How to Play Tarneeb

Tarneeb, the trump-naming partnership game of the Levant, keeps bidding short and scoring sharp: one call each, and the whole hand rides on the contract.

The rules

1. Four players, partners facing each other: you (South) and North against West and East. 13 cards each; the dealer rotates to the left.
2. Bidding, starting left of the dealer, goes round once. Each player passes or bids 7 to 13 tricks, higher than any bid so far. If all four pass, the cards are redealt.
3. The highest bidder names the trump suit, the tarneeb, and leads the first trick.
4. Follow suit if you can; if not, play any card, trump or not. The highest trump wins the trick, otherwise the highest card of the suit led. Aces are high. The winner leads next.
5. Scoring: if the bidding team takes at least its bid, it scores the number of tricks it took; taking all thirteen scores 26. If it falls short, it loses the bid and the defenders score the tricks they took.
6. The first partnership to 31 points wins. Tied at or above 31, play another hand.

Playing on kawu

Pick a bid or pass from the buttons, name trump when you win the bidding, and tap a card to play it; illegal cards are dimmed. The panel shows both scores, this hand's tricks and the contract. Hint suggests what the hard computer would do. There is no undo at a four-player table.

Next: Tarneeb strategy.

Last updated 2026-10-21