Overview
Tarneeb in Cardems is a four-player partnership trick-taking game. North and South play together against East and West. Each partnership tries to make its contract, collect points across rounds, and become the only team at or above 31 points.
Objective
Win tricks with your partner and make the contract set by the auction. A match ends when exactly one partnership has reached at least 31 points after a scored round.
Setup
Cardems uses one 52-card deck. The player to the dealer's left receives the first card, then cards are dealt clockwise until each player has 13. The player to the dealer's left also opens the auction.
Partners sit opposite each other: North/South against East/West. After a scored round, the dealer moves one seat clockwise for the next round.
How to Play
- Bid a number from 7 through 13 or pass. Every numerical bid must be higher than the current highest bid.
- A player who passes is out of that auction. The current highest bidder may not pass.
- The auction winner chooses one trump suit and leads the first trick.
- Each player, clockwise, plays one card and must follow the led suit when able.
- A player who cannot follow suit may discard any card or play trump. The highest trump wins; if no trump is played, the highest card of the led suit wins.
- The trick winner leads the next trick. After 13 tricks, score the contract and continue the match if it has no winner.
For example, if East opens 7 and South wants to compete, South must bid at least 8. A player who has already passed cannot re-enter the auction, and the player holding the current highest bid cannot pass it away.
Important Rules
- A bid of 13 immediately wins the auction; no higher bid is available.
- The winning bidder alone selects trump and becomes the opening leader.
- Passing is permanent for that auction, and bids cannot tie or lower the existing bid.
- You must follow suit whenever your hand contains the suit led. Being void in that suit is the only time you may discard or trump.
- There is no special Tarneeb bonus for bidding 13 or for taking all 13 tricks. A successful 13-contract simply scores 13 tricks.
- An off-suit Ace does not win a trick led in another suit unless it is trump. When no trump is played, only cards in the led suit can win.
Scoring and Winning
| Round result | Declaring partnership | Defending partnership |
|---|---|---|
| Contract made | Scores every trick it took | Scores 0 |
| Contract missed | Loses the bid value | Scores every trick it took |
For example, if the declaring partnership bids 8 but takes 7 tricks, it scores -8 and the defenders score 6. Negative scores are retained in the match total.
If the declaring partnership bids 8 and takes 10 tricks instead, it scores 10—not 8—and the defenders score 0. The bid is the minimum required to avoid the penalty, not a cap on a successful score.
The first partnership to 31 normally wins. Cardems completes the match only when one team alone is at 31 or more; if both teams reach 31 in the same scored round, play continues until there is a sole qualifying team.
Strategy
When you cannot follow suit, choosing between a discard and a trump is a key decision. Trump when winning the trick helps the partnership or protects the contract; otherwise, use the opportunity to shed a card that is unlikely to win later. Avoid spending a high trump merely because you are void.
For other partnership trick-taking games, learn the rules of Hearts or explore Spades bidding and scoring.
Variations
Cardems uses fixed partnership seating, a 7-to-13 auction, a chosen trump suit, and a 31-point match target. It does not provide selectable bid ranges, all-pass redeals after three opening passes, or a special bid-13 bonus.
FAQ
What happens if everyone wants to pass?
After the first three opening passes, the remaining player is assigned a 7-trick contract. The hand is played; it is not redealt.
Can I pass after making the highest bid?
No. The highest bidder remains active until the auction ends.
Must I play trump when I cannot follow suit?
No. If you are void in the led suit, you may discard any card or play a trump card.
Does a successful contract score only the bid?
No. A partnership that makes its contract scores the full number of tricks it won, which can be more than its bid.
Who leads after the first trick?
The player who won the previous trick leads the next one. The auction winner leads only the first trick.
Can an off-suit Ace beat the led suit?
No. It wins only if it is a trump Ace. Otherwise, the highest card in the led suit wins when no trump is played.
