How to play Baloot

Baloot

4 players

Baloot is a favorite in the Gulf and is spreading across the region. It is played by 4 players in two teams with a 32-card deck. There is a sun or trump call, and projects like sira, hundred, and baloot. It is fast, lively, and made for good company.

How to play

1 Players 4, two teams, partners opposite. 1

2 Deck 32 cards (7 up to Ace in each suit), 8 each. 2

3 Deal and calling Deal 5 to each and flip one card. Each player chooses pass, hokom (the flipped suit becomes trump), or sun (no trump). 3

4 Card values In sun, Ace 11, 10 is 10, King 4, Queen 3, Jack 2. In the trump suit it changes: Jack 20, 9 is 14, Ace 11, 10 is 10. 4

5 Projects Sira (3 in sequence), fifty (4 in sequence), hundred (5 in sequence), four aces, and baloot (king and queen of trump). Bonus melds. 5

6 Winning First team to 152 points wins. 6

Tips

Don't call sun on a weak hand

Sun needs a hand strong in aces and tens, because no trump will save you.

In hokom, count the jack and nine

They are the two strongest trumps, so know where they are before you call.

Declare projects on time

Projects are declared on the first trick. Miss it and you lose them.

Feed your partner

When your partner is winning a trick, play your ten. It is worth 10 to your team.

Variants and other names

Double

At many tables the other team can double a hokom call, doubling the points.

Other names

Called Baloot in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. It belongs to the same family as French Belote.

Questions

How many players does Baloot need?

Exactly 4, in two teams with partners opposite. Missing a fourth? Kemlet finds you a player nearby.

What's the difference between sun and hokom?

Sun has no trump and fixed card values. In hokom one suit becomes trump, and its jack and nine turn into the strongest cards.

How many cards are in a Baloot deck?

32 cards, 7 up to ace in each suit, 8 per player.

What score do you play Baloot to?

The first team to 152 points wins.