HOKM

Hokm is an old trick-taking card game from Iran with four players competing against each other in two teams. It is similar to spades, but there is no bidding, and trump is declared every hand.

The rules to Hokm:

Deal one card to each player. The player with the highest value card becomes "Haakem", the trump-picker. In case of tie redeal. Partners sit opposite each other. 5 cards are dealt to each player by a non-claiming team member, in groups of 5; dealing and play proceed counter-clockwise. Haakem picks trump ("hokm") for that hand, based on the suits he's holding at that point (hearts/"del", spades/"pic", clubs/"gishniz", diamonds,"khesht"). 4 cards are then dealt out to each player, and then once again 4, so that each player is holding 13 cards and there are none left over. Haakem leads any card of any suit. Your play must follow suit if able, and any card is legal if you can't follow suit. Highest card of suit led or highest trump takes trick, and trick-taker leads next hand. The goal is to be the first partnership to win 7 tricks (half of thirteen, rounded up). If claiming team makes 7, on the next hand Haakem remains the same. If the opposing team makes 7, Haakem becomes the player directly counterclockwise from Haakem.

Scoring:
Claiming team makes 7+ tricks: 1 point
Claiming team makes 7+ tricks plus opponents get zero tricks: 2 points

Opposing team makes 7+ tricks: 1 point
Opposing team makes 7+ tricks plus claiming team gets zero tricks: 3 points

A match is played to 7 points.

Strategy is different from spades, in that you want to win your tricks early and can't depend on high trumps to necessarily win before the other team gets 7 tricks. Even partnerships with the A through 9 of trump can get shut out . There is a lot more hidden information than spades or bridge, since only one player announces a suit (with an implied 7 trick bid). Also, you can easily be fooled if you are Haakem by the initial 5 cards, considering you have yet to see most of your hand.

In Iran the game is played by everyone, especially old men, con artists, gamblers and gangsters. Traditionally in money games no conversation or eye contact is allowed, which makes signaling conventions a lot more important than in spades.

Hall of Fame:
Behnam is considered as one of the best players of all times