Card games
Baloot
Sun or Hokum with your partner
Baloot is the card game of majlis evenings in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. Buy Sun (no trump) or Hokum (trump) on the turned card, announce your projects, and when the others double, answer with Triple, Four — or Gahwa, where one hand decides the match. Partners sit across, and the first team to 152 wins.
- Players
- 4 players
- Length
- 15–30 min per game
- Type
- Card games
Play Baloot online with friends
At Masa, Baloot is a game of its own right next to Belote: pick it in the games list, open a table and share its code or link with your friends, or sit at a house table. Bots fill the empty chairs, and voice chat keeps the table talking.
How to play
- 1
4 players in 2 teams — partners sit across from each other and play to the right. The first team to 152 game points wins; the winning partners share the prize pool.
- 2
Everyone gets 5 cards and one card is turned face up. In turn: Hokum (its suit is trump), Sun (no trump) or Pass. The third player and the dealer may say Ashkal: Sun for their partner. Sun beats Hokum. If nobody bids, a second round lets you name Hokum in another suit.
- 3
After the deal the other team may Double (×2), the buyer may answer Triple (×3), then Four (×4), then Gahwa — whoever wins that hand wins the match. Double and Four can be Locked: nobody leads a trump. A Sun can be doubled only when one team is above 100 and the other below.
- 4
Follow the suit led. In Sun, if you can’t, play anything. In Hokum, trump an opponent’s winning card when you can and play over a trump when you can; your partner winning frees you — except the third player on a lead that isn’t the highest card left (Ekka).
- 5
Projects count on the first trick (Hokum / Sun): Sira, three in a row, 2 / 4; Fifty, four in a row, 5 / 10; Hundred, five in a row or four kings, queens, jacks or tens, 10 / 20; four aces 10 in Hokum, Four Hundred (40) in Sun. Only the team with the best one scores. Masa announces them for you.
Frequently asked questions
Is Baloot the same game as Belote?
No. Baloot is played at the same kind of table as Belote, but with rules of its own — see “How to play” above. At Masa it is a game of its own, with its own tables, stats and achievements.
Can I play Baloot online with friends?
Yes. Open a Baloot table and share its code or link. Empty seats fill with other players or bots, so a game always starts.
Is Baloot free to play?
Yes. You play with Chips, which have no cash value: nothing can be won or cashed out.
