
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,170
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Bridge
- 4 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 3.9/5
- 1925

Rules assistance for Cinch
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 4 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Cinch is a board game for 4 players and 60 minutes per game. Its main mechanics are Team-Based Game and Trick-taking.
Cinch is a member of the All Fours family of bidding/trick-taking games, of which it is one of the more sophisticated. The object is to win the high, low, jack and ten of trumps (each worth one point each) and the five of trumps and the five of the suit which is the same color as trumps (each worth five points). Although once played widely, it is now apparently popular only in certain regions of the US, especially Louisiana. A variant called Pidro is played a lot by Swedish-speaking Finns in/from the Ostrobothnia region of Finland.
Cinch supports 4 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Cinch is 60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
Cinch has a complexity rating of 2.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Cinch belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Team-Based Game and Trick-taking. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The catalogue lists Cinch as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.