Kachuful (Judgement) Rules: How to Play and Score
Reviewed by Kishan Modi, App Safety Researcher
Last updated:
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Kachuful, also called Judgement, is a trick-taking game for 3 to 7 players with a 52-card deck. Each round every player predicts exactly how many tricks they'll win, and you only score if you hit that number: 10 plus your bid. The dealer bids last and isn't allowed to make the bids add up to the number of tricks, so someone always misses. The number of cards dealt changes each round, and trump rotates in the order spades, diamonds, clubs, hearts, which is where the name comes from (Kali, Chokat, Fuli, Lal).
Kachuful Rules at a Glance
| Rule | |
|---|---|
| Players | 3 to 7, each for themselves |
| Deck | 52 cards, Ace high |
| Hand size | Starts high (often 10 for 3 to 5 players, 8 for 6, 7 for 7), goes down to 1, then back up |
| Trump order | Spades, Diamonds, Clubs, Hearts, repeating |
| Bid | Exact number of tricks you'll win (0 allowed) |
| Dealer rule | Last bid can't make the total equal the tricks available |
| Score | Exact: 10 + bid. Miss: 0 |
Where the Name Comes From
Kachuful is a memory aid for the trump order. Ka is Kali (spades), Chu is Chokat (diamonds), Fu is Fuli (clubs) and L is Lal (hearts). Round one has spades as trump, round two diamonds, then clubs, then hearts, and then back to spades.
How a Round Works
- Deal the round's hand size to everyone. The trump is the next suit in the Ka-Chu-Fu-L order.
- Starting left of the dealer, each player says exactly how many tricks they'll win. Zero is a valid bid.
- The dealer bids last and can't choose the number that would make all the bids add up to the number of tricks in the round.
- The player left of the dealer leads. Follow suit if you can; if you can't, play any card, trump or not.
- The highest trump wins the trick, or the highest card of the suit led. The winner leads next.
- After the last trick, score the round and pass the deal on.
Because of the dealer rule the bids can never add up exactly, so at least one player misses every round, and everyone else is trying to make sure it's not them.
A Scoring Example
Four players, five cards each, so five tricks. Ravi bids 2, Neha 0, Arjun 1, and the dealer, Simran, can't bid 2 (that would make 5), so she bids 1.
| Player | Bid | Won | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ravi | 2 | 2 | 12 |
| Neha | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Arjun | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Simran | 1 | 1 | 11 |
Neha's zero bid scored 10 because she managed to lose every trick, which is harder than it sounds with a high trump in hand. Arjun took one trick too many and scored nothing.
Variations Worth Agreeing First
- Scoring: the classic is 10 + bid for an exact hit and 0 for a miss. Some apps use bid × 10, and some groups subtract points for a miss.
- Hand sizes: start at 10 and go down to 1 and back up, or just go down once. Bigger groups start lower so the cards don't run out.
- No-trump rounds: a few groups add one between hearts and spades. It isn't part of the traditional order.
Kachuful works with up to seven players, which makes it a favourite for big family evenings. See our other Diwali card games, or try Callbreak if you like bidding but would rather call a minimum than an exact number.
The trump-rotation rule (spades, diamonds, clubs, hearts) is checked against Pagat's Oh Hell variations page, which documents Kachuful specifically. Pagat doesn't use the name "Judgement," and most of the bidding and scoring details below vary by app and local custom rather than following one written standard.
Kachuful (Judgement): FAQ
What does Kachuful mean?
It's a memory aid for the trump order: Kali (spades), Chokat (diamonds), Fuli (clubs), Lal (hearts).
Can you bid zero in Kachuful?
Yes. A zero bid scores 10 if you win no tricks at all.
Why can't the dealer make the bids add up?
So that at least one player misses every round. Without it, everyone could make their bid and the round would mean nothing.
How many players can play Kachuful?
From 3 to 7. With more players the starting hand is smaller so there are enough cards.
Is Kachuful the same as Judgement?
Yes. Judgement and Kachuful are the same game. It's also related to the Western game Oh Hell.