The games at a glance
| Game | Players | You need | In short |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tarneeb | 4 players, two teams | A full 52-card deck | Two teams, bids and trumps |
| Tarneeb 41 | 4 players, two teams | A full 52-card deck | Each bids alone, the team plays to 41 |
| Baloot | 4 players, two teams | 32 cards (seven to ace) | Sun, Hokm and projects |
| Trix | 4 players, each for themselves | A full 52-card deck | Four kingdoms, each for themselves |
| Trix complex | 4 players, each for themselves | A full 52-card deck | Complex then Trix, every kingdom |
| Hand | 4 players each on their own; a table can also be set to 2 players, 3 players, or 4 in partnerships | Two decks and two jokers (106 cards) | Lay down runs and sets |
| Domino | 4 players, two teams (a table can also be set to 2 players) | 28 tiles up to double six | Teams or one-on-one, to 100 |
| Ludo | 2 players | A board, a die and four tokens each | Dice and tokens, first one home |
| Tarneeb solo | 4 players, each for themselves | A full 52-card deck | Every player for themselves |
| Trix partners | 4 players, two teams (partners sit opposite) | A full 52-card deck | Trix in two teams |
| Complex partners | 4 players, two teams (partners sit opposite) | A full 52-card deck | Complex in two teams |
Tarneeb rules
Tarneeb is a classic Levantine trick-taking game for two teams, with partners sitting opposite each other. Players bid on how many tricks they will take; the highest bidder names the trump suit and their team tries to make the bid.
Be the first team to reach the table's target score (31, 41 or 61) by making your bids and setting your opponents'.
Tarneeb 41 rules
Tarneeb 41 (also called Syrian 41) is a Tarneeb variant where partners still sit opposite each other, but every player bids and scores alone. There is no auction for trump: the colour of the last card dealt decides it.
Have one partner reach 41 points or more while the other is above zero, before the other team does.
Baloot rules
Baloot is the favourite card game of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, played by two teams with 32 cards. One player buys the hand as Hokom or Sun, then both teams race for card points and projects until one reaches 152.
Be the first team to reach 152 points by winning card points in tricks, declaring projects and making the hands you buy.
Trix rules
Trix is one of the best-loved card games in the Levant and the Gulf. It is played over four kingdoms, and in each one the kingdom's owner chooses the order of five contracts. Everyone plays for themselves, and the highest total wins.
Finish the four kingdoms with the highest total: avoid the penalty cards and tricks, and get rid of your cards early in the Trix contract.
Trix Complex rules
Trix Complex is the faster, tougher take on Trix: instead of five contracts per kingdom there are only two, Complex, which packs every penalty into one deal, and Trix. Everyone plays for themselves, and the highest total wins.
Finish the four kingdoms with the highest total: avoid the penalty cards and tricks, and get rid of your cards early in the Trix contract.
Hand rules
Hand is a rummy game popular in the Gulf and the Levant. You draw, discard and lay down runs and sets, trying to get rid of all your cards before anyone else.
Finish the five deals with the lowest total: in Hand, points count against you.
Domino rules
Dominoes is one of the most popular tile games in the Arab world. Players match tiles to the two ends of the line, and the first to play all their tiles scores the pips left in the opponents' hands.
Be the first team to reach the table's target score (50, 100 or 150) by scoring the pips left in your opponents' hands.
Ludo rules
Ludo is a dice and board game where each player moves four tokens once around the board and then home. On Card Kings it is played by two players on opposite colours: red and yellow.
Bring all four of your tokens home before your opponent, or just the first token if the table creator chose "One round".
Solo Tarneeb rules
Solo Tarneeb is Tarneeb with no partners: every player plays and scores for themselves. Whoever wins the auction names trump and must take their bid alone, while the other three try to stop them.
Be the first player to reach the table's target score (31, 51 or 61) by making your bids or by setting other players' bids.
Trix Partners rules
Trix is one of the best-loved card games in the Levant and the Gulf. It is played over four kingdoms, and in each one the kingdom's owner chooses the order of five contracts. In this version the two players sitting opposite each other are partners and add up their points.
Finish the four kingdoms with your team on the highest total: avoid the penalty cards and tricks, and get rid of your cards early in the Trix contract.
Trix Complex Partners rules
Trix Complex is the faster, tougher take on Trix: instead of five contracts per kingdom there are only two, Complex, which packs every penalty into one deal, and Trix. In this version the two players sitting opposite each other are partners and add up their points.
Finish the four kingdoms with your team on the highest total: avoid the penalty cards and tricks, and get rid of your cards early in the Trix contract.
Card game words
- Shadda
- A deck of playing cards: 52 cards in four suits of 13, from the ace to the king.
- Suits
- Spades ♠ (bastouni), hearts ♥ (kubba), diamonds ♦ (dinari) and clubs ♣ (sbati).
- Trick
- A round where each player plays one card; the highest card takes them all.
- Tarneeb (trump)
- The suit that beats every other suit in a hand; the game Tarneeb is named after it.
- Bid
- The number of tricks a player or team promises to take in a hand.
- Kaboot
- Taking every trick of a hand.
- Sun and Hokm
- The two ways to play Baloot: Sun without trumps, Hokm with a trump chosen by the buyer.
- Kingdom
- In Trix: five hands in which one player chooses the order of the contracts.
- The fire
- In Hand: the discard pile; its top card may be taken only to lay it down.
- Laying down
- In Hand: putting runs and sets on the table; the first lay-down must total 51.
Questions
What is shadda?
Shadda is what people in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine call a deck of playing cards: 52 cards in four suits. Tarneeb, Trix, Hand and Baloot are all played with it.
Which Arabic card games are the most popular?
Tarneeb, Trix and Hand in the Levant, and Baloot in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, each with variants such as Tarneeb 41, Trix Complex and Hand in partnerships.
How can I play these card games online?
Download Card Kings from Google Play, pick a game and join a table with real players, or create a private table for your friends with a code.
What is the difference between Tarneeb and Tarneeb 41?
In Tarneeb, players bid against each other, the highest bidder chooses trumps, and a team plays to 31, 41 or 61. In Tarneeb 41 each player bids alone, trumps come from the dealer's shown card, and a team wins when one partner reaches 41 while the other is above zero.