How to sit at the table: partner opposite

In coinche, seating is no accident: your partner sits opposite you, with the two opponents flanking you left and right. This simple layout shapes the whole feel of the game, and getting it right from the start avoids a lot of confusion.

The basic layout

Four players around the table, two teams. Teammates face each other: if you're North, your partner is South, and your opponents are East and West. So you alternate friend / opponent / friend / opponent around the table.

Why this layout?

Since play goes clockwise, this seating means you always play after one opponent and before the other. Your partner often closes the trick after you: handy for securing a trick together. That's the whole team spirit of coinche.

Forming the teams

To draw teams at random, each player picks a card: the two highest against the two lowest, for example. Then sit so that "partner is opposite." Once set up, you can play against the AI on Coincheur, where seating is handled for you.

Using your position well

Your seat around the table shapes how you play. When you play last to a trick, you have all the information: you know exactly which card to drop to win the trick at the lowest cost. When you play first, you set the tone and can steer the play. With a little experience, you'll learn to exploit your position and your partner's. Nothing is fixed here either: depending on the deal, being well placed isn't enough, you also need good cards. But understanding turn order is a real boost to your progress.

See also

FAQ

Where does my partner sit in coinche?

Opposite you. The two opponents are on your left and right: you alternate partner and opponent around the table.

Why do partners sit opposite each other?

Because play goes around the table in turn. That way your partner plays after you and can often close the trick, which favours team play.