Coat Piece

Court Piece · Rang · Rung · Hokm — one game, many spellings

Coat Piece is what half of North India calls Court Piece: the four-player trick-taking card game where one player looks at just five cards and names the trump — the rang — for everyone. Two partnerships, thirteen cards each, first side to seven haath wins the round, and seven in a row is the kot the game is named for.

Why two spellings

The game came into English through two doors. "Court" is the older spelling and points at the court cards and the court (kot) that ends a round early. "Coat" is how the same word is heard and written across Punjab, Delhi and Pakistan, and it is the spelling most people type into a search box. Neither is wrong; they are the same rules to the card.

The rules in one minute

1. Four players, two teams, partners opposite. Standard 52-card pack.
2. Five cards each. The player to the dealer's right names the rang from those five alone.
3. The rest of the pack is dealt: thirteen cards each.
4. Follow the suit led if you can. If you cannot, any card — a rang card cuts and wins.
5. Highest rang wins the haath; otherwise highest card of the led suit. Winner leads next.
6. Seven haath wins the round. Seven in a row, or all thirteen, is a kot.

The full rules — scoring, the argued-about house rules, and a first strategy — are on the Court Piece rules page. Hindi speakers: कोर्ट पीस के नियम.

The words you will hear

Playing Coat Piece on a phone

Rung Royal is Coat Piece the way families play it: Single Sir, Double Sir, Hidden Rung and Be-Ranga, the ace-on-ace and trump-ace house rules as switches, a full table offline against bots that play differently, and private online tables over WhatsApp. It speaks eight Indian languages, including Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu. Free, with no gambling and no coins.

Play Court Piece free on Android →

Questions people ask

Is Coat Piece the same as Court Piece?

Yes. "Coat Piece" and "Court Piece" are two spellings of one game; the name comes from the Court (a kot — winning all seven haath, or seven in a row). In Hindi and Urdu it is simply Rang or Rung, after the trump suit.

How many players does Coat Piece need?

Exactly four, in two partnerships. Partners sit opposite each other. There is no three-player or five-player version of the real game — apps that offer one are playing something else.

Can I play Coat Piece offline?

Yes. Rung Royal plays a full four-seat table offline against three bots with distinct playing styles, so you do not need three friends online at the same time.

What is a kot in Coat Piece?

A kot is winning seven consecutive haath (tricks) from the start of a round, or all thirteen. It is the game's big score and the reason people remember individual hands for years.