Overview
Chinchón is one of the most beloved card games in Spain and Latin America. A member of the Rummy family, it is a two-player game played with a 40-card Spanish-style pack plus two jokers. Players strive to combine their 7-card hand into sequences and trios to minimize unmatched card points ("deadwood") and close the round before accumulating penalty points.
Objective
Form valid melds to reduce the point count of unmatched cards in your hand, close the round when your deadwood is 5 points or less, and avoid exceeding 100 total penalty points. Alternatively, win immediately by completing a natural Chinchón (a suited 7-card sequence).
Setup
Cardems uses a 40-card deck (Aces, 2 through 7, Jack, Queen, King across all 4 suits) plus 2 Jokers (42 cards total).
- Each player receives 7 cards.
- One card is turned face up to initiate the discard pile.
- The remaining cards form the face-down draw stock.
How to Play
On each turn, players carry out a straightforward draw-and-discard cycle:
- Draw: Draw either the top face-down card from the stock or the top face-up card from the discard pile.
- Form Melds (in hand): Organize your hand into legal combinations:
- Trios / Quartets (Grupos): Three or four cards of the same rank (e.g., 7♠-7♥-7♦).
- Sequences (Escaleras): Three or more consecutive cards in the same suit (where 7 connects directly to Jack: 5♥-6♥-7♥-J♥).
- Discard or Close: Discard one card face up to the discard pile. If your remaining unmatched cards total 5 points or fewer, you may choose to Close (Cerrar) the round with your discard.
Melds, Jokers, and Layoffs
- Card Point Values:
- Ace: 1 point.
- 2 through 7: Face value (2 to 7 points).
- Jack, Queen, King: 8, 9, 10 points respectively.
- Joker: 25 penalty points if caught in hand unmelded.
- Joker Limit: At most one Joker can be used per meld.
- Defender Layoffs: After an ordinary close, the defender can lay off unmatched cards onto the closer's melds (unless the closer closed with zero deadwood or Chinchón).
Special Hands & Chinchón
| Combination | Description | Score Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Chinchón | 7 consecutive cards of the same suit without a Joker | Instant Match Victory |
| Chinchón with Joker | 7 consecutive suited cards using 1 Joker | -25 points bonus |
| Closed with 0 Deadwood | All 7 cards melded in two groups (e.g., 3 + 4 cards) | -10 points bonus |
| Standard Close | Unmatched deadwood ≤ 5 points | Scores actual deadwood points |
Scoring and Winning
At the end of a closed round, unmatched card values are tallied and added to each player's cumulative total:
| Player action / hand | Points added |
|---|---|
| Closer with ≤ 5 deadwood | Unmatched deadwood value |
| Closer with 0 deadwood | -10 points (subtracted from score) |
| Defender after layoffs | Unmatched deadwood value |
| Natural Chinchón | Wins match instantly regardless of scores |
Strategy
- Never hold an unmatched Joker: With a 25-point penalty value, an unmelded Joker in hand when your opponent closes is devastating.
- Track 7s and Jacks: Because 7 and Jack connect in sequence runs, these middle-tier cards provide excellent melding flexibility.
- For other Spanish and classic rummy games, read about Conquian and Rummy 500.
Variations
Cardems implements the popular Spanish two-player Chinchón ruleset: 40-card Spanish deck with 2 jokers, 7-card deal, 5-point close threshold, -10 zero-deadwood bonus, 100-point elimination limit, and instant victory on natural Chinchón.
FAQ
Can 8s and 9s be used in Chinchón?
No. Standard Chinchón uses the 40-card Spanish pack (ranks 1–7, Jack, Queen, King), so 8 and 9 are absent and 7 connects to Jack.
What happens if I make a Chinchón?
A natural 7-card suited sequence without jokers wins the entire match immediately, regardless of what the score is.
Can the defender lay off cards if the closer has zero deadwood?
No. If the closer closes with 0 deadwood points (all 7 cards melded), the defender is not allowed to lay off any cards.
