Kout Bo — the Kuwaiti Kout Bo rules
Kout Bo is Kuwait’s table — four players, two teams: bid 5 to 9 tricks (باب to باون), the winner names the trump (الحكم), and the two jokers الجيكر and الميكر outrank everything. These are the rules Tonj’s engine plays — verbatim.
Play Kout Bo on TonjWhat is Kout Bo?
A four-player trick-taking team game: fixed partnerships across the table, a 36-card deck, an auction of 5 to 9 tricks, a declared trump — and a shutout called the kout that ends the match on the spot.
Kout Bo is live on Tonj
Create a table, share the code, and the seats fill with live rivals or bots — every deal provably fair, the seed published only at game over. The rulebook below is the engine’s own.
How a match goes
Bid your tricks
One speech each, from the dealer’s right: 5 (باب) to 9 (باون), every overcall higher — or pass (طاف). Everyone passing forces the dealer ملزوم: 5 or more.
Declare the trump — الحكم
The winning bidder names the trump suit and leads the first card; الجيكر sits above the trump Ace, الميكر under it.
Race to 101
Make your bid and bank it; fail and the opponents double it. First team to 101 wins — and 51 against a zero is the kout, the instant shutout.
Kout Bo rules in detail
Players and teams
Four players, two fixed partnerships sitting across from each other; play runs counter-clockwise, the deal rotates, and every deal is nine tricks — nine cards a player.
The 36-card deck
The 52-card deck minus ranks 2–5 and the two red sixes, plus the two jokers — الجيكر (red) and الميكر (black) — leaves 36 cards. Inside a suit the ladder runs 6 7 8 9 10 J Q K A.
The auction: باب to باون
Opening at the dealer’s right, each seat speaks once: a number of tricks — 5 (باب) to 9 (باون) — each bid higher than the last, or a pass (طاف). If everyone passes, the last speaker (the dealer) is ملزوم: 5 or more. The winner declares the trump (الحكم) and leads.
الجيكر and الميكر
Strength: الجيكر above the trump Ace, الميكر under it, both above every other trump. Leading a joker is legal only when the bid is 9 (both), 8 (الجيكر alone), or the trump’s J, Q, K and A have all been played — and a legal joker lead is a trump lead the table must follow. Either joker may be thrown into any trick, even holding the led suit.
The kout and the finish line
First team to 101 points wins. Reaching 51 while the opponents sit on exactly 0 is الكوت — the shutout the game is named for — and a باون made on the very first deal wins instantly.
Kout Bo scoring at a glance
| The bid made | The bidding team banks its bid — 5 to 8 points, and a باون banks 36 |
|---|---|
| The bid failed | The opponents bank double the bid — a failed ملزوم 5 pays them only 5 |
| الكوت | 51+ against exactly 0 — the match ends on the spot |
| The match | First team to 101 — one side scores every deal, the other banks zero |
One side scores each deal — never both. “Made” means at least the bid; a forced (ملزوم) seat may voluntarily overbid, and failing then costs the ordinary double. These are the exact sheets Tonj’s engine settles.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Kout Bo game?
Kout Bo is Kuwait’s four-player, two-team card game: an auction of 5 to 9 tricks, a declared trump (الحكم), two jokers above the trump Ace, and the race to 101 — with the 51-vs-zero kout as the signature shutout.
Can I play Kout Bo online?
Yes — Kout Bo is live on Tonj: create a table, share the code, and play free in the browser against live rivals or bots, with provably-fair deals. Tarneeb (four variants), Konkan, Baloot, Basra, Trix, Estimation and Ronda are there too.
What is a باون?
The top bid: all nine tricks. Made, it banks 36 points instead of 9 — and a باون made on the first deal of the match wins it outright.
What does ملزوم mean?
The forced bid: when every seat passes, the dealer must bid at least 5. Failing an ordinary contract costs the opponents double — but a failed ملزوم 5 pays them only 5.
When can I lead a joker?
Only when the bid is 9 (both jokers), 8 (الجيكر alone), or the trump’s J, Q, K and A have all been played. A legal joker lead obliges trump — and either joker can be thrown into any trick even while holding the led suit.