Quick answer: Court Piece (also called Rang, Rung, Coat Piece or Kot Piece) is a four-player partnership trick-taking game with a 52-card deck. The trump caller sees five cards, names trumps, and everyone then gets 13 cards. The team that takes 7 of the 13 tricks wins the deal. Win 7 deals in a row, or the first 7 tricks of a deal, and you score a court (kot). The team with the most courts wins.
These Court Piece rules explain how to play Court Piece step by step, the way it is played across India and Pakistan, with the most common house rules at the end.
Keeping score at the table? Our free Court Piece score keeper counts deals in a row, courts, goon courts and points for you.
One game, many names
The same game goes by many names. In India it is usually Court Piece, also written Coat Piece, Kot Piece or Cot Piece. In Pakistan it is Rang or Rung, which means trump. In Goa some call it Seven Hands, because a "hand" is the everyday word for a trick. The word court (kot) means a slam: winning a run of tricks or deals while the other side gets nothing.
How to play Court Piece: players and cards
- Players: four, in two fixed teams. Partners sit opposite each other.
- Cards: a standard 52-card deck, no jokers.
- Card ranking: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 in every suit. Ace is high.
- Direction: traditionally deal and play go anticlockwise. Many families play clockwise, so agree before you start.
The deal and calling trumps (rang)
- The first dealer is chosen at random.
- The player on the dealer's right is the trump caller. This player cuts the deck.
- The dealer gives every player five cards.
- The trump caller looks only at those five cards and announces the trump suit, without any signal from their partner.
- The dealer then deals the rest of the cards in batches of four, so everyone holds 13 cards.
Tip: call the suit where you hold the most cards, especially if it includes the ace or king. With five cards you are guessing a little, which is what makes Court Piece fun.
Playing the tricks
- The trump caller leads any card to the first trick.
- Everyone must follow suit if they can. If you cannot, you may play any card, including a trump.
- The highest trump wins the trick. If no trump was played, the highest card of the suit led wins.
- The winner of each trick leads to the next one.
- Tricks are kept face down in front of one player of the team, so everyone can count them.
Winning a deal
The team that takes at least 7 of the 13 tricks wins the deal. Play normally stops as soon as one team reaches seven, to save time.
What is a kot (court) in Court Piece?
Courts are the real score in Court Piece. A team scores a court in three ways:
- Seven deals in a row: win 7 deals in succession. This is where the name "seven hands" also fits.
- First seven tricks: take the first 7 tricks of a single deal while the other team has none.
- Revoke: if an opponent fails to follow suit when able and does not correct it before the trick is turned over, your team scores a court at once.
Every time a court is scored, the count of deals won in a row goes back to zero.
Goon court
If the dealer's team takes the first seven tricks, beating the side that chose trumps, it is called a goon court. It is the most embarrassing way to lose a deal, and people remember it for a long time.
Bavney (52 court)
A team that wins the first seven tricks may carry on and try for all 13. Taking every trick is a bavney or 52-court, and it counts as 52 courts. There is no penalty for trying and failing, but it is very rare.
Who deals and who calls trumps next
The dealer always comes from the team that lost the previous deal, so the winners call trumps.
- If the dealer's team wins the deal, the player on the dealer's right deals next.
- If the trump caller's team wins without a court, the same dealer deals again.
- If the trump caller's team scores a court, the deal passes to the previous dealer's partner.
Who wins the game?
In classic play there is no fixed target. You play for an agreed time, and the team with the most courts wins. If both teams have the same number of courts, nobody wins.
Points version of Court Piece
Many families prefer a points game with a clear finish:
| Result | Trump caller's team | Other team |
|---|---|---|
| Wins the deal (7+ tricks) | 1 point | 2 points |
| Wins a court | 3 points | 4 points |
The first team to an agreed target, often 10 points, wins. The other team earns more because they beat the side that chose trumps.
Worked example
North calls hearts. North and South take the first seven tricks before East and West win any: that is a court, worth 3 points in the points game. On the next deal, North calls trumps again, but East and West reach seven tricks first. They score 2 points, because they were not the trump callers.
Popular variations
- Hidden trump: the trump caller puts a card face down instead of naming trumps. A player who cannot follow suit may ask for it to be shown.
- Random trump: if the trump caller does not want to choose from five cards, a card from the next batch is turned up and its suit becomes trumps.
- Redeal: some allow a redeal if the trump caller's first five cards are all below a jack.
- Double Sir (Double Sar): tricks pile up in the centre, and a player collects them only by winning two tricks in a row. It needs its own article, so we will cover it separately.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards does each player get in Court Piece?
Thirteen. The full 52-card deck is dealt, five first and then the rest in batches of four.
How many tricks do you need to win a deal?
Seven of the thirteen tricks.
What is a kot in Court Piece?
A kot or court is the main score. You get one by winning 7 deals in a row, by taking the first 7 tricks of a deal while the other team has none, or when the opponents revoke.
Is Rang the same as Court Piece?
Yes. Rang or Rung is the name used in Pakistan, and Court Piece, Coat Piece and Kot Piece are the names used in India.
Who chooses trumps in Court Piece?
The player on the dealer's right, after seeing only their first five cards.
What is a goon court?
When the dealer's team takes the first seven tricks against the trump caller's team.
Do you have to play a trump if you cannot follow suit?
No. If you cannot follow suit you may play any card, trump or not.
How do you keep score in Court Piece?
Count deals won in a row and courts, or use the points table above. Our Court Piece score keeper does both on your phone.
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Source: Court Piece / Rang, pagat.com (John McLeod). Rules vary between families and regions, so agree on them before you start.
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