hakem's side looks weak, keep pressing even once you are ahead.
- Holding on to the hakem is worth a lot: seeing five cards before naming trump is an edge in every hand.
Qahwa · قهوة
Play it in Qahwa
Switch the house rules before you deal:
- Play to 3, 5 or 7 points
- A kot against the hakem's team pays 3
Online, every computer player is labelled and the deal can be checked. How we keep it fair
04
Questions
What does hokm mean?
Hokm means rule, and in the game it is the trump suit. The hakem, the ruler, is the player who names it after seeing five cards.
What is a kot in Hokm?
Winning a hand 7 tricks to none. It scores 2 points, or 3 when it is against the hakem's team.
Is Hokm the same as the Hokom in Baloot?
No. Hokom is a contract inside Baloot. Hokm is a game of its own: no bidding, 13 cards each from a full deck, and the first team to seven tricks wins the hand.
Play it free: Hokm
Qahwa is in testing and not on Google Play yet. Join the early players list and be first at the table.