How to organise a coinche tournament

Updated 4 November 2026

A successful coinche tournament (a concours, as French clubs call it) comes down to three things: a clear format, rules announced before the first deal and standings kept without mistakes. Here is a practical method for a club, an association or an afternoon with friends. Customs vary from one tournament to the next, so treat this guide as a base to adapt.

Choosing the format

Three questions set the format: how a game ends, how many games you play, and how teams are formed. For the end of a game, there are three options:

In terms of length, a tournament of 3 or 4 games fits well into an afternoon. For the teams, there are two options:

• Fixed teams: players sign up in pairs and keep their partner all day. Standings are by team.
• Drawn teams (à la mêlée): players sign up alone and teams are drawn, often before every game. Standings become individual: each player adds up their games won and their points. Handy for welcoming people who come without a partner.

Then there's table rotation between games:

• A draw before each game: the simplest, but two teams may meet again.
• Fixed rotation: each game, one team at every table stays seated and the other moves up one table. No team meets the same opponents twice as long as there are at least as many tables as games.
• Up and down: the winning team moves up a table, the losing team moves down. Teams on form gradually gather at the top tables.
• Swiss system: each game pairs teams with the same number of wins, without repeating a pairing. It's the fairest, but you have to work out the pairings between games.

Sample tournament rules

Here is a template to copy and adapt. Rules vary between clubs: what matters isn't having “the” right rule, but writing it down, posting it and reading it out before the first game.

1. Target: games to 1000 points (or 12 deals), with a time limit, for example one hour. At the signal, the deal in progress is finished, then the game stops.
2. End of game: the team with more points wins. On a tie, play one more deal.
3. Scoring: 162 points per deal (152 in the cards plus 10 for the last trick). Contract made: the taker scores their points plus the contract, and the defence keeps theirs; contract failed: the defence scores 162 plus the contract. Coinche (×2) and surcoinche (×4) multiply the contract only: the team that wins the deal scores 162 plus the multiplied contract, and the other team scores nothing apart from its belote.
4. Belote: 20 points, kept by the team holding the King and Queen of trumps. State whether it counts towards making the contract and whether it must be announced out loud to count.
5. Capot: a silent capot counts 252 instead of 162; a bid capot is a 250 contract, worth 502 if made and 412 to the defence if it fails. Also state whether the générale is allowed: a single player announces they will win every trick, a 500 contract.
6. Melds: with or without tierce, cinquante, cent and four-of-a-kind, depending on the club's habits (see coinche with declared melds). Also state whether No Trump and All Trump are allowed.
7. Disputes: a card laid down is a card played; only the bid actually spoken counts. On a revoke, the offending team loses the deal, scored as a failed contract: the opponents score 162 plus the contract, multiplied by 2 or 4 after a coinche or surcoinche. The organiser, or an appointed referee, decides and the decision is final.
8. Score sheet: one per table and per game, kept by a single scorer, initialled by both teams and handed to the scoring desk as soon as the game ends.
9. Table manners: no comments on the play during a deal, no signals to your partner, phones put away.

For tricky cases, see also how to settle a disagreement during a game.

Standings: games won, then points

Teams are ranked first by the number of games won, then by the total points scored across all games. Here is the top of the standings after 3 games:

Team 2 finishes ahead of teams 11 and 4 on points, with the same number of wins. Teams 11 and 4 are exactly level, so you apply the tie-break set out in the rules, for example in this order:

1. the head-to-head result, if the two teams played each other;
2. the best score in a single game;
3. drawing lots.

For the points, also decide what you count: points scored (the simplest, copied straight from the score sheet) or the difference between points scored and points conceded, which rewards a narrow defeat. Write it in the rules.

📄 Download the standings sheet (PDF, A4 landscape)

One line per team (20 per sheet), four games in columns (won or not, points), then total games won, total points and rank. It prints fine in black and white.

Equipment checklist

• One 32-card deck per table (7 to Ace), plus a few spares: a damaged or marked card is replaced at once. A 52-card deck works if you take out the 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s and 6s.
• Score sheets: one per table and per game, plus spares. You can print the free score sheet in PDF, which has the scoring scale at the bottom.
• The standings sheet (PDF above) or a spreadsheet, and a large board to post the provisional standings.
• Table numbers that are easy to see, pens, and a timer or bell for the time limit.
• The rules on display, and a reminder of the basics for less experienced players: the printable coinche cheat sheet.
• Tables for four, ideally with a mat so cards are easy to pick up.
• If you're giving prizes, announce them with the rules, for example for the top three teams.

Sign-ups

• Open sign-ups in advance, with a closing date and a maximum number of teams. A table seats two teams, so you need half as many tables as teams.
• Record for each team a number, both players and a way to reach them if plans change. Keep only what the tournament needs.
• Aim for an even number of teams. If you're one short, form a reserve team with volunteers, or decide in advance how a game without opponents counts (for example, won with a score fixed in the rules).
• À la mêlée, sign-ups are individual: you need a multiple of 4 players to fill the tables.
• On the day, check teams in at the door and keep a list of substitutes for no-shows.

A sample afternoon schedule

Each one-hour slot includes the playing time and a few minutes to hand in the score sheet and change tables. With 3 games, the final standings can be announced around 17:30. This schedule is only an example: fit it to your format and your players' pace.

Tips for a smooth tournament

• Test the format first: time a game with friends to set the time limit.
• Appoint a referee who isn't playing, or decide who stands in when they're at a table.
• Centralise the scoring: a scoring desk collects the initialled sheets, checks each line and updates the standings. On every deal except a générale, both teams' points add up to 162 (252 when a team won every trick) plus the contract (multiplied by 2 or 4 after a coinche or surcoinche), plus 20 per belote, so a wrong line stands out at once.
• Call the time: “10 minutes left”, then “last deal”.
• Post the provisional standings between games: complaints come early, not at the prize-giving.
• Welcome beginners: rules on display and the scoring scale at the bottom of every score sheet.
• Keep the sheets until the end of the tournament, in case of a dispute.

To warm up before the big day, play a game against the AI on Coincheur: ideal for brushing up on scoring and bidding reflexes.

Want to warm up before the tournament? Play coinche for free against the AI on Coincheur, with an on-demand coach to review your bids.

See also

FAQ

How many games are played in a coinche tournament?

Over an afternoon, 3 or 4 games is a common format, to 1000 points or over a fixed number of deals, with a time limit per game. Plan a fixed slot per game, one hour for example, including time to record the results.

How do you break a tie between two teams?

Rank first by games won, then by total points. If they are still level, apply the tie-break written in the rules: for example the head-to-head result, then the best single-game score, then drawing lots.

Should you play with melds (tierce, cinquante, cent)?

It's up to the club. Some tournaments only count the belote, others add the combinations from classic belote. Write it in the rules and state whether they count towards making the contract.

What if a table runs over the time limit?

At the signal, the deal in progress is finished, then the game stops: the team with more points wins. On a tie, play one more deal. What matters is announcing this rule before the first game.

Fixed teams or drawn teams?

Fixed teams suit pairs used to playing together. Drawing teams (à la mêlée) mixes players and welcomes those who come alone, with individual standings. Choose according to your players and announce it when sign-ups open.

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