Among our most popular social traditions is none other than the Arbaa’ Meyeh Card Game. If by any chance, you have never partaken in it, you have certainly seen it played around in Lebanon in social gatherings and even on the sideroad cafes. The 400 Card Game is indeed as popular in Lebanon, but also in the Levantine and the Middle-East.
The tradition has been carried across the oceans into the diaspora as well where it is as popular. However, there has been a big problem with this so-loved old game, a problem in the scoring, always and inevitably, creating conflicts.
If you are an Arbaa’ Meyeh player, you know how it gets your adrenaline up, and also how tense it could end with the scoring issue. It causes people to engage in argument and debates because of the messed up scoring process. If you’ve never been a player of this game, know this: Relationships have been broken because of it! Yes, it is as bad as it is fun.
So, here comes a young man who decided to find the ultimate solution to this problem so people can keep enjoying this traditional 400 Game without conflicts and arguments. A descendant of Lebanon, born and raised in Australia, he has inherited that social tradition, among others.
“For many years, I watched friends and family have arguments over Arba3meyeh (400) with people making mistakes on scores and who is keeping track of it,” Michael Khouri told us in our exchange, and shared with us that he has recently found a solution to the problem; “one of many problems of people in the Middle East,” as he said.
This might not be a political quandary or one of our Middle-Eastern crises, but it is indeed an issue that has been wrecking the social relationships of the 400’s gamers and casting a thick shadow on this popular game.
From his world spot in Australia, Michael Khouri merged tradition and technology, developing with the help of an expert friend an app that tracks the scoring as the game unfurls, generating accurate final scores.
“After 18 months of developing and testing, we have delivered the app, the solution, the world’s first 400 Scoreboard!” Michael shared with The961.
Named 400 Scoreboard, the app’s algorithm is programmed to auto-calculate the progression of the points. This new app that Michael shared with us this week replaces the pen and paper, saving a lot of time and miscalculations, keeping an accurate track, and eradicating arguments and conflicts among players.
You might be wondering how the app works. Put in simple terms, the algorithm calculates the running score based on the rules and each player’s inputs. It locks in results, records game history, inputs bids, and generates the scores.
It’s basically a problem solver that provides accurate results and saves you the drama and problems of the traditional pen and paper scoring. Michael guaranteed that the app helps out all 400 Card Game players, and wherever they go.
For the Arbaa’ Meyeh card gamers among you, the “400 Scoreboard” is available online for all types of phones and can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play. Enjoy!