Coinche or Contrée: what are the differences in bidding and scoring?
In Marseille they play contrée, in Lyon coinche, and when the two meet at the same table, the first deal ends in an argument. Yet the two games are the same: a Belote where you bid a contract instead of taking a turned-up card. Here is what is shared, what differs, and what to settle before dealing.
In short
Coinche and contrée are two names, and two families of conventions, for bidding Belote. The common core: you bid a contract from 80 to 160 in tens, you can double (“coincher”) to double the stakes and redouble to quadruple them, and a failed contract gives 160 plus the contract to the defence. The most frequent differences: coinche often allows declarations (tierce, fifty, hundred) and the all-trumps and no-trumps contracts, while contrée is more often played without declarations and to 1,500 or 2,000 points.
The common core
- No turned-up card: everyone receives 8 cards and bids a contract, from 80 to 160 in tens, in a trump suit. The bidding goes round until three passes.
- Card values are those of Belote: 162 points per deal, dix de der (the last-trick bonus) included.
- The bidding team must make at least its contract; it then scores the contract plus its card points, the defence its card points.
- Failed contract: the defence scores 160 plus the contract (plus its belote, if any); the bidders score only their belote.
- Double (“coinche”): the deal is doubled. Redouble (“surcoinche”): quadrupled.
- Belote-rebelote is worth 20 and stays with the team that declared it.
What differs most often
| Rule | Contrée (common usage) | Coinche (common usage) |
|---|---|---|
| Declarations (tierce, fifty, hundred, four of a kind) | Rarely played | Often played, counted towards the contract |
| All-trumps / no-trumps contracts | Varies from table to table | Common (258 and 260 points per deal) |
| Declared capot | 250, sometimes settled at the table | 250; “générale” (a single player takes every trick) 500 |
| Contract of 80 | Made at 82 (strictly more than the opponents) at most tables | Made at 80 or at 82 depending on the table |
| Rounding of scores | Exact points, often | Rounded to the nearest ten, often |
| Game target | 1,500, 2,000 or 3,000 | 1,000 or 2,000 |
| Name of the double | “Contre”, “surcontre” | “Coinche”, “surcoinche” |
These lines describe usages, not rules set in stone: there are contrée tables with declarations and coinche games to 1,500. The word used mostly tells you where the players come from; the conventions, for their part, are decided at the table.
All-trumps and no-trumps: how they are scored
These two contracts change the card values. At all-trumps, every suit is counted as trumps (jack 20, nine 14, ace 11, ten 10, king 4, queen 3): 248 card points plus 10 for the last trick, 258 in all, and belote exists in every suit. At no-trumps, no suit is trumps: ace 11, ten 10, king 4, queen 3, jack 2, nine 0, or 130 points, which are usually doubled to reach 260; no belote possible. The contract bid stays the same (80, 90…), but it is easier to make out of 258 than out of 162: some tables therefore require higher contracts for these suits, others do not.
Capot and générale
A capot (the bidding team takes all eight tricks) is worth 250 if declared and made, and, at many tables, simply 250 points for the deal if made without being declared (162 + a bonus, the details vary). The générale, specific to coinche, is a single player declaring that they will take every trick alone: 500 points if it succeeds, 500 for the defence otherwise. Both can be doubled and redoubled like the other contracts.
Agreeing in six questions
- Declarations or not? If so, do they count towards the contract?
- All-trumps and no-trumps allowed? With which totals (258 / 260)?
- Is the 80 made at 80 or at 82?
- Declared capot: 250 or 500? Générale?
- Exact scores or rounded to the nearest ten?
- Game to 1,000, 1,500 or 2,000?
The site’s Contrée counter covers both usages: bidding, double and redouble, belote, capot with an adjustable bonus, free target and exact scores with a check on the 162. To value your hand before bidding, see Contrée: how much is your hand worth?.
Frequently asked questions
Are coinche and contrée the same game?
Yes, broadly: a bidding Belote with double and redouble. The names change with the region, and a few conventions (declarations, all-trumps, target) with the table.
What does “coincher” mean?
To double: doubling the stakes of the deal when you think the opponents will not make their contract. “Surcoincher” quadruples.
How much is a doubled contract worth when it fails?
The defence scores (160 + the contract) × 2. A failed and doubled 90 is worth 500 to the defence, 1,000 if it was redoubled.
Can you play contrée with declarations?
Yes, nothing forbids it; it is simply less common than in coinche. Settle it before the game, and say whether declarations count towards making the contract.
Published on 2 October 2026, updated on 13 October 2026.