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Chkobba strategy: 10 tips to win more
Chkobba looks like a game of luck. Over a whole game it isn't: the player who counts and thinks one move ahead wins most of the time.
Last updated: October 24, 2026
New to the game? Start with the Chkobba rules, then come back here.
1. Count the cards that are gone
There are only four cards of each value. If three Rois have already been played, the last one can't surprise you. Keeping track of the 7s, the figures and the diamonds tells you what your opponent can still capture, and it's the habit that separates good players from everyone else.
2. The 7aya is worth chasing
The 7 of diamonds is a full point on its own, and it also counts for the diamonds and for the barmila. If it's on the table and you hold a 7, take it. If you hold the 7aya yourself, don't throw it onto the table where any 7 can grab it: play it as a capture.
3. Don't leave an easy chkobba
Before playing a card that stays on the table, add up what will be left. If the table ends at one card, or at cards adding up to 10 or less, your opponent may sweep it for a chkobba. A table holding two or three cards with a high total is much safer.
4. Think about the total, not just the cards
When you can't capture, choose the card that leaves the table hardest to clear. Laying a 6 next to a 4 offers a Roi a clean 10; laying a figure instead often keeps the table out of reach.
5. Keep a figure in reserve
Dames, Valets and Rois capture big sums. Holding one until late in a hand gives you an answer when the table fills up, and the chance of a chkobba on a crowded table.
6. Play for el karta early
The cards point goes to whoever captures 21 or more. Sum captures (three or four cards at once) build that count faster than one-for-one trades, so when you have the choice, take more cards.
7. Diamonds first
When two captures are possible, take the one with more diamonds. Six diamonds is a point, and each diamond you take is one your opponent can't use for theirs.
8. Watch the barmila
The barmila goes to the most 7s, then the most 6s. Late in the deal, count the 7s you hold or have captured: if you already have three, the point is yours, and you can use your next 7 freely.
9. The last capture is a hidden bonus
Whoever captures last takes every card left on the table at the end of the deal, often enough to decide el karta. Toward the end, keep a card that can capture for your last play.
10. In 2 vs 2, play for your partner
Your partner plays two turns after you. Leave them captures they can take, and don't open the table for the opponent who plays right after you. Watching what your partner lays down tells you what they're holding.