Levant · Trick-taking · Partners
Syrian 41: rules and how to play
طرنيب 41
Syrian 41, also called Tarneeb 41, is the Tarneeb of Syrian tables. Partners sit across from each other, but each player bids and scores alone, hearts are always trump, and nobody passes. Small bids score their number and bids of 5 or more score double. Your team wins when one of you reaches 41 while the other is above zero.
At a glance
- Players
- 4, in two teams of two
- Deck
- 52 cards, hearts always trump
- Goal
- One partner on 41, the other above zero
- A game
- Several hands, to 41 points
01
How to play in one minute
- Deal all 52 cards, 13 each. Hearts are always trump. Dealing, bidding and play go to the right.
- Each player bids once how many tricks they will take themselves, from 2 to 13. Nobody passes.
- If the four bids add up to less than 11, nobody scores and the next dealer deals again.
- The player on the dealer's right leads. Follow suit if you can; the highest heart wins, otherwise the highest card of the suit led.
- Take at least your bid to win its value; fall short and lose it. Bids of 5 or more are worth double. First to 41 wins for the team.
02
The rules
The deal
One 52-card deck, 13 cards each, ranked from the ace (high) down to the 2. Hearts are trump in every hand. Dealing, bidding and play go to the right, and the deal moves one seat to the right after each hand.
Bidding
Starting on the dealer's right, each player bids once how many tricks they will take themselves, from 2 to 13. Nobody passes, and a bid doesn't have to beat the bids before it. If the four bids add up to less than 11, nobody scores and the next dealer deals again.
Playing the tricks
The player on the dealer's right leads the first trick. Follow the suit led if you can. If you can't, play any card: you may play a heart, but you don't have to. The highest heart wins the trick; with no heart in it, the highest card of the suit led wins. The winner leads the next trick.
Scoring
- Take at least your bid and you win its value; take fewer and you lose it. Extra tricks earn nothing, and your partner's tricks don't count for you.
- Bids of 2 to 4 are worth their number. Bids of 5 or more are worth double: 5 = 10, 6 = 12, up to 13 = 26.
- Scores can go below zero.
- A team wins when one partner has 41 or more and the other is above zero. If both teams get there after the same hand, the higher total of the two partners wins; if the totals are equal, another hand is played.
You bid 5 and take 6 tricks: you win 10. Take only 4 and you lose 10, whatever your partner took.
03
Tips from the table
- Hearts are trump every hand, so count them from the first trick: 13 in all, and every one that falls is one less to fear.
- A bid of 4 is worth 4 but a bid of 5 is worth 10. When your hand is close, the step up to 5 is where the points are.
- Your partner's tricks don't count for you. Once you have made your bid, help your partner make theirs.
- Keep an eye on your partner's score: your 41 only wins when they are above zero too.
Qahwa · قهوة
Play it in Qahwa
Switch the house rules before you deal:
- Play to 31, 41 or 61
- Table minimum: the four bids must reach 11, 12 or 13
Online, every computer player is labelled and the deal can be checked. How we keep it fair
04
Questions
Is Syrian 41 the same as Tarneeb?
They share the deal and the play, but in Syrian 41 hearts are always trump, every player bids for themselves from 2 to 13, nobody passes, and a team needs one partner on 41 and the other above zero. In Tarneeb the highest bidder names the trump. Read the Tarneeb guide
What happens if the bids are too low?
If the four bids add up to less than 11, nobody scores and the next dealer deals again. In Qahwa you can raise the minimum to 12 or 13.
What is the difference between Syrian 41 and 400?
400 uses the same deal and play, but big bids pay much more (9 = 27, 10 or more = 40) and the minimum bids rise as the scores climb. Qahwa has both.
Play it free: Syrian 41 (Tarneeb 41)
Qahwa is in testing and not on Google Play yet. Join the early players list and be first at the table.