Egyptian Tarneeb (Masrawy) Rules

Cards, card ranking and suit ranking

Masrawy uses a standard 52-card deck with no jokers. Inside each suit the cards rank from low to high 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace, with the Ace always high.

Unlike classic Tarneeb, the suits are ranked against each other during the auction, from weakest to strongest: Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, Spades, and then no-trump (sun) at the top. This ranking only decides which bid beats which — once play starts, only the trump suit beats the others.

Setup and the deal

Four players form two teams, partners opposite each other, and share one team score.

1. The deck is shuffled and each player receives 13 cards; the whole deck is used and no card is turned up.
2. Any player holding nine or more cards of a single suit is “out of call”: they sit out the whole auction but still play all 13 tricks for their team.
3. Bidding starts with the first player to the dealer’s left who is not out of call, and goes clockwise.
4. After each completed round the dealer moves one seat clockwise.

Objective of the game

The team that wins the auction must take at least the number of tricks it bid (the talab), counting both partners’ tricks. The defenders score only if they hold the buyers below their bid. Across rounds, the goal is the higher team total when the match reaches 31.

Bidding: number plus trump

A Masrawy bid names two things at once: a number of tricks from 7 to 13, and a denomination — one of the four suits or no-trump. There is no separate trump-choosing step; naming the trump is part of the bid. On your turn you may bid, pass, or (as an opponent) double.

• The first bid can be any number from 7 to 13 in any denomination.
• To outbid, name a stronger denomination with the same or a higher number, or an equal or weaker denomination with a strictly higher number. For example, 8 ♠ beats 8 ♥, but over 8 ♥ you must bid at least 9 ♦.
• When you make a bid, you become the only live bidder; other players who had bid may bid again when their turn comes.
• Passing is final — once you pass, you are out of the auction for that round.
• When the turn comes back to the high bidder with everyone else passed, they confirm the contract and play begins.
• If nobody bids at all, the hand is dead and the same dealer re-deals. Nothing is scored.

Double and re-double

Doubling raises the stakes on the buying team. When a bid is standing, a player on the opposing team may double it on their turn, as long as it has not been doubled already. The turn then goes straight to the high bidder, who either confirms the doubled contract (×2) or re-doubles (×4). Either answer ends the auction. There is no further escalation beyond ×4, and the multiplier resets to ×1 every round.

Playing the tricks (including no-trump)

The high bidder leads the first trick, and the winner of each trick leads the next. You must follow suit whenever you can; if you cannot, you may trump or discard, and you are never forced to trump or to beat the cards on the table.

• In a suit contract, the highest trump wins the trick; if no trump was played, the highest card of the led suit wins.
• In a no-trump (sun) contract there is no trump at all: every trick goes to the highest card of the led suit, and off-suit cards can never win.
• After 13 tricks the round ends and partners’ tricks are added together.

Scoring

Base scoring works exactly like classic Tarneeb. A made contract scores the tricks actually taken; a Kaboot (all 13 tricks) on a bid below 13 scores 16; a made bid of 13 scores 26; and the defenders score nothing when the contract is made. A failed contract costs the buyers the full bid (or 16 on a failed 13), and the defenders score their tricks — or 16 if they swept all 13.

Then the doubling multiplier is applied to the buying team’s result: ×2 if doubled, ×4 if re-doubled — on a win and on a loss alike.

Winning the match

Rounds continue with a fresh deal until a team’s running total reaches 31. The match then ends, and the team with the higher total wins; exactly equal totals are a draw. On Dananeer you can also play a quick one-round match or set your own target and turn timer in a private room.

How Egyptian Tarneeb differs from Tarneeb

• Each bid names a number and a trump together, instead of choosing trump after the auction.
• No-trump (sun) is allowed, and it is the strongest denomination in the auction.
• Suits are ranked in the auction, so you can outbid with the same number in a stronger suit.
• Opponents can double (×2) and the high bidder can re-double (×4).
• If everyone passes, the hand is re-dealt — there is no forced bid for the last player.
• Players with nine or more cards in one suit sit out the auction but still play their cards.
• Scoring values, Kaboot and the 31-point target are the same as classic Tarneeb.

Strategy tips

• Use the suit ranking to your advantage: a strong Spades or no-trump hand can take the contract at the same number, while Clubs and Diamonds bidders have to raise.
• Only bid no-trump with stoppers in most suits. With no trump to save you, a long run in the suit you are weakest in can quickly set your contract.
• Double when you are confident the buyers are overreaching — a doubled failure doubles their loss.
• If you are doubled and your hand is solid, a re-double makes a made contract worth four times as much — but it also quadruples the loss if you go down.
• Remember an out-of-call partner still plays all 13 cards. Their long suit can deliver a lot of tricks even though they never spoke in the auction.
• On defence, every trick matters: if you set the buyers, you score your tricks and they lose their whole bid.

Frequently asked questions