Play Hokm Online, Free
Hokm (حکم) is the card game of Iranian family evenings, and the hardest one to keep playing after you move abroad — it needs four people who know the rules. Hokm Royale deals you into a complete four-player game against AI opponents, in the browser, with no signup and nothing to install.
You are dealt into a standard partnership game: your partner sits opposite, two opponents sit left and right. One player is the hakem, sees their first five cards, and chooses the trump suit — hokm. From there it is trick-taking: follow suit if you can, trump if you cannot, highest card takes the trick. Seven tricks wins the hand.
The AI plays a real game rather than throwing cards at random, so partnership signalling matters — leading a suit your partner is void in wastes a trump, and holding the last trump too long loses it. It is close enough to a kitchen-table game to be worth playing properly.
How Hokm is played
Hokm uses a standard 52-card deck and four players in two partnerships. Cards rank ace high down to two. The hakem is decided by dealing until someone turns an ace; that player names the trump suit after seeing their first five cards, then the rest of the deal completes.
Play moves counter-clockwise. You must follow the suit that was led if you hold it. If you do not, you may play a trump to win the trick, or discard. The highest trump wins, or if no trump was played, the highest card of the led suit. Whoever wins the trick leads the next.
The first partnership to seven tricks wins the hand. Traditionally the first side to seven hands wins the match, and if the hakem’s team loses without taking a single trick, that is a kot — a shut-out, and a matter of some family pride.
Playing on a phone
The table scales to portrait screens and cards are tapped rather than dragged, so the whole game works one-handed. If the cards feel small, the touch-size control in Games Hub scales them up without changing the layout.
Your Persian radio station keeps playing while you play, and the game has its own music track you can toggle independently if you would rather have that instead.
Featured stations
- Iran International — ایران اینترنشنال
- Radio Farda — رادیو فردا
- Radio Yar — رادیو یار
- Radio Yar Plus 2 (AI) — رادیو یار پلاس ۲ (هوش مصنوعی)
- Radio Yar Plus — رادیو یار پلاس
- KIRN 670 AM — کی آی آر ان ۶۷۰
- Persian Nostalgia Radio 1 — رادیو نوستالژی فارسی ۱
- Persian Nostalgia Radio 2 — رادیو نوستالژی فارسی ۲
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I play Hokm online for free?
- Open the Games Hub on FarsiRadio.com and choose Hokm Royale. You are dealt into a full four-player game against AI opponents immediately — no signup, no download, and no waiting for other players.
- What are the rules of Hokm?
- Four players in two partnerships use a 52-card deck. The hakem sees their first five cards and names the trump suit. You must follow the led suit if you can; otherwise you may trump or discard. Highest trump wins the trick, or highest card of the led suit if no trump was played. Seven tricks wins the hand.
- Can I play Hokm against the computer?
- Yes. Three AI players fill the table — one as your partner opposite you and two as opponents. The AI follows suit, tracks trumps and plays to its partnership rather than randomly.
- What is a kot in Hokm?
- A kot is a shut-out: the hakem’s partnership loses the hand without taking a single trick. It traditionally counts for extra and is the outcome most worth avoiding.
- Does Hokm work on iPhone and Android?
- Yes. The table scales to portrait screens and cards are tapped rather than dragged, so it works one-handed on a phone. There is also a touch-size setting if the cards feel small.
- Do I need to download an app to play Hokm?
- No. It runs in the browser like the rest of the site. You can Add to Home Screen for an app-like icon, but there is nothing to install from an App Store.