rummy · Spain & Latin America

Chinchón

Also known as Chinchon · Conga · La Conga · Txintxon · Tchin-tchon · Spanish Rummy

Chinchón is the beloved Spanish rummy game played across Spain, Argentina, and Uruguay (where it's known as Conga). The goal is simple but addictive: build your seven cards into runs and sets, keep your leftover "deadwood" low, and cut the hand before your opponents — or land the legendary chinchón, a single run of seven cards in one suit that wins the entire game instantly. Easy to learn in a minute, Chinchón rewards sharp discard reading and nerve, making it one of the most popular free card games online.

Coming soon — learn the rules below

2–4 players · free to play online

How to play Chinchón

Get dealt 7 cards each; the rest forms the face-down stock with one card flipped to start the discard pile.
On your turn, draw one card from either the stock or the top of the discard pile (now you hold 8).
Arrange your cards into runs (same-suit sequences of 3+) and sets (3+ of the same rank).
Discard one unwanted card face up, returning to 7 cards, then play passes to the next person.
Keep lowering your deadwood (unmatched cards) — when it totals 5 or fewer points, you may cut to close the hand.
Cut by placing your last card face down and revealing your hand; opponents score the face value of their leftover cards.
Chase the chinchón — a full seven-card same-suit run wins the entire game instantly. First to the point limit (usually 100) is eliminated; lowest score wins.

Chinchón rules

Objective

Chinchón is a draw-and-discard rummy for 2 to 4 players. Each round you try to organize your hand into valid combinations and reduce your unmatched cards (deadwood) to as few points as possible, then 'cut' (close the hand) before anyone else. Round penalties accumulate over many hands; when a player crosses the agreed point limit (commonly 100), they are eliminated. The last player standing — or the player with the lowest total — wins. Forming a chinchón ends everything at once.

The Deck & Deal

Chinchón uses a Spanish deck of 40 or 48 cards in four suits: oros (coins), copas (cups), espadas (swords), and bastos (clubs). The 40-card deck runs Ace (1) through 7, then the three court cards — Sota (10), Caballo (11), and Rey (12) — with no 8s or 9s. The 48-card deck adds the 8 and 9. Two jokers are often included as wild cards. Each player is dealt 7 cards. The rest forms a face-down stock; the top card is turned face up to start the discard pile. Card point values for scoring: number cards count their pip value (Ace = 1), Sota = 10, Caballo = 11 (or 10), Rey = 12 (or 10), and a joker typically counts 25.

How to Play a Turn

On your turn you draw one card — either the unknown top card of the stock or the visible top card of the discard pile — bringing your hand to 8 cards. You then discard one card face up onto the discard pile, returning to 7. Play passes clockwise. Throughout, you arrange your hand into combinations: a run (escalera) is three or more consecutive cards of the same suit, and a set (grupo) is three or more cards of the same rank in different suits. Jokers, when used, can substitute for any card to complete a combination.

Cutting (Closing the Hand)

When your unmatched cards total a low enough value, you may 'cut' instead of discarding normally — you place your final card face down to end the round and reveal your hand. In the traditional Spanish rule you can only cut when your deadwood sums to 5 points or fewer. Many online versions allow cutting with up to 7 points, and some let you cut at 0 only. If you cut with zero unmatched cards (a perfectly melded hand, sometimes called 'gin'), you earn a bonus of -10 points. Once a cut is declared, every other player scores the total face value of the cards they could not work into a valid run or set.

Chinchón — The Instant Win

A chinchón is a single run of all seven cards in the same suit, with no joker (for example 3-4-5-6-7-Sota-Caballo of copas). Achieving it does not merely win the round — it wins the entire game immediately, regardless of anyone's accumulated score. It is the most prized goal in the game and the reason players chase long same-suit sequences. A seven-card run that relies on a joker does not count as a true chinchón, but in many versions it still earns a large negative bonus (such as -10 or -50) instead of the instant win.

Scoring & Winning

Scores are penalty points, so low is good. After a cut, each opponent adds the pip total of their deadwood to their running score; the player who cut typically scores nothing (or a bonus). Round after round, totals climb. When any player reaches or exceeds the agreed limit — most commonly 100 points (sometimes 50, 70, or another agreed number) — they are knocked out of the game. Play continues until one player remains, or the player with the fewest points at the cutoff is declared the winner. A chinchón overrides all of this with an outright win.

Variants

Conga (Uruguay/Argentina) is the Latin American name for the same game, sometimes dealt with an extra card to the player right of the dealer. Some house rules allow a 're-buy': a knocked-out player can re-enter once by resetting to the current highest surviving score. Joker rules vary — some tables play with no jokers for a purer game, others with two wilds. Cut thresholds differ widely (0, 5, or 7 points), and the elimination limit is always agreed before play. Cape Verde, Spain's Basque Country (Txintxon), and other regions keep their own local twists.

Strategy tips

Watch the discard pile closely — picking up a discard tells opponents what you're building, so weigh the information you give away against the card you gain.
Hold cards that connect in two directions early (like a 6 and 7 of the same suit), since they can extend into a run from either end and keep your options open.
Cut as soon as your deadwood is legal and low; waiting for the 'perfect' hand often lets a faster opponent close first and dump their penalty onto you.
Shed high-value loose cards (Rey, Caballo, Sota) early when they aren't part of a combination — getting caught with court cards is what blows up your score.
Only gamble on the chinchón when you already hold five or six cards of one suit in sequence; otherwise the long-shot run wastes turns you could spend cutting safely.

Variants

Conga / La Conga (Uruguay & Argentina) · 40-card Spanish deck (no 8s and 9s) · 48-card Spanish deck (with 8s and 9s) · With two jokers as wild cards · No-joker purist version · Cut threshold of 0, 5, or 7 points · Re-buy / re-entry house rule · Txintxon (Basque Country)

Chinchón — frequently asked questions

How do you play Chinchón?

Each player gets 7 cards. On your turn you draw one card from the stock or discard pile, then discard one. You build runs (same-suit sequences) and sets (same-rank groups), and when your unmatched cards total 5 points or less you 'cut' to close the hand. Opponents score the face value of their leftover cards, and the player who reaches the point limit (usually 100) loses.

What is a chinchón and why does it win the game?

A chinchón is a single run of all seven cards in the same suit with no joker — for example 4-5-6-7-Sota-Caballo-Rey of swords. It's the rarest and most valuable hand: completing it wins the entire game instantly, no matter how the scores stand.

What deck does Chinchón use?

A Spanish deck of 40 or 48 cards in four suits (oros, copas, espadas, bastos). The 40-card deck has no 8s or 9s and uses the court cards Sota, Caballo, and Rey. Two jokers are often added as wild cards. You can play online with a digital Spanish deck.

How does scoring work in Chinchón?

Scores are penalties, so the lowest total wins. When someone cuts, each opponent adds up the pip value of cards they couldn't meld: number cards count their face value, Ace counts 1, and court cards count 10 to 12. Points accumulate each round, and the first player to reach the agreed limit (commonly 100) is eliminated.

Can I play Chinchón online for free?

Yes. You can play Chinchón online free against smart bots or other players on this portal — no real money and no download needed. It supports 2 to 4 players with full Spanish-deck rules, runs, sets, cutting, and the chinchón instant win.

What's the difference between Chinchón and Conga?

They are essentially the same game. 'Conga' (or 'La Conga') is the name used in Uruguay and Argentina, while 'Chinchón' is the Spanish name. Rules are nearly identical, with only minor regional differences such as how an extra card may be dealt or the agreed elimination limit.