Chinchón
SPANISH + LATIN AMERICAN RUMMY-FAMILY CARD GAME. 2-8 players use a SPANISH 40- or 48-CARD DECK (or standard deck with 8s/9s removed). Objective: form MELDS (runs of 3+ same-suit + sets of 3-4 same-rank) to reach 7 cards + close hand. Loser accumulates penalty points; player who reaches 100 points is ELIMINATED. Last player standing wins. Special hand 'CHINCHÓN' (7-card run in one suit) automatically wins the game. Wildly popular in Spain, Uruguay, Argentina, Cape Verde.
Quick facts
Category
Card Games
Type
Individual
Players
2–8
Duration
~40 min
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇪🇸 Spain
Estimated origin
Early 20th century Spain; related to Gin Rummy family
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
How it works
Objective
Avoid reaching 100 penalty points; last player standing wins.
Rules
Basic rules
Deal 7 cards each; draw + discard each turn
Standard rummy loop.
Close hand when all 7 cards are in melds + up to 5 pts of unmelded card
Close condition.
Non-closers count unmelded card values as penalty
Points added negatively.
Reaching 100 penalty points = eliminated
Elimination scoring.
CHINCHÓN (7-card run in one suit) = auto-win
Signature bonus hand.
Scoring
Unmelded card values added as penalty; 100 = eliminated; last standing wins.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Close with clean meld | -10 (deducted from your score) |
| Chinchón (7-card same-suit run) | Automatic game win |
| Unmelded cards in hand | Positive penalty |
Win condition · Last player under 100 pts; or player who makes a Chinchón.
Equipment
Spanish 40- or 48-card deck (or standard 52 with 8s/9s removed)
Native Spanish deck
Score pad
Elimination tracking
Terminology
- Chinchón
- 7-card run in one suit; automatic game-winning hand.
- Cerrar
- To close/end the hand with melds.
- Escalera
- Run/sequence of same-suit cards.
- Trío
- Set of 3 same-rank cards.
Where it is played
Frequently asked
Chinchón vs Gin Rummy?+
Both are close cousins in the RUMMY FAMILY. Chinchón uses a SPANISH 40-CARD DECK + is ELIMINATION-based (reach 100 = out; last standing wins). Gin Rummy uses a 52-card deck + is 2-player only + score-target based. Chinchón also has the special CHINCHÓN AUTO-WIN hand (7-card same-suit run); Gin has no equivalent.
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Chinchón— Wikipedia