Forty-One Auction Whist Group

Forty-One

Introduction

This trick-taking card game, which is often known as 400 (arba3meyeh) is much played in Syria, and to some extent in Lebanon. I have no explanation for the name 400 - this number does not arise anywhere in the game, at least as currently played.

This page is based on information from Dan Glimne, Alexey Lobashev and Peter Azzi.

Players and Cards

41 is a partnership game for four players, over several consecutive deals. The partners sit as in bridge, North and South playing against East and West.

A standard 52-card pack is used, ranking from high to low A-K-Q-J-10-...-2. Most commonly French-made packs are used, with French indices for the court cards, so the ranking is 1-R-D-V-10-...-2. Hearts is the permanent trump suit.

Deal

13 cards to each player, dealt anticlockwise in batches of 1-2-2-2-2-2-2. The dealer position also rotates anticlockwise.

Bidding

The bidding starts with the player to the right of the dealer and continues anticlockwise round to the dealer. Each player gets just one chance to bid. At your turn, having looked at your cards you state the number of tricks you think you can take. You must bid at least 1. The sum of all the bid values must be at least 11 for play to proceed. If it is 10 or less, all players throw in their hands and there is a new deal by the next player in turn.

A bid of from 1 to 6 tricks counts the corresponding total in points. A bid of 7 or more tricks counts double: i.e. 7 tricks = 14 points, 8 tricks = 16 and so on. Thus if any player bids 7 or more tricks, the total bid value is automatically above 11 and so proceeds. (In practice, the individual bids vary between 2 and 6, which leaves the decision of whether to play in the hands of the dealer: if the dealer has no reasonable bid that will bring the total to at least 11, the dealer throws in his or her hand and the other players immediately do the same.)

Play

The player to dealer's right leads any card to the first trick and play proceeds anticlockwise. Players must follow suit if possible. Those unable to follow suit may play any card - either trump with a heart or discard or discard from another suit. Hearts is the permanent trump suit. The highest trump, or in the absence of trumps the highest card of the suit led wins the trick, and the winner leads any card to the next trick. This continues until all 13 tricks have been played.

Scoring

Even though this is a partnership game, running total score is kept for each individual player. A player takes at least as many tricks as he or she bid scores the value of the bid (there is no extra score for taking more tricks than were bid). Example: A player who bids 4 and takes 4 or more tricks scores 4 points.

A player who bids 7 or more tricks and takes at least as many tricks as were bid scores twice the number of tricks bid. Example: A player who bids 8 and takes 8 or more tricks scores 16 points.

A player who fails, taking fewer tricks than were bid, scores minus points equal to the value of the bid. Failed bids of 7 or more therefore score minus twice the number of tricks bid. Example: A player who bids 5 and takes fewer than 5 tricks scores -5 points.

Winner: A partnership wins when one partner's score reaches or exceeds 41 points while the other partner's score is positive. If both teams reach this position in the same deal, the partnership with the higher total score wins.