How to Play Tarneeb 41
Tarneeb 41 rules: hearts always trumps, every player bids their own tricks, the scoring table for big bids, and the rule for winning at 41
What is Tarneeb 41?
Tarneeb 41 (طرنيب 41), also called Syrian 41 or simply 41, is the version of Tarneeb played across Syria and Lebanon in which nobody wins the auction. Hearts are always trumps, every player bids the tricks they will take themselves, and partners score separately but win together.
It belongs to the family of games known as 400 and 41: four players in two teams of two, partners opposite, a 52-card deck with aces high, and anticlockwise play. A bid you make scores its value, a bid you miss costs it, and bold bids of five tricks or more count double.
A team wins when one partner reaches 41 points while the other partner's score is above zero. That last rule is what makes 41 a team game: racing ahead is no use if your partner is left behind. For the classic game with an auction for the trump suit, see Tarneeb.
The classic game, with an auction for the trump suit: Tarneeb
Tarneeb 41 rules at a glance
- Players
- 4, in two teams of two; partners sit opposite
- Deck
- 52 cards, aces high: A, K, Q, J, 10 down to 2
- Trumps
- Hearts, always
- Direction
- Anticlockwise: dealing, bidding and play pass to the right
- Bidding
- One bid each, from the dealer's right: 2 to 13 tricks for yourself. No passing
- Minimum
- The four bids must add up to 11 or more, or the cards are dealt again
- Lead
- The player on the dealer's right leads the first trick
- Play
- Follow suit if you can; if not, play any card
- Scoring
- Make your bid: score its value. Miss it: lose its value. Extra tricks count nothing
- Values
- 2-4 at face value; 5-8 double (5 = 10, 8 = 16); 9-13 triple (9 = 27)
- Winning
- One partner at 41 or more, the other above 0
How to play Tarneeb 41, step by step
- 1
Sit in teams
Four players form two teams of two, partners sitting opposite each other.
- 2
Deal anticlockwise
The dealer deals all 52 cards one at a time, starting on their right, 13 to each player. The deal passes to the right after each hand.
- 3
Bid your own tricks
Starting with the player on the dealer's right, each player bids once: how many tricks they will take themselves, from 2 to 13. Nobody may pass. Your partner's tricks don't count towards your bid.
- 4
Check the total
If the four bids add up to less than 11, the hand is not played: the cards are thrown in and the next dealer deals again.
- 5
Play with hearts as trumps
The player on the dealer's right leads. Follow suit if you can; if you can't, play any card. The highest heart wins the trick, or the highest card of the suit led if no heart was played. The winner leads the next trick.
- 6
Score each player
After 13 tricks, every player who took at least their bid adds its value to their own score; every player who took fewer loses it. Tricks over the bid count nothing.
- 7
Win at 41
Your team wins as soon as one of you has 41 points or more while the other has more than zero. If your partner is at zero or below, play on until they climb above it.
The scoring table
Small bids score their face value. From five tricks the value doubles, and from nine it triples: a bid of 5 is worth 10, and a bid of 9 is worth 27. The same value is lost when the bid fails, so a big bid is a big risk.
- Bid 2, 3 or 4
- 2, 3 or 4 points
- Bid 5
- 10 points
- Bid 6
- 12 points
- Bid 7
- 14 points
- Bid 8
- 16 points
- Bid 9 to 13
- Triple: 27, 30, 33, 36, 39
An example hand
You bid 3, your partner 5, and the opponents 2 and 2: 12 in all, so the hand is played. You take 4 tricks, your partner 5, the opponents 3 and 1. You made your 3 (4 tricks, the extra one counts nothing): +3. Your partner made 5: +10. One opponent made 2: +2; the other missed: -2.
Winning: 41 with your partner above zero
Scores are kept for each player, not for the team. As soon as one player reaches 41 or more and their partner's score is above zero, their team wins. A player can be on 50 and still not win while their partner sits at -4: the team keeps playing until the partner climbs above zero. If both teams qualify after the same hand, the team with the higher top score wins; if they are level, play goes on.
House rules you may meet
41 is played many ways. Some tables raise the minimum bid as players get closer to 41 (3 from 30 points, 4 from 40) or raise the total needed to 12 and 13; some let a made bid of 10 win the game outright; some play the bidding with a turned-up card choosing the trump suit. bs.fyi plays the common rules above.
Tarneeb 41 words
- Tarneeb (طرنيب)
- The trump suit: in 41, always hearts (كبّة)
- Lamma (لمّة)
- A trick
- Suits
- Bastoni ♠ (بستوني), Kubba ♥ (كبّة), Sbati ♣ (سباتي), Dinari ♦ (ديناري)
Tarneeb 41 strategy tips
- •Count hearts first. Hearts are always trumps, so every heart past the third is close to a sure trick, and a void in a side suit lets small hearts win tricks too.
- •Bid what you can make. A missed bid of 5 costs 10 points. Bid the tricks your own hand can take; your partner's high cards won't help your bid.
- •Help the partner who still needs tricks. Once you have made your bid, extra tricks are worth nothing to you. Let your partner win the tricks they need, and use your cards to stop the opponents making theirs.
- •Watch your partner's score. Reaching 41 wins nothing while your partner is at zero or below. When your partner is low, a safe bid for them matters more than a big one for you.
Tarneeb 41 FAQ
What is Tarneeb 41?
The Syrian version of Tarneeb: four players in two teams, hearts always trumps, and each player bids their own tricks. A team wins when one partner reaches 41 points while the other is above zero.
What is the minimum bid in Tarneeb 41?
Each player bids at least 2 tricks, and the four bids must add up to 11 or more; otherwise the cards are dealt again.
How are big bids scored in 41?
Bids of 2 to 4 score their face value; 5 to 8 score double (5 = 10, 6 = 12, 7 = 14, 8 = 16); 9 and more score triple (9 = 27). A missed bid loses the same value.
Why can't I win at 41 when my partner is negative?
The winning rule needs both partners: one at 41 or more and the other above zero. It keeps 41 a team game.
Who leads first in Tarneeb 41?
The player on the dealer's right, who also bids first. After that, the winner of each trick leads the next.
Is Tarneeb 41 the same as the game 400?
They are close relatives: both have hearts as trumps, individual bids and a target of 41. 400 is the Lebanese name for the family; rules for the minimum bids and the scoring table vary from table to table.
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