Gemopedia
Card Games🇱🇧Lebanon21st century

Tarneeb

Officially Tarneeb (طرنيب)

POPULAR MIDDLE-EASTERN TRICK-TAKING PARTNERSHIP CARD GAME played across LEVANT — LEBANON, JORDAN, PALESTINE, SYRIA + GULF states (KUWAIT, UAE, SAUDI). Uses STANDARD 52-CARD PACK, PARTNERSHIP 2v2 format. Similar to SPADES but with BID-BASED TRUMP DECLARATION — winner of bid names the TRUMP SUIT. Highly social; often played in cafes + majlis + family gatherings; SHISHA + ARABIC coffee complement the atmosphere. Multiple online apps + regional tournaments.

⏱~45 min🌤indoor

Quick facts

Category

Card Games

Type

Team sport

Players

4–4

Duration

~45 min

Where played

indoor

Country of origin

🇱🇧 Lebanon

Estimated origin

Emerged early 20th c. in Lebanon/Syria; likely derived from British Whist introduced during Ottoman + Mandate periods (1900s-1930s); spread across Levant + Gulf; became one of most popular parlor games in region; online apps (Jawaker, Tarneeb Master) 2010s+ made it globally accessible for diaspora.

Olympic

No

Popularity

regional

How it works

Objective

First TEAM to reach 31 points wins the game.

Rules

Basic rules

  • DEAL: 13 CARDS to each of 4 players (no undealt cards)

    Signature 13-card deal.

  • BIDDING: STARTING FROM DEALER'S LEFT, players BID 7+ (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13) or PASS; each bid must EXCEED prior bid

    Signature 7-13 bid system.

  • HIGHEST BIDDER declares TRUMP SUIT (♣, ♦, ♥, ♠) + must WIN AT LEAST bid number of tricks with partner

    Signature bid + trump declaration.

  • PARTNERSHIP: BIDDING TEAM tries to make bid; DEFENDING TEAM tries to break bid

    Signature partnership defense.

  • RANK: A(high) > K > Q > J > 10 > 9 > ... > 2(low); TRUMP SUIT beats all others

    Signature standard rank + trump.

  • FOLLOW SUIT MANDATORY; if can't → trump or discard

    Signature follow-suit rule.

  • SCORING: MAKE BID → SCORE bid amount (7-13 points); MISS BID → LOSE bid amount (−7 to −13 for team); DEFENDERS score tricks they took if bid missed

    Signature bid-scoring.

  • FIRST team to 31 POINTS wins; often played best-of-3 games (rebbah)

    Signature 31-point win + best-of-3 rebbah.

Scoring

Bid team scores bid amount (7-13) if make it, loses bid amount if fail; game to 31 points.

Win condition · First team to 31 points wins; best-of-3 for rebbah tournament.

Equipment

  • STANDARD 52-CARD PACK (no jokers)

    Signature standard pack.

  • SCORE PAD + PEN

    Standard score-keeping.

  • TABLE + 4 CHAIRS (partners across)

    Standard playing space.

  • SHISHA + ARABIC COFFEE (cultural accompaniment)

    Cultural accompaniment.

Terminology

Ṭarnīb (طرنيب)
Arabic for 'trump' — the game's name.
Rebbah
Best-of-3 tournament format.
Majlis
Traditional Arab reception room where tarneeb is often played.
Jawaker
Popular online multiplayer platform for Tarneeb + other Arab card games.
Hand
One deal (13 cards); 4-6 hands per game to reach 31.
Break the bid
Defenders prevent bidders from meeting their bid amount.

Major competitions

  • Jawaker Tarneeb Championship (online, largest tarneeb tournament)

    annual · Middle East + North Africa online · since 2015

  • Regional cafe tournaments (Beirut, Amman, Kuwait City, Dubai)

    seasonal · Middle East local · since 1980

Where it is played

Governing bodies

  • No formal international federation; regional cafe leagues + online platform organizers

    Founded 1990 · Middle East (regional)

  • Jawaker (online platform organizer, Middle East)

    Founded 2011 · Amman, Jordan

Famous names & records

Famous athletes

  • Regional cafe + majlis champions — Beirut, Amman, Kuwait City, Dubai; online champions on Jawaker + Tarneeb Master platforms

Sources & provenance

Last verified 2026-08-28.verified