Coinche (or Belote Coinchée) is a variation of the card game Belote very popular especially in France. It is usually played with 4 players in pairs, although there are also modes for 2 and 3 players. 32-cards deck.
Other kinds of the game are: Classic Belote with declarations, Contrée, Belote without declarations.
Other games with similar rules: Tute, Briscola, Guiñote, Jass, Klaverjassen, Baloot, Pilotta.
Available game modes:
- Classic Belote in pairs with declarations.
- Belote Coinchée in pairs.
Value of the cards
The value of the cards is the same as in the Belote game.
| Cards | A | 10 | R | D | V | 9 | 8 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | +11 | +10 | +4 | +3 | +2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The valet and the nine change their value if they are in the trump suit.
| Cards | V | 9 | A | 10 | R | D | 8 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | +20 | +14 | +11 | +10 | +4 | +3 | 0 | 0 |
Value of the cards: no trumps
Coinche contract where no suit is trump.
| Cards | A | 10 | R | D | V | 9 | 8 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | +19 | +10 | +4 | +3 | +2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Value of the cards: all trumps
Coinche contract where all the suits are trump.
| Cards | V | 9 | A | 10 | R | D | 8 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | +13 | +9 | +7 | +5 | +3 | +1 | 0 | 0 |
How to play Coinche
The goal of Coinche is to win 1001 points before the rival team.
Betting phase (Contract)
At the beginning of each round, 8 cards are dealt to each player.
In this phase, players must place a bet that decides the suit of the round and the points of the contract. This is the key to winning the game.
In turns, players must:
- Choose a contrat value from 80 to 160 points. They also are able to opt for a “capot” with a value of 250 points.
- Choose a trump suit, All trump or No trump. They can also decide to Pass.
Once the first bet is submitted, players will have these options:
- Raise the bet (minimum 10 points) and change the suit.
-
Choose “Double” (coinche) or “Redouble” (surcoinche):
- Double bets that the opposing team will not fulfill the contract and doubles the bet.
- Redouble reaffirms that your team will fulfill the contract and multiplies the bet by four.
- Pass the turn.
The round will begin once all players have passed their turn and have accepted the contract.
According to the contract, the pair that chose the trump suit must win. Otherwise, all their points will go to the rival pair. To win the round, the team that chose the contract must score more points than the total bet. All points scored in the round will be taken into account.
Game play
The hand player starts the game with a card. The following players must respond with another card according to the following rules:
If it’s a trump card:
- A trump card higher than any other on the table.
- Any other trump card.
- Any other card.
If it is not a trump card:
- A card of the same suit.
- A trump card higher than any other on the table.
- Any other card.
If your partner is going to win, you are not required to play a higher value trump.
The player who played the strongest trump card, or in the absence of trump cards, of the starting suit, wins the trick (the 4 cards on the table). This player will start playing in the next hand.
The round continues until all players run out of cards.
In case of playing “All Trumps” or “No Trumps”, the trump will be the starting suit of each trick.
Declarations
Declarations are particular combinations of cards held in players' hands and gives extra points. Declarations are made automatically on the player’s first turn of a round. Only the team with the highest combination will score points.
| Declaration | Description | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Carré | 4 jacks | 200 points |
| Carré | 4 nines | 150 points |
| Carré | 4 tens, 4 queens, 4 kings or 4 aces | 100 points |
| Quinte | Sequence of the same suit (5 cards) | 100 points |
| Quarte | Sequence of the same suit (4 cards) | 50 points |
| Tierce | Sequence of the same suit (3 cards) | 20 points |
Straight flushes are formed: 7 8 9 10 V D R A
Belote and Rebelote
The “belote” is a declaration formed by the king and queen of the trump suit and is worth 20 points. It is announced when the king (belote) and the queen (rebelote) are played.
This declaration can only be made if a suit has been chosen as trump.
Last ten
The last trick of each round is worth 10 extra points.
Capote / Générale
- Capote
- If a pair wins all 8 tricks of a round, they get 240 extra points, which will be added to the “last ten” (in total 250).
- Générale
- If a single player succeeds in winning all 8 tricks of the round, their team will score the “générale”, adding 490 extra points to the “last ten” (500 in total).
Count up points
At the end of each round the contract is resolved:
- If the team that chose the contract gets more points than those wagered, each team will score its own points as usual.
- But if that team gets a lower score, all its points will go to the other team (except for Belote and Rebelote points).
“Double” and “Redouble” multiply the points by 2 and 4 respectively.
Litige
In case of tie, the team that chose the trump does not score points and they will be reserved for the winner of the next round.
Experience points and ranking
You already know the rules of Coinche. Now play to get experience points , level up and get better in the ranking.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Play a game | 14 |
| Win a game | 24 |
| Win a round | 3 |
| Win a hand | 1 |
Players who leave the game will not score any points.
Get extra coins and experience by completing game challenges.