Tarneeb is a popular Arab 4-player partnership card game played with the full 52-card deck, 13 cards per player. Each deal starts with an auction: players bid 7 to 13 tricks in turn, the highest bidder chooses the trump suit and leads, and their team must take at least that many tricks of the 13 available. Making the contract scores 13 (26 for a fulfilled bid of 13, 16 for kaboot with a lower bid), while failing hands 13 points to the opponents. The first team to 31 points wins.
Play now — it's freeTarneeb uses the complete deck: all 52 cards, ranks 2 through Ace in all four suits — nothing is removed. Each of the four players is dealt 13 cards.
Partners sit opposite each other: the two players facing one another form a team, and their tricks are counted together for the whole deal.
After the deal, bidding starts with the player to the dealer's left and goes around once — each player makes exactly one declaration:
| Declaration | Meaning | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| A number 7–13 | The number of tricks their team promises to take | Must be higher than the current highest bid |
| Pass | Declines to bid this deal | Does not prevent the others from bidding |
If everyone passes with no bid made, the hand is redealt and the dealer button moves on.
The highest bidder becomes the declarer: their number is the contract, and they and their partner must deliver it.
Once bidding closes, the declarer personally picks any of the four suits as trump for this deal; cards of that suit beat everything else.
If the choice timer runs out, the longest suit in the declarer's hand is picked automatically. The declarer also leads the first trick.
Cards carry no point values in Tarneeb — only the number of tricks matters. Within every suit the order is natural:
| Rank | Card |
|---|---|
| Highest | Ace (A) |
| King (K) | |
| Queen (Q) | |
| Jack (J) | |
| 10 down to 3 | |
| Lowest | 2 |
Trump cards outrank every card of the other suits, and between two trumps the higher one wins.
The declarer leads any card; every other player must follow the led suit if holding one, otherwise may play any card.
The highest card of the led suit wins the trick — unless a trump was played, in which case the strongest trump wins. The trick winner leads the next trick, and play continues through all 13 tricks until every hand is empty.
At the end of the deal the teams' tricks are tallied (13 tricks split between the two teams) and points are awarded as follows:
| Outcome | Points |
|---|---|
| Declarer's team takes at least their bid | 13 |
| A bid of 13 fulfilled | 26 |
| Kaboot: declarer's team takes all 13 tricks with a bid below 13 | 16 |
| Declarer's team fails to reach their bid | 13 to the defenders |
Deal points accumulate until one team reaches 31 and wins the match, after which a fresh match begins. The dealer rotates to the next player after every deal.
Don't overbid: every promise beyond your hand's strength gifts the opponents 13 easy points.
Count trumps from the start — knowing how many are out tells you when to play your high trumps.
Play for your partner: if you can't win a trick, try to ruff it in for them or shed a low card from a short suit.
Against a tough contract (12 or 13), defend carefully — drawing out the declarer's trumps early can sink the bid.
All 52 — ranks 2 through Ace in the four suits, with 13 cards dealt to each player.
Four players in two partnerships, partners sitting opposite each other; their tricks are combined.
Each player bids once in turn: a number from 7 to 13 (higher than any previous bid) or a pass. If everyone passes, the hand is redealt.
The highest bidder — the declarer — picks the trump and leads the first trick.
By taking at least as many tricks as they bid out of the 13; that scores 13 points, or 26 for a fulfilled bid of 13.
Taking all 13 tricks. With a bid below 13, kaboot scores 16 points; a fulfilled bid of 13 scores 26.
The defending team scores 13 points and the declarer's team scores nothing for that deal.
When a team reaches 31 accumulated points across deals — that team wins the match.
Yes — you can play Tarneeb online free at tarneeb.yeeqia.com directly in your browser, no download or sign-up required to try a table.