What is Tarneeb?
Tarneeb — the word is simply Arabic for "trump" — is the coffee-house classic of Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Egypt. Two partnerships, one auction, and a whole hand to prove your bid wasn't just talk: the winning bidder names the trump suit, promises at least seven of the thirteen tricks, and then has to deliver. Play free against smart bots or with friends in a private room — and yes, play moves to the right, as it should.
How a hand works
- Four players in two partnerships get 13 cards each, aces high.
- The auction starts at the dealer's right: bid the tricks your team will take, from 7 up to 13, each bid higher than the last.
- The winning bidder names the tarneeb — the trump suit for the hand — and leads first.
- Follow the led suit if you can; the highest trump wins the trick, otherwise the highest card of the led suit. The winner leads next, to the right.
- Take at least what you bid and every trick counts for you; fall short and the bid counts against you. First team to 41 wins.
The race to 41
+ tricksbid made — the bidding team scores every trick it won
− bidbid failed — and the defenders keep the tricks they took
+16kaboot: all thirteen tricks on a bid under 13
+26the famous bid of 13, actually made
Rules & strategy guides
Good questions
- What does "tarneeb" actually mean?
- Trump. The game is named after its central act — the winning bidder names a suit, and that suit rules the hand.
- What's the minimum bid?
- Seven. You're promising your side more than half the tricks, and every later bid must go higher. If all four players pass, the hand is redealt.
- Is Tarneeb 41 a different game?
- Mostly a different finish line. 41 is the classic target we play to; 31 and 61 are available as presets when you set up a room.