Trick-taking (Whist / Hokm family) · Pakistan, India and South Asia

Kot Piece

Also known as Coat Piece · Court Piece (Kot) · Rang (Double Sir) · Double Sir · Double Sar · Coat · Kot

Kot Piece — also spelled Coat Piece and widely known as Court Piece or Rang — is a 4-player, partnership trick-taking card game that is hugely popular across Pakistan, India and the wider South Asian diaspora. Played with a standard 52-card deck, four players split into two fixed teams of two, with partners sitting opposite each other so play moves around the table between opponents. It belongs to the same family as Whist and the Persian game Hokm, and shares its DNA with Court Piece, Rung and Hokm, but Kot Piece puts the spotlight on one thing above all: the Kot. A "Kot" (also written Coat, Court or Kout) is the slam — a team sweeping all the tricks, or at least winning the run of tricks while the opponents take none. It is the highest, most satisfying score in the game and the reason the game carries its name. At the start of each deal one player, the trump-caller, looks at only the first five cards dealt to them and — without saying a word to their partner — names the trump suit, called the sir, hukam or rang. From that single decision the whole hand unfolds: thirteen tricks of bluff, suit-counting and partnership signalling, all aimed at either sweeping a Kot or stopping the other side from getting one. The most common scoring version played in Pakistan and India is the "Double Sir" (Double Sar) variant, where the word sir means "trick" — and in that version, capturing the cards on the table depends on winning two tricks in a row, raising the tension on every single lead. Kot Piece is easy to learn, deeply strategic to master, and a fixture of family gatherings, tea-stall tables and online card rooms throughout the subcontinent.

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How to play Kot Piece

Sit four players as two teams of two, with each player opposite their partner, and shuffle a standard 52-card deck with the jokers removed.
The dealer deals five cards to each player. The trump-caller (seated next to the dealer) looks only at these first five cards and, without telling their partner, announces the trump suit (the sir / hukam / rang).
The dealer deals the remaining cards in batches of four (5-4-4) until every player holds 13 cards.
The trump-caller leads any card to the first trick; going around the table, each player must follow the led suit if able, or otherwise may play a trump or any card.
Win each trick with the highest trump, or — if no trump was played — the highest card of the suit that was led; the trick-winner leads the next trick.
In the Double Sir variant, leave each won trick face down in the centre and only collect the pile when the same player wins two tricks in a row.
Keep playing all 13 tricks, aiming to win at least seven tricks for the deal — or to sweep the run of tricks (ideally all 13) for the prized Kot — then rotate the deal based on who won.

Kot Piece rules

Players, Teams and the Deck

Kot Piece is a game for exactly four players using a standard 52-card deck with the jokers removed. The four players form two fixed partnerships of two. Partners sit directly opposite one another, so the seating alternates team-A, team-B, team-A, team-B around the table. There are no individual scores — everything is won and lost as a team. Cards rank in the normal order within each suit: Ace (high), King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (low). Play and dealing traditionally move in one consistent direction around the table (commonly anticlockwise).

Choosing the Trump (Sir / Hukam / Rang)

Before all the cards are out, the trump suit is chosen. The dealer first deals five cards to each player. The trump-caller — the player seated next to the dealer — looks at those first five cards only and, without communicating with their partner, announces which suit will be trump for the whole hand. This trump suit is called the sir, hukam or rang. The choice is permanent for that deal: it cannot be changed once declared. Because the caller commits with only five of their thirteen cards seen, trump selection is the single most important decision in the game and rewards reading your strongest suit and your high cards.

Dealing the Rest of the Hand

Once the trump has been called, the dealer completes the deal by giving out the remaining cards in batches of four — typically two more rounds of four cards each — so that every player ends with 13 cards. The standard dealing pattern is therefore 5-4-4. After the deal, all 52 cards are in play and each of the four players holds thirteen, ready for the thirteen tricks that make up the hand.

Playing the Tricks (Following Suit)

The trump-caller leads the first trick by playing any card they choose. Play then proceeds around the table, with each player contributing one card. Players must follow the suit that was led if they are able to. A player who has no card of the led suit may play any card, including a trump. A trick is won by the highest trump played; if no trump is played, the highest card of the suit that was led wins. The winner of each trick gathers it (in the standard version) and leads the first card to the next trick. This continues until all thirteen tricks have been played.

Winning a Deal and Scoring a Kot

The core object is to score Kots (also spelled coats or courts) by dominating the tricks. In the basic scoring, the team that wins at least seven of the thirteen tricks wins the deal. Winning seven deals in succession is equivalent to one Kot. The crowning achievement, however, is the slam: a team wins a Kot in a single deal by winning the run of tricks — most commonly by taking the first seven tricks while the opponents win none, after which they may carry on to try to sweep all thirteen. Sweeping all 13 tricks is the rare, prestigious result (sometimes called a 52-court or bavney) and is the maximum score in the game. If the dealer's side rather than the trump-caller's side sweeps the run of tricks, this is sometimes called a goon court (goon-kot) — a particularly humiliating loss for the trump-caller, and in many house rules it is scored at a multiple, such as triple.

