Gemopedia
Card Games🇮🇷Iran21st century

Hokm

Officially Hokm (حکم)

IRAN'S NATIONAL TRICK-TAKING PARTNERSHIP CARD GAME (name means 'RULE' or 'COMMAND' in Persian). Played 4-HANDED 2v2 with 52-card deck; DEALER'S right-hand player becomes 'HAAKEM' (RULER) — sees first 5 cards + declares TRUMP SUIT. Deep partnership + card-counting game beloved across IRAN, AFGHANISTAN, TAJIKISTAN + diaspora communities. Ubiquitous in cafes, house parties + family gatherings; multiple online apps (Bazi Ba Haaji, Hokm Bazi) with millions of daily players.

⏱~30 min🌤indoor

Quick facts

Category

Card Games

Type

Team sport

Players

4–4

Duration

~30 min

Where played

indoor

Country of origin

🇮🇷 Iran

Estimated origin

Emerged early 20th c. in Iran; likely derived from Ottoman + Anglo-Indian card games introduced to Persia via trade + British influence 1900-1930s; became Iran's most popular card game; spread to Afghanistan, Tajikistan; extensive diaspora play in Iranian communities globally; online apps 2010s+.

Olympic

No

Popularity

regional

How it works

Objective

First team to win 7 ROUNDS (each round decided by which team takes 7+ tricks of 13) wins the GAME.

Rules

Basic rules

  • DEAL FIRST 5 CARDS to the HAAKEM (Ruler — right of dealer) who examines them + declares TRUMP SUIT for the round

    Signature Haakem 5-card trump declaration.

  • REMAINING CARDS dealt in 4-4 batches to all 4 players (total 13 cards each)

    Signature 5-4-4 deal pattern.

  • PLAY: HAAKEM leads first trick; 13 tricks played, each player follows suit if able

    Signature 13-trick round.

  • PARTNERSHIP: HAAKEM's team must WIN 7+ tricks; if OPPOSING team wins 7+, they get the point + BECOME NEW HAAKEM (shift)

    Signature 7-trick win + haakem-shift.

  • RANK: A(high) > K > Q > J > 10 > 9 > ... > 2(low); TRUMP suit beats all others (Hokm suit)

    Signature standard rank + trump.

  • SCORING: TEAM that takes 7+ tricks wins the round = 1 POINT; SCORE 13-0 SWEEP called 'KOT' (KEPT) = 2 POINTS in some rules

    Signature 1-point + 2-point Kot rule.

  • FIRST TEAM to 7 POINTS wins the GAME (or 11 or 13 in longer variants)

    Signature 7-point game.

  • SOCIAL TRADITION: banter + strategic table-talk 'ROO' commonly used (but pre-arranged partner signals prohibited in strict play)

    Signature social banter culture.

Scoring

Round = which team takes 7+ tricks; Kot (13-0 sweep) doubles; game to 7 points.

Win condition · First team to 7 points; some variants play to 11 or 13.

Equipment

  • STANDARD 52-CARD PACK (no jokers)

    Signature standard pack.

  • SCORE MARKER (chip or paper — often just chips)

    Standard chip-based score.

  • TABLE + 4 CHAIRS (partners across)

    Standard playing space.

  • TEA + PISTACHIO (cultural accompaniment)

    Cultural accompaniment.

Terminology

Ḥokm (حکم)
Persian for 'rule' or 'command' — the game's name + trump suit.
Haakem
'Ruler' — player who declares trump suit for the round.
Kot / Kept
13-0 sweep — doubles the round's point value.
Roo
Table talk / banter — commonly practiced but pre-arranged signals prohibited in strict play.
Bazi Ba Haaji
Popular online Hokm platform (Persian for 'game with Haji').
Yek yek
'One by one' — signaling careful trump-tricking.
Dozdi
'Theft' — winning a trick with unexpected low trump.

Major competitions

  • Online Bazi Ba Haaji + Hokm Bazi tournaments (weekly + seasonal)

    continuous · Iran + Persian diaspora online · since 2013

  • Regional cafe tournaments (Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, Mashhad + international Iranian expat clubs)

    seasonal · Iran + diaspora · since 1970

Where it is played

Governing bodies

  • No formal international federation; regional cafe leagues + online platform organizers

    Founded 1990 · Iran (regional)

  • Bazi Ba Haaji (online platform, largest for Hokm)

    Founded 2013 · Iran

Famous names & records

Famous athletes

  • Regional Iranian tournament winners; online app leaderboard tops (Bazi Ba Haaji, Hokm Bazi platforms)

Sources & provenance

Last verified 2026-08-28.verified