1. Teams and seats
Kout is played by four or six players in two teams. Seats alternate between the teams, so the players beside you are opponents. In Kout Bo 4 your partner sits opposite you; in Kout Bo 6 you have two partners. Play moves anti-clockwise.
2. The deal
Every player gets 8 cards, and the whole deck is dealt. Before the first round each seat draws a card, and the lowest card deals. See the Kout cards and their order.
3. Bidding
A bid is a promise: how many of the 8 tricks your team will take. It starts with the player after the dealer. Each player passes or bids higher than the bid before.
| Bid | Tricks needed |
|---|---|
| باب Bab | 5 |
| Six | 6 |
| Seven | 7 |
| انزلي Inzili | 8, every trick |
If everyone passes, the dealer must bid and cannot pass.
4. Choosing Hukm
The highest bidder chooses Hukm, the trump suit. Hukm beats the other three suits, and it must be a suit the bidder holds. Play then starts with the player after the bidder.
5. Playing the tricks
- The first player leads a card, and the others must follow that suit when they hold it.
- A player with none of that suit may play any card, including Hukm.
- The Joker takes the trick. After it, the highest Hukm card. With no Hukm played, the highest card of the suit led.
- The winner of a trick leads the next one.
- The Joker cannot lead a trick unless it is your last card, and then it does not win.
6. Scoring
Make your bid and you score its value: 5, 6 or 7 points. Miss it and the other team scores double: 10, 12 or 14. Online matches in KoutBH are played to 31 points.
انزلي Inzili is different: take all 8 tricks and you win the match at once; lose a single trick and you lose the match at once.
Tips for your first match
- Do not bid above your hand. A failed bid gives the other team double.
- Count the Hukm cards as they fall, and keep the Joker for the trick that matters.
- Try Practice first: offline, against bots, with no stake.
Want every detail? Read the official Bahraini Kout rules.
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