How to Play Kout Step by Step

Kout (الكوت) is Kuwait's favorite card game — a fast, competitive trick-taking game for four players in two teams. The rules are easy to learn, and the fun starts the moment the bidding begins. In this guide, we walk through how to play Kout step by step, from the first deal to the winning score, covering the rules beginners need most.

Step 1: Set Up the Table and Teams

Kout is played by four players in two fixed teams of two. Partners sit opposite each other and play together for the whole session.

1. Use a standard 52-card deck and remove the jokers.
2. Card ranking, highest to lowest: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7.
3. Choose partners — the two players sitting across from each other form a team.
4. Deal 5 cards to each player, one at a time, clockwise.
5. The player to the dealer's left opens the bidding.

Step 2: Bid and Choose the Trump (الحكم)

After the deal, players bid to decide which suit becomes the trump (الحكم) — the suit that beats all others. Bidding starts low and rises in steps of 10.

1. The first player opens the bidding, usually around 20 or 30.
2. Each player in turn bids higher, passes, or — in some house rules — doubles.
3. The highest bidder wins the right to name the trump suit.
4. That player sets the trump, and play begins.

The bid is your team's target, not bragging. If the team that wins the bid fails to reach it, the points go to the opponents instead.

Step 3: Play the Tricks

Each round has five tricks — one for every card in hand. The player who won the bidding leads the first card.

1. The lead player plays any card from their hand.
2. Each player in turn must follow suit if they can.
3. If you cannot follow suit, play any card — including trump.
4. The highest card of the led suit wins the trick, unless a trump is played, which beats everything.
5. The trick winner leads the next trick.

Every trick is worth 10 points, so the five tricks in a round total 50 points. Count every trick — they add up fast.

Step 4: Score Projects and Win the Game

On top of trick points, players earn bonus points for combinations (مشاريع) held in hand and declared during play:

• Sira (سيرة): three consecutive cards of the same suit — 20 points.
• Fifty (خمسين): four consecutive cards — 50 points.
• Hundred (مية): five consecutive cards — 100 points.
• Four of a kind — 100 points.

The first team to reach the agreed target — commonly 152 points — wins the session and takes the bragging rights. Scoring is where most arguments start, so the Kout Score app (كوت سكور) helps you calculate and track Kout session scores and keep the numbers straight.

Ready for your next session? The Kout Score app is free on Google Play and helps players calculate and track Kout session scores with zero hassle. The blog and app are in their launch phase and evolving with user feedback, so your suggestions can shape what comes next. Download Kout Score at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.q8dm.kout and start playing — scoring has never been easier.