Chinchón – Rules

Play Chinchón against the computer

1. Overview

What is it about? Chinchón is Spain's most popular rummy game, named after a town near Madrid. Everyone holds seven cards and tries to arrange them into sets and runs. Whoever is nearly done closes the hand. Whoever goes over the limit is out. A run of all seven cards in one suit – a “chinchón” – wins the whole game at once.

2. Cards and material

• Pack: 40 Spanish cards (oros, copas, espadas, bastos) with values 1–7, sota, caballo, rey; plus 2 jokers.
• Order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, sota, caballo, rey. The 7 is directly next to the sota.
• Penalty points:

• Jokers: replace any card in a set or run.
• Face up and face down: Hand cards concealed, discard face up, stock face down.

3. Preparation and start

1. Shuffle and cut.
2. Deal: Everyone gets 7 cards.
3. Discard: The next card is turned face up; the rest is the stock.
4. Start: The player after the dealer begins.

Start example: Player 2 deals 7 cards to everyone and turns up the 4 of copas. Player 1 sits after him and begins.

4. Goal and winning

• Hand: Closing ends the hand. Everyone writes down their leftover points.
• Elimination: A player with more than 100 points is out.
• Game: The last player remaining wins.
• Chinchón: A run of seven cards in one suit without a joker wins the whole game at once.

5. Play in detail

A turn.

1. Draw: from the stock or the top discard.
2. Discard: one card face up onto the discard pile.

Combinations.

• Set: 3 or 4 cards of the same value.
• Run: at least 3 cards in sequence in one suit (e.g. oros 6-7-sota).
• At most one joker per combination.

Closing (cerrar). After drawing you may close if your leftover cards after discarding add up to at most 5 points and include no joker. Discard one card face down and show your hand.

Laying off. After a close, the others may lay off their leftover cards onto the closer's combinations to save points.

Example with Players 1 to 4.

1. Player 1 holds oros 3-4-5, three reyes, the 2 of copas and the 7 of bastos. He draws the 1 of espadas.
2. Player 1 discards the 7 of bastos face down and closes. The 2 of copas and 1 of espadas remain: 3 points – that's allowed.
3. Player 3 still has the 6 of oros and lays it off on Player 1's oros run (3-4-5-6). His other leftover cards count 14 points.
4. Result of the hand: Player 1 +3, Player 3 +14, Players 2 and 4 write down their leftover points.

6. Scoring

• Recording: One column per player, add up the points.
• Elimination: over 100 points.

7. Special rules and situations

• Joker in the leftovers: You may not close with a joker as a leftover card.
• Buying back in (variant): An eliminated player may rejoin for a stake with the score of the worst remaining player.
• Stock empty: The discards except the top card are shuffled into a new stock.
• Chinchón with a joker: Counts only as a close with −10, not as an instant win.
• Common mistakes: keeping high cards too long; forgetting that the 7 is next to the sota.

8. Variants

Standard in this description: 40 cards with 2 jokers, closing with at most 5 points, elimination over 100.

When playing against the computer on cardgames.zone you choose elimination over 100 or 50 points, with or without 2 jokers, and closing with at most 5 or 3 points.

9. Tips for beginners

1. Shed high cards: Sota, caballo and rey cost a lot of points.
2. Use jokers early: A joker in your hand costs 25 points.
3. Watch the discards: What others pick up shows their plans.
4. Close quickly: Better early with 4 points than late with 0.
5. Flexible cards: A card that fits a set and a run is gold.
6. 7 and sota: Remember that 6-7-sota is a run.
7. Near elimination: Play carefully and close early.

10. Summary in 10 steps

1. 40 Spanish cards and 2 jokers.
2. 7 cards each, one card face up.
3. Draw: stock or discard.
4. Discard one card.
5. Sets (3–4 of a value) and runs (3+ in one suit).
6. At most 5 points left: close.
7. Others lay off and count their leftovers.
8. No leftover card: −10.
9. Over 100 points: out.
10. Chinchón or last player left: won.

11. Frequently asked questions

What is a chinchón?

A run of all seven hand cards in one suit without a joker. It wins the whole game at once.

When may I close?

When your leftover cards after discarding total at most 5 points and include no joker.

Is the 7 next to the sota?

Yes. The Spanish pack has no 8s or 9s, so the sota follows the 7 directly.

What happens over 100 points?

You're out. The last player remaining wins.

What is a joker worth as a leftover?

25 points.

How long does a game take?

About 30 to 60 minutes.

Origin & history

Chinchón is a Spanish rummy game named after the town of Chinchón near Madrid. In Argentina and Uruguay it is a family classic; a run of all seven cards of one suit – the 'chinchón' – wins the game immediately.