How to Play Chinchón
Seven cards, runs and sets, and a close at 5 points or less.
Also known as Chinchón · Chinchon
Learn Chinchón for 2–6 players: the 40-card deck, runs where the 7 meets the Jack, closing at 5 points or less and the chinchón. Work through one close, then play in your browser.
Eight cards after the draw: can you close?
You hold A♠ 2♠ 3♠ 4♠, J♥ J♦ J♣ and 7♣, and you draw the 5♦. The four spades are a run and the three Jacks a set, so discarding the 7♣ face down leaves only the 5♦ unmelded: 5 points, enough to close. The app arranges everyone else's hand and their leftovers go on their totals; yours goes up by 5.
| Situation | Result |
|---|---|
| A♠ 2♠ 3♠ 4♠ | A run: aces are low, so A-2-3-4 is four of one suit in order |
| 7♥ J♥ Q♥ | Also a run: with no 8s, 9s or 10s the 7 runs straight into the Jack |
| J♥ J♦ J♣ | A set: three of a rank in different suits; a fourth Jack could join |
| Discard 7♣ face down, 5♦ left over | 5 unmelded: you may close, and the 5 is added to your total |
| K♠ unmelded when someone else closes | 10 points added to your total; past the limit and you are out |
Only the closer decides when a round ends, and nobody lays off on other players' melds. Totals are penalties: a player whose total goes past the limit, 100 by default, is out, and the last one left wins. Seven cards of one suit in a row, a chinchón, wins the match at once.
Practise this game in your browser🎯 Objective
Leave as little unmelded as possible. At every close each player adds their unmelded points to a running total; whoever goes past the limit (100 by default) is out, and the last player left wins. A chinchón ends the match at once.
🃏 Chinchón Setup & Rules
- 2 to 6 players, everyone for themselves. The 40-card deck is a standard pack without its 8s, 9s and 10s; with 5 or 6 players the app shuffles two decks together.
- Seven cards each, one card face up to start the discard pile, the rest face down as the stock. The player after the dealer goes first, and the deal moves one seat each round.
- At setup choose the elimination limit (100 by default, 50 to 200) and whether to play with jokers (off by default).
▶ How to Play Chinchón
- Draw the top card of the stock or take the top card of the discard pile. Everyone sees what you take from the pile, and you cannot put that card back this turn.
- A run is three or more cards of one suit in the order A-2-3-4-5-6-7-J-Q-K: the 7 runs straight into the Jack, and the King does not wrap round to the Ace. A set is three or four cards of one rank in different suits.
- End your turn by discarding one card face up. If the seven cards you keep leave 5 points or less unmelded, you may close instead: the card goes face down and the round ends at once.
- When a round closes, the app arranges every hand into its best melds and each player adds what is left over to their total. Nobody lays off on anyone else's melds.
- If the stock runs out, the discard pile is shuffled into a new stock, all but its top card.
- Close with all seven cards in one run of one suit and that is a chinchón: you score nothing and win the match on the spot.
🎬 Watch: How to Play Chinchón
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📖 Detailed Guide
Setting up your table
- From the game menu choose Chinchón, pick 2 to 6 seats and fill the empty ones with app opponents at Easy, Medium or Hard.
- Set the elimination limit: 100 by default, from 50 to 200 in steps of 25. A player whose total goes past it is out.
- Jokers are off by default. Turned on, the app adds two jokers to each deck; a joker stands in for any card of a meld, one joker per meld, and costs 25 if caught unmelded.
- The deck is the Spanish 40: Ace to 7 and the Jack, Queen and King in four suits, no 8s, 9s or 10s. Up to 4 players share one deck; 5 or 6 use two shuffled together.
Runs, sets and points
- A run is three or more cards of one suit in order. The order is A-2-3-4-5-6-7-J-Q-K, so 6-7-J is a run and Q-K-A is not.
- A set is three or four cards of the same rank, every suit different. With two decks a set still cannot repeat a suit.
- Unmelded cards cost their points: Ace 1, 2 to 7 their face value, Jack, Queen and King 10, a joker 25.
- You never lay melds on the table during play. When a round closes, the app finds the arrangement of each hand that leaves the fewest points.
Taking a turn
- Tap the stock to draw blind, or tap the discard pile to take its top card. The table sees what you take from the pile.
- Then discard one card face up. The card you took from the pile cannot be discarded or used to close this turn.
- If the seven cards you keep leave 5 points or less unmelded, the app offers Close: your discard goes face down and the round ends for everyone.
- A joker can never be the closing card. When the stock runs out, the discard pile is shuffled into a new stock, all but its top card.
Closing, elimination and the chinchón
- At a close every hand is revealed and arranged into its best melds; each player adds the leftover points to their running total, the closer included.
- There is no bonus for closing and no laying off on other players' melds: your deadwood is your deadwood.
- Anyone whose total goes past the limit drops out; the deal skips them from then on. The last player standing wins the match.
- A chinchón, seven natural cards of one suit in one run, scores nothing and wins the match at once, whatever the totals.
📊 Chinchón Scoring
Unmelded cards count against you: Ace 1, 2 to 7 their face value, Jack, Queen and King 10, a joker 25. The player who closes adds their own leftovers like everyone else; there is no bonus for closing. A player whose total goes past the elimination limit (100 by default) is out of the match, and the last one left wins. If everyone still in goes past the limit in the same round, the lowest total wins. A chinchón wins the match outright.
❓ Chinchón — Frequently Asked Questions
How many players do you need for Chinchón?
Chinchón is played with 2–6 players. On Vanikar, empty seats can be filled with AI opponents so you can always start a game.
How many players can play Chinchón in the app?
2 to 6 players at one table, and app opponents can fill up to 5 of the seats. Up to 4 players share a single 40-card deck; with 5 or 6 players the app shuffles 2 decks together.
When can you close in Chinchón?
After drawing, if the 7 cards you keep leave 5 points or less unmelded. Your discard then goes face down and the round ends at once. The card you just took from the discard pile cannot be the closing card, and neither can a joker.
Does the player who closes get a bonus?
No. The closer adds their own unmelded points like everyone else, so closing with 5 scores 5. The only special close is the chinchón: 7 cards of one suit in one run scores 0 and wins the match outright.
Why is 6-7-J a run in Chinchón?
The 40-card Spanish deck has no 8s, 9s or 10s, so the 7 and the Jack are neighbors. The full order is A-2-3-4-5-6-7-J-Q-K; the King does not wrap round to the Ace.
