Chinchón scoring rules: the −10, the −25 and card values
When a Chinchón round closes, every unmelded card adds its face value in penalty points (face cards count 10). Closing with everything melded subtracts 10 points; a chinchón made with a joker subtracts 25; and a chinchón without a joker wins the game outright.
That is the whole system. The fine print — tiebreakers, limits and the joker — is below.
Card values
Number cards score their number (ace is 1) and face cards score 10. The joker, if caught unmelded in your hand, typically costs 25 penalty points — a double-edged sword.
What scores and what does not
At the close of each round, melded combinations (sets of 3+ equal cards or runs of 3+ in one suit) score nothing. Everything left loose in your hand adds to your running total. In Chinchón, scoring is bad: the lowest total wins.
The bonuses
- −10: for closing with all 7 cards melded.
- −25: for a chinchón (7-card run in one suit) using a joker.
- Instant win: a chinchón without a joker ends the game on the spot.
The limit and elimination
Games are played to an agreed limit, usually 70 or 100 points. Passing it eliminates you (or you re-enter with the highest surviving score, if your table allows re-entries). The last player under the limit wins — and takes the pot if there are stakes.
The classic mistake
Nearly every Chinchón argument traces back to a bad sum three rounds earlier. With the Chinchón Score Counter every round is recorded, the −10s and −25s apply instantly, and each player's total is always visible. No recounts, no arguments.
Scores that are always right
Enter each round in the Chinchón Score Counter and forget the math. Free and offline.
