Coinche vs French tarot
Both are popular trick-taking games with bidding in France, yet they differ in almost everything else: player count, deck, and the nature of trumps.
Format and materials
Coinche is played by 4 players in 2 fixed teams with 32 cards. French tarot is usually played by 4 (or 5) players with a special 78-card deck, including 21 numbered trumps and the excuse. Each deal, one taker plays against the others.
| Coinche | Tarot | |
|---|---|---|
| Players | 4 (2 vs 2) | 4 or 5 |
| Cards | 32 | 78 |
| Trump | one announced suit | 21 dedicated trumps + excuse |
| Sides | fixed teams | lone taker (or with a called partner) |
The bidding
Both have a bidding phase, but with a different spirit. In coinche you promise a number of points (80 up to capot) and choose the trump suit. In tarot you choose a contract level (petite, garde, garde sans, garde contre) that sets the multiplier, without picking a trump since it is dedicated.
Feel of the game
Coinche stresses team cooperation and the bidding tug-of-war, with the coinche to punish an over-ambitious call. Throughout the deal you play hand in hand with your partner, reading their signals. Tarot is more often a game of taker against the table, with careful handling of the dog and the oudlers (the petit, the 21 and the excuse) that shift the final score.
Both reward memory and counting, but from different angles: coinche values collective defence and betting on points, while tarot rewards the solitary planning of a contract and the art of drawing out trumps at the right time.
See also
FAQ
Do tarot and coinche use the same deck?
No. Coinche uses 32 standard cards, while tarot uses a special 78-card deck with 21 numbered trumps and the excuse.
Can tarot be played by 4 like coinche?
Tarot is often played by 4, but with a lone taker against the others, whereas coinche pits two fixed teams of 2.