Hokm
Persia’s partnership classic. The hakem names trump from five cards, and the first side to seven tricks takes the hand. 4 players, in partnerships.
How to play Hokm
- 1Four players in two partnerships; partners sit across from each other. Aces are high.
- 2Before the first hand, cards are turned up one at a time around the circle. Whoever gets the first ace is the hakem.
- 3Everyone gets five cards. The hakem looks at theirs and names any suit as trump. Then the rest of the deck is dealt, so everyone holds 13.
- 4The hakem leads the first trick. Everyone must follow the suit that was led if they can; if not, they may play any card.
- 5The highest trump wins the trick, or the highest card of the suit led if no trump was played. The winner leads the next trick.
- 6The hand stops as soon as one side has taken 7 tricks, and that side scores 1 point. Taking all 7 before the other side wins a single trick scores 2, or 3 if the side shut out held the hakem.
- 7If the hakem’s side wins the hand, the hakem stays. Otherwise the job passes to the next player in turn.
- 8The first side to reach 7 points wins.
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