Hokm

The Persian cousin of Court Piece

Hokm is Iran's national card game, and if you have played Court Piece, Rang or Coat Piece you already know it. Four players in two partnerships, one of them — the hakem — names the trump from the first five cards, and seven tricks take the hand.

How Hokm is played

  1. The hakem is chosen by dealing cards face up until an ace appears.
  2. Five cards each; the hakem names hokm (trump) on those five.
  3. The rest of the pack is dealt in batches of four.
  4. Follow suit; trump wins if played; the winner leads.
  5. Seven tricks win the hand. Taking seven before the other side takes any is a kot — the same word, the same glory.

Hokm and Court Piece, side by side

HokmCourt Piece / Rang
hakemthe caller (the highest card drawn in the first hand, then the player to the dealer's right)
hokmrang / rung / hukum
trickhaath
kotkot / court
hand to 7round to 7

The full Court Piece rules, which Hokm players will find familiar, are here.

Play it free

Rung Royal plays this game against bots or online with your own people, in eight languages, with the house rules as switches.

Play Hokm / Court Piece free →

Questions people ask

What is the difference between Hokm and Court Piece?

Almost none. Both are four-player partnership games where one player names the trump on five cards and seven tricks win. Names differ (hakem vs caller, hokm vs rang), and a few house rules about the deal.

What does hokm mean?

Hokm (حکم) is Persian for "order" or "rule" — the trump suit rules the hand. Hukum in Hindi and Urdu is the same word, and in Court Piece it also names spades.

Can I play Hokm online with friends?

Rung Royal hosts a private table you share over WhatsApp; empty seats fill with bots, so a game starts with two people or four.

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