Baloot
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Baloot (Arabic: بلوت), is a popular trick card game played in Saudi Arabia, which is similar to the French game (Belote).
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[edit] The Game
There are four players in partnerships of two teams. A standard 32-card set is used. 8 for each player. there is two ways of playing "Judges suit, Arabic: أوراق الحكم / حكم(Hokom)" and the other way call "Sǔn Arabic: صـن (Sǔn)". the suits ranking are :
[edit] Sǔn
| 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
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| Clubs: |  |
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| Diamonds: |  |
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| Hearts: |  |
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| Spades: |  |
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[edit] Hokom
Assume the Hokom suit is the Sherya (Clubs) ♣ (for example)
| 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
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| Clubs: | |
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| Diamonds: | |
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| Hearts: | |
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[edit] Seating
The two members of each team are seated across each other, often on a table in such a way that no player can see the cards of other players .
[edit] Starting the Game
The first dealer is chosen at random and after each hand the turn to deal passes to the right. The cards are shuffled and cut.
The dealer has 32 cards , he has to sort them to the other players starting from his right as : 3 cards (right player) , 3 cards (front player) , 3 cards (left player) , 3 cards (to himself) , 2 cards (right player) , 2 cards (front player) , 2 cards (left player) , 2 cards (himself) . And 1 card shown to public . One of the four players would choose to take the public card to himself and decide the game mode (if Hokom or Sun) depending on the power of his cards.
After someone takes the public card .The dealer continues giving other cards to the players , 3 cards to each but 2 cards to the player who has taken the public card.
[edit] Playing
The Player on the right side of the Dealer starts the round. Players counterclockwise must follow suit if they can; a player who has no cards of the suit led can play any card. Or he/she should play one of the Judges cards in case of Hokom rounds. each trick score should be added to the total scores until one of the team reachs the 152 points and win the game. (see Scores section below)
And if someone takes the card as Hokom, it is fine for someone else to take it from him/her as Sun. But if someone declares Sun,the game must be Sun and no one can take from him/her as Hokom..
[edit] Scoring
Once a round is over, the score of each team should be added to the total score .Each card has a score rank as the following:
[edit] In case of Sǔn rounds
- Score = score + Zero
- Score = score + Zero
- Score = score + Zero
- Score = score + 2
- Score = score + 3
- Score = score + 4
- Score = score + 10
- Score = score + 11
- Round score = score x 2
- Total score = Round score + total rounds scores
[edit] In case of Hokom rounds
Regular cards
- Score = score + Zero
- Score = score + Zero
- Score = score + Zero
- Score = score + 2
- Score = score + 3
- Score = score + 4
- Score = score + 10
- Score = score + 11
Judges cards
- Score = score + Zero
- Score = score + Zero
- Score = score + 3
- Score = score + 4
- Score = score + 10
- Score = score + 11
- Score = score + 14
- Score = score + 20
- Round score = score x 1
- Total score = Round score + total rounds scores
[edit] Game Bonuses
Bonuses are free extra points one of the two teams can earn during a Round . Bonuses also called Projects (Arabic: مشروع) . There is several types of bonuses in Baloot , The following list describes each of them starting from the minimum .
[edit] Sira (Single line)
A player declare Sira means he/she has a 3 serial cards , According to Global cards sorting (A,K,Q,J,10,9,8,7). for example:
or or any other 3 serial cards.
Bonus:
- Round score = Round score + 4 (in Sǔn)
or
- Round score = Round score + 2 (in Hokom)
[edit] 50
A player declare 50 means he/she has a 4 serial cards , According to Global cards sorting .for example:
or any other 4 serial cards.
Bonus:
- Round score = Round score + 10 (in Sǔn)
or
- Round score = Round score + 5 (in Hokom)
[edit] 100
A player declare 100 means one of three positions:
- 1- he/she has five cards in a row in the same suit , According to Global cards sorting .for example:
or any other 5 serial cards.
- 2- he/she has four Jacks, Queens, Kings or tens. for example:
- 3- he/she has four aces. for example:
- , this is only in case of Hokom because in Sǔn rounds 4 aces means 400.
Bonus:
- Round score = Round score + 20 (in Sǔn)
or
- Round score = Round score + 10 (in Hokom)
[edit] 400
A player declare 400 means he/she has 4 aces. for example:
- , this is only in case of Sǔn because in Hokom rounds 4 aces means 100.
Bonus:
- Round score = Round score + 40 (in Sǔn only)
[edit] Baloot
A player declare Baloot means he/she has the King and the Queen cards of the Judges suit, for example:
assume the Judges cards of Hokom round is the Clubs and a player has:
Bonus:
- Round score = Round score + 2 (in Hokom only)
[edit] Multiple scores
While naming the round by one of the teams, The other team may keep silence, Say Double, Say Three, Say Four or even Say Gahwa. By saying Double, the competition will be harder because the round scores will be twice as much as the normal Hokom round. The Three means 3 times as much as the normal Hokom round and Four means four.
The Gahwa challenege will end the whole game at once for the round winner.
[edit] History of the Game
The game is related to the french Belote, the commonality between the game rules prove that Baloot was originally Belote. And have reached Saudi Arabia by the french minority in this country. The few differences between the two games are because of the bad translations and the heavy french tongue.
Today the game is played in every city in Saudi Arabia by young and old people.
