No-Trump in coinche: rules and points
Updated
In No-Trump (SA), no suit is trump and nobody ruffs. You play purely on the strength of high cards, with a scale where only one value changes: the Ace rises to 19 points.
The principle
In No-Trump there is no ruffing: a player who can't follow suit simply discards and never wins the trick (unless they play a higher card of the same suit). The highest card of the led suit wins. It's a game of masters: Aces and long suits are gold.
The No-Trump scale, card by card
| Card | Points (in every suit) |
|---|---|
| Ace | 19 |
| 10 | 10 |
| King | 4 |
| Queen | 3 |
| Jack | 2 |
| 9, 8 and 7 | 0 |
The Ace is sharply boosted (19 instead of 11) to offset the lack of trumps. The Jack drops back to 2 points and the 9 is worth nothing: the two stars of a trump suit lose all their appeal.
How many points are in a No-Trump deal?
| Where the points come from | Total |
|---|---|
| Spades (19 + 10 + 4 + 3 + 2) | 38 |
| Hearts | 38 |
| Diamonds | 38 |
| Clubs | 38 |
| Total in the cards | 152 |
| Last-trick bonus (10 de der) | 10 |
| Deal total | 162 |
As in All-Trump, every suit weighs 38 points and the deal still totals 162, exactly like a classic deal. What changes is the concentration: half of a suit's points sit in its Ace alone.
No-Trump compared with the normal game
| Card | Plain suit (normal game) | No-Trump |
|---|---|---|
| Ace | 11 | 19 |
| 10 | 10 | 10 |
| King | 4 | 4 |
| Queen | 3 | 3 |
| Jack | 2 | 2 |
| 9, 8 and 7 | 0 | 0 |
Everything matches an ordinary plain suit except the Ace. It is the easiest scale to memorise: if you already know card values outside trump, you can already count a No-Trump deal, as long as you score the Ace 19 rather than 11.
When to bid No-Trump and how to play it
No-Trump shines with a balanced, Ace-rich hand, with no weak suit for the opponents to exploit. Several Aces, protected 10s, master-length suits: that's the ideal profile. Conversely, a hand concentrated in one suit or short on high cards prefers a trump contract. Nothing is absolute: adapt to what your partner has bid.
Since nobody ruffs, a master card stays master to the end: your Ace of spades takes the trick on the first round just as surely as on the sixth. Each ace in hand is therefore worth roughly one trick and 19 points, which makes hand evaluation very direct: count your aces, then look at your guarded kings.
The other strength of the contract is the long suit. Holding five cards of one suit including the ace, you cash the ace and keep leading the suit: once the opponents are void, your small cards become winners and sweep up the tricks. That is the surest way to collect the last-trick bonus. Beware of unguarded tens, though: they carry 10 points and fall easily under an opposing ace. For the end-of-deal method, see counting points fast.
To practise this contract, turn No-Trump on and play a free game on Coincheur.See also
FAQ
How much is the Ace worth in No-Trump?
The Ace is worth 19 points in No-Trump, versus 11 in a suit contract. It is the only value that differs from the standard non-trump scale, and it makes the Ace the top card.
How many points does a No-Trump deal contain?
162 points: 152 in the cards (38 per suit) plus the 10-point bonus awarded to whoever wins the last trick.
What are the jack and the nine worth in No-Trump?
The Jack is worth 2 points and the 9 is worth 0. Without a trump suit, those two cards lose the huge value they carry as trumps.
Is there ruffing in No-Trump?
No, no suit is trump, so there's no ruffing. The highest card of the led suit wins, and a player who can't follow simply discards.
When should you bid No-Trump?
With a balanced hand, rich in Aces and with no weak suit to exploit. It's a game of master cards. A hand concentrated in one suit often prefers a trump contract.