Tarneeb, commonly known as "rule" in the Arab Gulf states, is a popular card game in Arab countries, particularly in the Levant. The primary objective of Tarneeb is to win consecutive rounds, or "tricks." The game is designed for four players, forming two teams of two players each, with partners sitting opposite each other.
Tarneeb utilizes a standard 52-card deck, excluding jokers. The gameplay begins with the player to the left of the dealer making the first bid. Each round, players aim to win tricks by bidding on the number of tricks they believe their team can secure. Bidding starts from a minimum of 7 and can go up to 13, known as "Cabot" or "livers." Bidding progresses clockwise, starting with the player to the right of the dealer, and the highest bidder chooses the trump suit, known as Tarneeb.
If a team fails to meet their bid, they face a penalty. For instance, if a team bids for 10 tricks but only wins 9, they lose the equivalent of the number of tricks they bid for (10 points), while the opposing team gains points for the tricks they won, which in this example would be 4 points. If the opposing team wins 5 tricks, this would be revealed as part of the scoring process.
The game concludes when one of the teams reaches a predetermined score, usually 61 or 31 points, agreed upon before the game starts.
The hierarchy of the cards in Tarneeb is as follows:
- Ace (Cut)
- King (Sheikh)
- Queen (Girl)
- Jack (Born)
- Followed by the numbers from 10 down to 2 in descending order.
