Levant · Trick-taking · Partners
400 (Arbaa Miyye): rules and how to play
أربعمية
400, Arbaa Miyye, is the Lebanese cousin of Tarneeb, and plenty of tables play nothing else. Partners sit across from each other, but every player bids and scores alone. Hearts are always trump, nobody passes, and the bigger your bid, the more it pays. 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.
- The four bids must add up to at least 11 (more once someone has 30 points), or the cards are dealt 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. Your team wins when one of you has 41 and the other is above zero.
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, so nobody names a trump. The player on the dealer's right bids and leads first, and the deal moves one seat to the right after each hand.
Bidding
Starting on the dealer's right, each player bids once: the number of tricks they will take themselves, from 2 to 13. There is no pass, and a bid doesn't have to beat the bids before it.
- The four bids together must reach at least 11. Once any player has 30 points they must reach 12, once any player has 40 they must reach 13, and once any player has 50 they must reach 14.
- Your own bid rises with your score: at least 3 once you have 30 points, 4 once you have 40 and 5 once you have 50.
- If the bids don't reach the table minimum, nobody scores and the next dealer deals again.
Playing the tricks
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, your partner's tricks don't count for you, and scores can go below zero.
- Bids of 2, 3 and 4 are worth 2, 3 and 4.
- 5 = 10, 6 = 12, 7 = 14, 8 = 16 and 9 = 27.
- 10, 11, 12 and 13 are all worth 40.
- Once your own score is 30 or more, a bid of 5 is worth 5 and a bid of 6 is worth 6.
Winning
A team wins when one partner has 41 or more and the other partner 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 9 and take 9 tricks: you win 27. Take 8 and you lose 27, whatever your partner took.
03
Tips from the table
- Count hearts before high cards. With hearts trump in every hand, a long heart suit is worth more than a handful of aces.
- Your 41 doesn't win while your partner is at zero or below, so sometimes the safe bid is the right bid for the team.
- The jump from 8 (16 points) to 9 (27) is the biggest in the table. When your hand is there, bid it.
- Late in the game the minimums rise for everyone, and your own minimum rises with your score. Plan for bigger bids once someone passes 30.
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
- Score table: common (10 to 13 all score 40) or classic (10 = 30, 11 = 33, 12 = 36, and 13 wins or loses the game)
Online, every computer player is labelled and the deal can be checked. How we keep it fair
04
Questions
What is the difference between 400 and Syrian 41?
Both are played with hearts always trump and every player bidding alone. In 400 big bids pay much more (9 = 27, 10 or more = 40) and the minimum bids rise as the scores climb. In Syrian 41 every bid of 5 or more is simply worth double. Qahwa has both.
How do you win a game of 400?
Your team wins when one partner reaches 41 points while the other is above zero. A big score on its own is not enough if your partner is still at zero or below.
Can I play 400 online with friends?
Yes. Open a private table in Qahwa and share the code with three friends, or fill the empty seats with the computer and play offline.
Play it free: 400 (Arbaa Miyye)
Qahwa is in testing and not on Google Play yet. Join the early players list and be first at the table.