In Arab countries, particularly in the Levant region, a popular card game known as Tarneeb blackjack, or simply "rule" in the Arab Gulf states, is widely enjoyed. The essence of Tarneeb is to win consecutive rounds or "Tarneeb groups." This game is played with four players, divided into two teams of two, with each team working together to outscore their opponents until the end of the game, at which point the winning team is declared.
Tarneeb is played with a standard 52-card deck, excluding Jokers. The game begins with the dealer distributing the cards, starting from the player to their right. The bidding phase, which determines the trump suit, starts with the player to the left of the dealer. Bidding ranges from 7 to 13, known as "Cabot" or "livers," and follows the distribution order, beginning with the player to the right of the dealer. The highest bidder chooses the Tarneeb suit.
During gameplay, if a team fails to meet their bid, they must deduct the difference from their score. For instance, if a team bids for 10 tricks but only wins 9, they lose 10 points, while the opposing team gains points for the tricks they won, say 4 points in this example. However, if the opposing team wins 5 tricks, any discrepancies in scoring are revealed.
The game concludes when one of the teams reaches a predetermined score, typically 61 or 31 points, agreed upon before the start of the game.
The card hierarchy in Tarneeb, from highest to lowest, is as follows:
- A (Cut)
- K (Sheikh)
- Q (girl)
- J (born)
- Then descending from 10 to 2.
