Description

Tarabish, also known by its slang term Bish, is a Scottish trick-taking card game of complex rules derived from Belote, a game of the Jass family. The actual pronunciation of the name is "tar-bish", even though it can be spelled "tarabish". It is played primarily by the people of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, in Canada, where it was brought in 1901 by a Lebanese immigrant George Shebib.

The game is over when one or both teams accumulate 500 points or more. Points are counted at the end of each hand and both teams always count their points. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.

A Tarabish deck consists of a normal deck of playing cards with the 2 through 5 of each suit removed. In preparation for the hand the dealer shuffles the cards in the usual manner. When finished the person to the right of the dealer cuts the cards. The cut must leave at least four cards in each portion of the deck. Once the cards have been cut, no further shuffling is allowed.

The 36 Tarabish cards are dealt in groups of three beginning to the left of the dealer and proceeding clockwise until all the cards are passed out. The four players look at their first six cards; the last three, called the kitty, remain face down until after the bid is complete and a trump suit has been chosen.

Cards value
The cards have a strict point value in trumps:

J = 20 points
9 = 14 points
A = 11 points
10 = 10 points
K = 4 point
Q = 3 point
8 7 6 = no value
The order and value in a non-trump suit are:

A = 11 points
10 = 10 points
K = 4 points
Q = 3 points
J = 2 points
9 8 7 6 = no value