Gulf · Trick-taking · Partners
Kout: rules and how to play
كوت
Kout is Kuwait's own trick-taking game and the heart of many a diwaniya night. Kout Bo 4 is played by two teams of two with a short 32-card deck. Bid how many of the eight tricks your team will take; bid all eight and you have called Kout, the boldest promise at the table.
At a glance
- Players
- 4, in two teams of two (Bo 6: three against three)
- Deck
- 32 cards, 7 to ace
- Goal
- First team to 31 points
- A game
- Quick hands of 8 tricks
01
How to play in one minute
- Deal 8 cards each from a 32-card deck: 7 to ace in every suit.
- Bid once each, from the dealer's right: 5 to 8 tricks, higher than the last bid, or pass. Eight is Kout.
- The highest bidder names trump and leads the first trick.
- Follow suit if you can; if not, trump or throw any card. All 8 tricks are played.
- Make the bid and your team scores it; miss it and the other team scores it. First to 31 wins.
02
The rules
Bidding
Starting on the dealer's right, each player bids once: the number of tricks their team will take, from 5 to 8 and higher than the bid before it, or pass. A bid of 8 is Kout, a promise to take every trick. If the first three players pass, the dealer must take the minimum bid.
Playing
The highest bidder names trump and 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.
Scoring
- Bid made: your team scores the bid, not the tricks it took.
- Bid missed: the other team scores the bid, and your team loses nothing.
- Kout missed: the other team scores double, 16. A Kout made wins the game at once.
- Only one team scores in each hand, so there are no ties. There is no doubling in Kout.
Your team bids 6 and takes 7 tricks: you score 6. Take only 5 and the other team scores 6.
03
Tips from the table
- With only eight tricks, aces and trump length win hands. Don't bid on queens and jacks.
- A missed bid hands the whole bid to the other team, so pushing the bidding up to 7 can be a strong defence.
- Call Kout with the top trumps and a long side suit: a Kout made ends the game in one hand.
- As dealer you may be forced to bid 5, so keep that in mind before everyone passes to you.
Qahwa · قهوة
Play it in Qahwa
Switch the house rules before you deal:
- Dealer must bid after three passes
- A Kout made wins the game
- Kout Bo 6: three against three with 36 cards, to 31
04
Questions
What does Kout mean?
Kout is the bid of all eight tricks. Make it and you win the game on the spot; miss it and the other team scores 16.
What is the difference between Kout Bo 4 and Kout Bo 6?
Bo 4 is two teams of two with 32 cards. Bo 6 is three against three with 36 cards. Qahwa has both.
Can I play Kout offline?
Yes. Play Kout against the computer without internet, or online with friends at a private table or in your Diwaniya.
