Tarneeb Scoring
You score what you take, not what you promised — unless you fail, when you lose exactly what you promised.
Play Tarneeb freeTarneeb scoring rewards accuracy at the bid and generosity in the play. A side that makes its bid scores every trick it took, not merely the number bid — so overtricks are genuinely valuable here, unlike Spades where they are a liability and Call Break where they are nearly worthless.
The scoring table
| Result | Bidding team | Defenders |
|---|---|---|
| Bid made (tricks ≥ bid) | + tricks actually won | 0 |
| Bid failed | − the bid | + their tricks |
| Kaboot — all 13 taken, on a bid under 13 | +16 | 0 |
| Bid 13, made | +26 | 0 |
| Bid 13, failed | −16 | double their tricks |
Two features shape everything. Making your bid pays your tricks, so bidding 7 and taking 10 scores 10 — there is no penalty for exceeding. And failing costs only the bid, not the shortfall, so a bid of 7 that takes 6 loses exactly 7.
Worked examples
A comfortable make. Your side bids 8 and takes 9.
You score +9. The defenders score 0 — losing sides score nothing at all when the bid is made.
A near miss. Your side bids 9 and takes 8.
You score −9, and the defenders score +5 for their five tricks. A 14-point swing on a single trick.
Kaboot. Your side bids 8 and takes all thirteen.
You score +16 — better than the 13 tricks would have paid, which is the reward for a clean sweep.
The big one. Your side bids 13 and takes all thirteen.
You score +26 — more than half the game in one hand. Bid 13 and take twelve, though, and you lose 16 while the defenders score double their single trick.
The race to 41
The first side to 41 points wins (31 and 61 are the other common house presets). Because a made bid pays its tricks, a side that bids accurately scores 7 to 10 a hand — so a match usually runs four to six hands.
Scores can go negative, and there is no floor. Two failed bids in a row can put a side at −15 with nothing to show for it, and there is no mercy rule to stop the bleeding.
What the scoring tells you to do
- Bid the minimum you are sure of, then play for everything. This is the key insight and it is the opposite of Spades. Bidding 7 and taking 10 scores 10 — you get the overtricks for free, so there is no reason to bid them.
- The bid is a floor, not a target. Once you have made it, keep winning. Every extra trick is a full point.
- Do not stretch to outbid. The extra point you win in the auction is not worth the whole bid you lose by failing.
- Defenders: your tricks only count if they fail. There is no consolation for tricks taken against a made bid, so defence is all-or-nothing — play to break the contract, not to accumulate.
- Kaboot is worth chasing on a low bid. Bid 7 with a monster hand and thirteen tricks pays 16 rather than 13.
- Near 41, count the finish. A bid of 8 that ends the game beats a greedy 10 that fails.
The 13 bid
Bidding all thirteen is the game's grand gesture: +26 made, and −16 plus doubled defender tricks if it fails. It needs a hand that can win every trick — long trump with the top honours, and control of every side suit.
It is worth attempting when you are far enough behind that ordinary bidding cannot close the gap, or when the hand genuinely is unbeatable. It is not worth attempting because the hand merely looks strong; a single lost trick costs 16 and hands the defenders double.
Keep reading
- How to Play Tarneeb — the complete rules.
- قواعد الطرنيب — the rules in Arabic.
- Tarneeb Strategy — bidding and partnership play.