How to play Conquián (Mexican rummy)

Conquián (Mexican rummy) is a two-player game that uses a 40-card Spanish deck, with nine cards dealt to each player. To win, you need to be the first to lay down ten cards on the table, arranged in tercias (sets of cards of the same rank) or escaleras (runs) of the same suit.

A game with a rich history

It’s very popular in Mexico and the southern United States, and game historians identify it as one of the ancestors of rummy. If you play Chinchón (Spanish rummy), you’ll feel right at home.

How to play

• Deal nine cards to each player and leave the rest face down.
• On your turn, turn over a card from the deck. You can use it to lay down a combination or pass it up.
• If you use it, you must discard another card from your hand.
• You can add cards to combinations you’ve already laid down.
• The first player to have ten cards arranged in combinations on the table wins.

Tips

Runs are more flexible than sets because you can extend them at either end. Keep an eye on the cards your opponent passes up, too: they give you clues about what they’re looking for. Remember that in a 40-card deck, the seven is followed by the sota (jack), because there are no 8s or 9s.