What is Tarneeb?
Tarneeb is a Middle Eastern take on the trick-taking card game. In fact, the name Tarneeb is Arabic for “trump”, which is a distinct characteristic of trick-taking card games. It is closely related to both Spades and Whist.
How to Play Tarneeb?
Tarneeb is designed for 4-players, played in 2 partnerships of two players each, and simply requires the standard 52-card Anglo-American deck to play.
Players from the same team are seated opposite to each other on the table.
Card Ranks
In Tarneeb, cards are ranked with 2 being the lowest card and Aces being the highest.
Dealing
The dealer is determined at random. Each player is dealt 13 cards each.
Bidding
Bids begin with the player to the right of the dealer. Each player has 1 opportunity to bid and can choose to match or raise the highest bid.
Bids must be of 7 tricks or more to be valid.
The winning bidder can set the Tarneeb (trump) suit for the round.
Game-play
The gameplay of Tarneeb follows the standard trick-taking rules:
- The highest bidder leads the first trick. The turn order then proceeds anticlockwise.
- Each player must follow suit whenever possible.
- If one or more tarneeb (trump) cards are played, the highest-ranked tarneeb card will win the trick.
- The player winning the trick will lead the following trick.
How to Win?
The round ends once all 13 cards are played from each player’s hand. Tricks are then scored.
Rules
The Tarneeb rules are:
- Each player is dealt 13 cards each
- Bids are done beginning with the player to the right of the dealer
- The highest bidder can declare the Tarneeb (trump) suit for the round
- Trick-taking goes as usual
- The first team to reach a score of 41 wins the game
Scoring
Tarneeb scoring is based on the bids of each team, and the number of take tricks.
Each team’s score is the sum of the number of tricks taken by both players. The team’s bid threshold is the highest bid among the team members.
For example, if Player A and B are from the same team, and Player A bids 9, whereas Player B bids 8.
The team therefore has a bid threshold of 9.
If the bid is met or exceeded, the team is awarded a score equivalent to the number of tricks won.
If the bid requirement is not met, the team has the bid number subtracted from their score.
This means it is possible for a team to have negative scores at any given time.
Example Plays
The following is an example hand of Tarneeb game, illustrating how trick-taking takes place.
The Tarneeb suit was set to be clubs ♣ in this round.
Player 1: A♥ 10♥ Q♦ 6♦ J♣ 5♣
Player 2: K♥ 6♦ 10♦ 4♦ 7♣ 4♣
Player 3: 8♥ 5♥ 3♥ 2♥ K♦ 5♦
Player 3: 7♥ 4♥ 4♦ 2♦ Q♣ 3♣
- Player 1 leads the trick by playing A♥
- Player 2 must follow suit, and plays K♥
- Player 3 must follow suit, and plays 2♥
- Player 4 must follow suit, and plays 4♥
Player 1 wins this trick and leads the next.
- Player 1 leads the next trick with a 10♥
- Player 2 has no hearts in hand, and plays 7♣ from the trump suit
- Player 3 must follow suit, and plays 2♥
- Player 4 must follow suit, and plays 4♥
Player 2 wins this trick and leads the next.
Strategy
- The main key in Tarneeb strategy is to bid carefully. Note that there isn’t a penalty to not winning the bid.
- If your hand has a large number of cards from a suit, it is worth bidding high to declare that suit as the Tarneeb.
- Use bidding to hint at your partner.
- Count cards from the trump suit to make good plays.
- Play out low-ranked cards whenever allowed.
- If your partner has the win secured, play low cards to not compete.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play Tarneeb online for free?
Yes, you can play Tarneeb using online simulators, as a downloadable executable on your PC, and as an app on Android and iOS.
How to count cards in Tarneeb?
In Tarneeb, cards are ranked with Aces being the highest rank and 2s being the lowest rank. This means that, in essence, card counting does not differ from other card games.
How to be good at Tarneeb?
Understanding when to bid and when to pass is important to control the flow of the game.
How do I hint at my partner?
Communicate certain tells, such as slamming down a card if you want that suit.
