Play Some BishLearn
Where Tarabish comes from
Ask anyone in Cape Breton and they'll tell you Tarabish has always been there. It hasn't quite, but it's been there long enough that nobody can picture a kitchen table without it.
The short version
Tarabish is generally described as arriving in Cape Breton in the early 1900s. The usual story credits a Lebanese immigrant with bringing it over. Whatever the details, the game took hold fast and has been a fixture in kitchens, legions, pubs and fire halls ever since.
The family tree
Tarabish is a cousin of Belote, the French card game, and belongs to the wider Jass family of trick-taking games. If you've played either, you'll recognize the big idea: in the trump suit, the Jack and the 9 rise above the Ace. That's the same twist that gives Tarabish its character. See Why the Jack beats everything.
Where Tarabish went its own way is in the details: the 36-card deck, the way runs and Bella are called, the penalty for table talk, and above all the baits that make or break a hand.
What's in a name
You'll see it spelled Tarabish, Tarbish, and shortened to Bish. It's pronounced TAR-bish, with the second "a" silent.
Keep it going
A lot of Tarabish history lives in people's heads and not in books: house rules, famous partnerships, who taught whom. If you have a story about the game, we'd like to hear it. Get in touch.
Further reading
Our own rules page draws on two sources worth a look: