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Chkobba rules (شكبّة)
The card game of Tunisian cafés, explained from the first deal to the last point. These are the rules our online Chkobba follows.
Last updated: October 24, 2026
The game in a few words
Chkobba is a fishing game: you play cards from your hand to capture cards lying face-up on the table. At the end of each deal, the captured cards are counted for points. The first team to reach the target score, usually 21 (or 11 for a shorter game), wins. It's played 1 vs 1, or 2 vs 2 with partners sitting opposite each other.
It belongs to the same family as the Italian Scopa, but it's played with its own scoring in Tunisia, where it's a fixture of café life, family evenings and Ramadan nights.
The cards
Chkobba uses a 40-card deck: in each of the four suits, the Ace to the 7, then three figures. Each card has a value:
| Card | Value |
|---|---|
| Ace (As) | 1 |
| 2 to 7 | 2 to 7 |
| Dame | 8 |
| Valet | 9 |
| Roi (King) | 10 |
The diamonds (dinari) matter more than the other suits for scoring, and one card matters more than any other: the 7 of diamonds, called el 7aya.
The deal
- The dealer places 4 cards face-up on the table.
- Each player receives 3 cards.
- Players take turns, one card each, going around the table.
- When every hand is empty, the dealer deals 3 more cards to each player (nothing more to the table). This repeats until the deck runs out.
With two players, that makes six hands of three cards; with four players, three hands each.
Capturing
On your turn you play one card from your hand. It can capture table cards in two ways:
- By value: a card takes a table card of the same value. Your 5 takes a 5.
- By sum: a card takes several table cards whose values add up to it. Your Roi (10) can take a 6 and a 4, or a 3, a 2 and a 5.
One rule decides between the two: if a card of the same value is on the table, you must take it, and you can't take a sum instead. With a 7 in hand and both a 7 and a 4+3 on the table, your 7 takes the 7. If several captures are possible, you choose which one.
If your card can't capture anything, it stays on the table, where it may be captured later.
The chkobba
When your capture takes every card on the table, leaving it empty, that's a chkobba, and it's worth 1 point on its own. The players announce it loudly; online, the screen does it for you. One exception: a sweep made with the very last card of the deal doesn't count as a chkobba.
End of a deal
When the last card has been played, any cards still on the table go to the team that made the last capture. Then each team counts its captured cards.
Counting the points
| Point | Who gets it |
|---|---|
| El karta (the cards) | The team with the most cards: at least 21 of the 40. |
| Dinari (the diamonds) | The team with the most diamonds: at least 6 of the 10. |
| El 7aya | The team that captured the 7 of diamonds. |
| Barmila | The team with the most 7s; if tied, the most 6s. |
| Chkobba | 1 point for every chkobba made during the deal. |
If both teams tie on cards (20 each) or on diamonds (5 each), nobody scores that point. A deal is usually worth 2 to 5 points, more when the chkobbas start flying.
Winning the game
Scores add up from deal to deal. The first team to reach the target (21 or 11) wins. If both teams pass it in the same deal and are level, another deal is played.
Playing 2 vs 2
In the four-player game, partners sit opposite each other and their captures count together. You can't talk about your cards, but you can play for your partner: leave them an easy capture, or avoid opening the table for the opponent who plays after you.
Play it online
Our online Chkobba plays these exact rules, with the traditional Tunisian card designs. Play 1 vs 1 or 2 vs 2 with friends using a 4-letter table code, or against the computer. If a player leaves, the computer can take their seat until they come back.