The Double Sir (Double Sar) Variant

The most widely played scoring version in Pakistan and India is Double Sir, where 'sir' (sar) means trick. The deal, trump-calling and rules of play are identical to standard Kot Piece, with one key twist: when you win a trick you do NOT immediately collect the cards. Instead the completed trick is turned face down and left as a heap in the centre of the table. Those central cards are only gathered in when the SAME player wins two consecutive tricks — at that moment they sweep up the current trick plus all the earlier face-down tricks still sitting in the middle. Crucially, if two consecutive tricks are won by two different players of the same partnership, the cards in the centre cannot be collected; the same individual must win back-to-back tricks. In this variant, to score a Kot/court within a single deal a team must win all thirteen tricks, which makes Double Sir tenser and the slam harder-won than in the basic game.

Dealer Rotation and the Next Hand

Who deals and calls trump next depends on the result of the hand. In the common convention, if the dealer's team wins the deal the deal passes to the next player so the dealing team's advantage rotates; if the trump-caller's team wins without scoring a Kot, the same dealer usually deals again; and when a Kot/court is scored, the deal moves to the partner of the previous dealer. House rules vary on the exact rotation, but the principle is consistent: the right to call trump is a prize that shifts with the outcome, so winning a deal often means keeping or handing off that advantage.

Strategy tips

Call trump on strength, not hope: with only five cards visible, choose the suit where you hold the most cards or the highest cards (especially Ace-King), since a thin trump suit leaves you exposed once all 13 cards are out.
Count the trumps. Track how many trump cards have been played so you know when the suit is exhausted and your long side-suit winners become unbeatable.
Lead your long, strong suit early to force opponents to follow and burn their high cards, setting up later tricks for your team while you still control trumps.
Signal through your discards. When you can't follow suit, the card you throw quietly tells your partner which suit you are strong or weak in — partnership card-reading wins more Kots than raw luck.
In Double Sir, remember that only one player winning two tricks in a row collects the centre pile, so coordinate so the SAME partner takes consecutive tricks rather than ping-ponging wins between the two of you.
Play defence to deny the Kot: even if you can't win the deal, breaking the opponents' run of tricks — taking just one trick from a would-be sweep — can save your team from a costly court (or a triple-scoring goon court).

Variants

Court Piece (standard) - the base 2v2 trick-taking game where tricks are collected immediately and seven tricks win the deal · Double Sir / Double Sar - the most common Pakistan/India variant where won tricks stay face down in the centre until the same player wins two consecutive tricks · Single Sir - simpler scoring counting tricks one at a time · Hokm / Rang / Rung - regional Persian and Urdu names for closely related versions of the same trump-calling game · Goon court / goon-kot scoring - house rule where the dealing team sweeping the tricks scores at a multiple (often triple) · 52-court / bavney - the rare maximum result of winning all thirteen tricks, scored as the highest possible Kot

Kot Piece — frequently asked questions

How do you play Kot Piece?

Four players form two teams of two, sitting opposite their partner, using a 52-card deck. Each player is dealt five cards; the trump-caller then names the trump suit (the sir) based only on those five cards. The rest of the cards are dealt out to 13 each, and players take turns playing tricks, following the led suit when they can. The highest trump or highest card of the led suit wins each trick. Your team aims to win at least seven of the thirteen tricks for the deal — or sweep the run of tricks to score a Kot.

What are the basic rules of Kot Piece?

Use a standard 52-card deck, four players in two fixed partnerships. Deal five cards, the trump-caller picks trump, then deal the rest so everyone has 13. You must follow suit if you can; if not, you may trump or discard. Highest trump wins a trick, or the highest card of the suit led if no trump is played. Winning seven of thirteen tricks wins the deal, and sweeping the tricks scores a Kot. The popular Double Sir variant adds the rule that won tricks stay face down in the centre until the same player wins two tricks in a row.

What is a Kot (Coat) and how do you score one?

A Kot — also spelled Coat, Court or Kout — is the slam of the game: one team sweeping the tricks while the other side wins none. In the basic game a team scores a Kot by winning the run of tricks (commonly the first seven with the opponents at zero, then often continuing toward all 13). Sweeping all thirteen tricks is the maximum result, sometimes called a 52-court or bavney. Winning seven deals in a row also counts as one Kot in many scoring systems.

How is trump (the sir) chosen in Kot Piece?

The trump-caller — the player seated next to the dealer — is dealt the first five cards and looks at only those cards. Without communicating with their partner, they announce the trump suit, called the sir, hukam or rang. That suit stays trump for the entire hand. Because the caller commits with just five of their eventual thirteen cards seen, choosing trump wisely (usually your longest or highest suit) is the most important decision in the game.

What is the difference between Kot Piece, Court Piece and Double Sir?

They are the same family of game with different names and scoring emphasis. Court Piece (also Coat Piece, Rang, Hokm) is the broad game; Kot Piece highlights scoring the Kot, the all-trick slam. Double Sir (Double Sar) is the most popular scoring variant in Pakistan and India: 'sir' means trick, and won tricks are left face down in the centre, collected only when the same player wins two consecutive tricks. In Double Sir, a team must win all thirteen tricks to score a court in a single deal.

How many players do you need for Kot Piece?

Kot Piece is played by exactly four players, split into two partnerships of two, with each player sitting opposite their teammate. It cannot be played short-handed with the standard rules because the 52-card deck is dealt evenly into four hands of 13. Some online apps offer larger-table or multi-deck versions, but the classic game is strictly four players in 2-vs-2 teams.