Games / Tarneeb
Play Tarneeb online with friends
Bid for tricks, name the trump suit and take them with your partner across the table.
- 4 players in 2 teams
- 25 to 50 minutes
- Classic and Tarneeb 400
- Bots fill empty seats
Tarneeb is the partnership trick-taking card game played across Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine and the Gulf. Four players sit in two teams, partners opposite each other. Each hand, the table bids for how many of the 13 tricks their team will take, and the winning bidder names trump. Here you can play it in the browser with friends in other cities, with bots in any empty seat.
You can play classic Tarneeb to 31, 41 or 61, or switch to Tarneeb 400, where hearts are always trump and every player bids for their own tricks. The host also picks the local rules: minimum bid, one round of bidding or a continuous auction, Egyptian-style bids that name the suit, kaboot bonuses, and a rule that makes you trump when you can't follow suit.
Why play Tarneeb here
- Classic Tarneeb and Tarneeb 400 at the same table
- Play to 31, 41 or 61 points, with a minimum bid of 7 or 8
- One-round bidding, a continuous auction, or Egyptian bids that name the suit
- Kaboot bonuses, a bid-13 instant win and a weak-hand redeal option
- Look back at the last trick whenever you need to
- Counter-clockwise play by default, or clockwise if your table plays that way
How to play Tarneeb
Sit with your partner
Four players make two teams. Partners sit opposite each other, and everyone gets 13 cards from a 52-card deck.
Bid for tricks
Starting after the dealer, each player bids how many tricks their team will take (7 or more) or passes. The dealer speaks last and may take the top bid at the same number.
Name trump
The highest bidder chooses the trump suit and leads the first card.
Follow suit
Play a card of the suit that was led if you have one. If you don't, you can cut with a trump or throw any other card.
Win tricks
The highest trump takes the trick, or the highest card of the suit led if no trump was played. The winner leads the next trick.
Score the hand
If the bidding team makes its bid, it scores every trick it took. If it falls short, it loses its bid and the other team scores its tricks.
Reach the target
The deal moves on and play continues until a team reaches the target, 41 by default.
Tips
- Before you bid, count the tricks you expect to take yourself. Your partner has to find the rest.
- Pick a long suit with its top cards as trump. Four or five trumps give you control.
- Keep track of the high trumps. Once they are gone, your small ones are sure winners.
- When your partner is already winning a trick, play a low card.
Screenshots
Tarneeb questions
How do you play Tarneeb?
Four players in two teams each get 13 cards. Players bid how many tricks their team will take, and the highest bidder names trump and leads. You must follow the suit led if you can. The highest trump, or else the highest card of the suit led, wins each trick. Teams score their tricks and the first to the target wins.
How many players do you need for Tarneeb?
Tarneeb needs exactly four players in two partnerships. If you only have two or three people, bots take the empty seats and play by the same rules. You can also practice alone with three bots. The host can shuffle seats in the lobby to change partners.
What is Tarneeb 400?
Tarneeb 400 is a variant where hearts are always trump and each player bids for the tricks they alone will take. Your minimum bid rises as your score grows. Bigger bids are worth more points, and your team wins when one partner reaches 41 or 61 while the other is above zero.
What does kaboot mean in Tarneeb?
Kaboot means one team takes all 13 tricks. By default a kaboot scores 16 for the hand. The host can change it to 26, to a double score, or turn the bonus off. A team that bids 13 and takes all 13 wins the game at once, unless the host sets it to score normally.
Can I play Egyptian style Tarneeb with suit bids?
Yes. Set the trump call option to "Bid tricks and suit" in the lobby. Every bid then names a suit or no trump, and at the same number a higher suit wins, from clubs up through diamonds, hearts, spades and no trump. The winning bid sets trump straight away.
Is Tarneeb free to play here, and do I need an account?
It is free and you do not need an account or a download. Open a table, share the code or invite link, and your friends join from their browsers. Signing in with an email is optional and keeps your results and favourite games.
Can I play Tarneeb on my phone?
Yes. The table works in the browser on phones, tablets and computers, and one table can mix all three. The game runs peer to peer between the players, and the host can pause and resume it if someone has to step away.
Which direction does play go in Tarneeb?
Play and the deal go counter-clockwise by default, as most Tarneeb tables play it. If your family plays clockwise, the host can switch the direction in the lobby before the game starts.