How to organise a card game tournament among friends

To organise a card tournament among friends, choose one game, write down the rules before you start and draw lots to assign pairs or tables. Agree on a round-robin or knockout format and a symbolic prize, and you’ve done eighty per cent of the work.

1. Choose the game and the rules

It seems obvious, but this is where almost all arguments begin. Do you play with 40 or 48 cards? How many points to win? Can you talk to your partner? Write it down on paper for everyone to see. If it is Mus (a popular bluffing game), decide if signs are allowed; if it is Chinchón (a matching game similar to Rummy), how many jokers will be used.

2. Decide the format

• Round-robin: Everyone against everyone. Fairer, but takes longer.
• Knockout: Fast and exciting, ideal if there are many of you.
• Mixed: Groups followed by a final, like the World Cup.

3. Drawing pairs

If the game is played in pairs, drawing lots prevents the two best players from teaming up. It also creates interesting combinations that liven up the evening.

4. A referee and a scoreboard

Someone who is not playing, or who has already been eliminated, can keep score and resolve disputes. A whiteboard or a large sheet of paper helps everyone see how things are progressing.

5. The prize

It is better if it is symbolic: a nice deck of cards, a homemade trophy, or having the losers pay for dinner. This ensures no one takes the game too seriously.

If you cannot meet in person

You can set up a remote tournament with online tables for friends: everyone creates their own room and you share the code.