Gulf · Trick-taking · Every player for themselves

Bent Al Sbeet: rules and how to play

بنت السبيت

Bent al sbeet, the queen of spades, gives this Kuwaiti penalty game its name. Four players, no partners and no trump: pass three cards, then dodge the hearts, the ten of diamonds and the queen herself. The twist is the exposure: show the queen or the ten before play and it counts double for whoever takes it.

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Bent Al Sbeet: Solo · pass three · expose the queen to double her

Players: 4, each for themselves
Deck: 52 cards, ace high, no trump
Goal: Lowest score when someone reaches 151
A game: Several deals

How to play in one minute

Deal 13 cards each. Pass three cards: to the left on odd deals, to the right on even deals.
Holding the queen of spades or the ten of diamonds? You may expose it, and it then counts double for whoever takes it.
The player on the dealer's right leads. Follow suit; if you can't and you hold the queen or the ten, you must throw one of them.
The highest card of the suit led takes the trick. Hearts can't be led until a heart has been played.
Hearts 1 each, the ten of diamonds 10 (20 exposed), the queen of spades 13 (26 exposed). At 151 the lowest score wins.

The rules

The pass and the exposure

A standard 52-card deck, 13 cards each, ace high. Every deal starts with everyone passing three cards at once: to the left on odd deals, to the right on even deals. Then, one by one starting on the dealer's right, anyone holding the queen of spades or the ten of diamonds may expose it. An exposed card stays in your hand but counts double for whoever takes it, for that deal only.

Playing the tricks

The player on the dealer's right leads. Follow suit if you can. If you can't and you hold the queen of spades or the ten of diamonds, you must throw one of them; otherwise play any card. The highest card of the suit led takes the trick and leads next; there is no trump. Hearts can't be led until a heart has been played, unless you only have hearts.

Scoring

Each heart: 1 point.
Ten of diamonds: 10, or 20 if exposed.
Queen of spades (bent al sbeet): 13, or 26 if exposed.
Shooting the moon: take all 13 hearts and both special cards and you score nothing, while everyone else takes the whole deal's penalty, doubles included.
The dealer moves one seat to the right after every deal. Scores are checked after the whole deal: when someone reaches 151 the game ends and the lowest score wins; tied players share the win.

Example

The queen of spades was exposed and you take it with two hearts: you add 28 points.

Tips from the table

Expose the queen only when you are confident you can get rid of her: at 26 points she hurts whoever takes her, you included.
The pass alternates, so remember where your cards went: on odd deals your left-hand neighbour knows three of them.
Empty a short suit early, so you can throw the queen or the ten on someone else's trick.
An exposed card is known to everyone, and the whole table will try to push it onto someone. Expect a fight when its suit is led.

Qahwa · قهوة

Play it in Qahwa

Switch the house rules before you deal:

Play to 101, 151 or 201
Penalty cards are forced when you can't follow
Hearts must break before they are led
Shooting the moon

Join the early playersIn testing · soon onGoogle Play

Online, every computer player is labelled and the deal can be checked. How we keep it fair

Questions

What is bent al sbeet?

It is what Kuwaiti players call the queen of spades, the card the game is named after. She is the most expensive card at the table: 13 points, or 26 if exposed.

What does exposing a card do?

Before play, whoever holds the queen of spades or the ten of diamonds may show it. It stays in their hand but counts double, 26 or 20, for whoever takes it in that deal.

How is Bent Al Sbeet different from Leekha and Hearts?

All three are penalty games. Bent Al Sbeet passes left and right in turn, lets you expose the queen or the ten to double them, and plays to 151. Leekha always passes right and plays to 101; Hearts rotates the pass and has no ten of diamonds.