Coinhole

Coinhole Rulebook

Table of Contents

How to Bounce Coins

Master the Slide Bounce

Hold the coin flat by the rim between your thumb & first finger. Push or slide the coin in a forward motion towards the board/hole. As you guide the coin into the hole, bounce the coin off the table surface in front of the board. Like skipping a rock, this is called the slide bounce.

Note: Coins must bounce off the table, surface, or table saver in front of the game board first before reaching the board.

Speed Chase

The official way to play.

Play with 4+ players. Add additional game boards for more players. 8-9 players use 3 boards, 10 players or more use 4 boards.

Setup

Each player begins with 2 Coinhole coins.
Note: Players cannot use anyone else's coin during the game.
Players spread out around a table. Two players standing most opposite each other are chosen to start. Each starting player places a board in front of them.

Let's Play

Start the Game: One player shouts, "Go!" Players with game boards bounce their coins in front of the board, racing to sink a coin into the hole as fast as they can.
Passing Boards: If a player sinks their coin on the first try, they pass the board to the player next to them in either direction. If they miss, they keep trying until they sink a coin. The player then must pass the board to the player on their right or continue the direction the board came from.
Boards always continue in the same direction until a player sinks their coin the first try & chooses to switch directions.
Boards continue moving around the table until 2 boards catch up & stack on top of each other at one player.
Stacking Boards: When the two boards catch up to each other, the player passing the board quickly stacks it on top of the other board, aligning the holes.
Play Stops! Once 2 boards touch on a stack, all play stops!
The player with the stacked boards in front of them has one chance to sink their coin. Coins only need to go through the top hole.
Miss the "Stacked" Shot: The player must sacrifice a coin to the center of the table & can only play with their remaining coin. If the player loses their last coin, they are out of the game.
Play Continues: One board goes to the player on the left side of the player who missed the stacked shot. The other board goes to the player most opposite them. One player shouts, "Go!" & play continues.
Make the "Stacked" Shot: The player who makes the shot, then passes the stacked boards to any player of their choosing. This player must attempt to sink their coin in one shot. Coins do not need to go through both holes on stacked boards, just the top hole. If they miss, they lose a coin (or are out of the game) & play resumes with the boards separated.

Winning

The game continues until only one player remains with at least one coin left & becomes the Speed Chase Champion!

Additional Rule: "Switch"

If two players next to each other sink their coins at the same time & the boards are moving in opposite directions to meet up & stack, the boards do not stack. Instead, they switch & continue moving around the table in their current directions. This is called a "Switch."

Reminder: If a player sinks their coin on the first try, they can pass the board in either direction.

Relay

Setup

Form two teams & line up facing each other on opposite sides of a table.
Each player gets one Coinhole coin.
Each team gets one game board.
The first player on each team starts with the board & stands directly across from each other.

Let's Play

One player shouts "GO"! The first players on each team start bouncing their coin, trying to sink it into the hole as fast as possible.
Each player keeps going until they sink their coin, then passes the board down the line to the next teammate in line.
When the last player on either team sinks their coin first, they slam their board on top of the other team's board wherever the board is on the table, aligning the holes.
Play Stops: The team with the stacked boards gets one shot to bounce a coin into the hole.
That team selects any player to shoot.
Coins only need to go through the top hole to count! They do not need to go through both holes.
Miss the shot: They lose & the other team wins the point.
Note: The same player cannot take back-to-back stacked shots.
Make it: The stacked boards go to the other team, they now select any player to shoot.
Play continues until one team misses their stack shot.
The team that misses the shot gets 0 points & the other team is awarded 1 point.
Play Continues: At the end of each round, players rotate positions. The last player on each team moves to the front, while everyone else shifts down one spot. Once all players have moved, the next round begins with the new order.

Winning

First team to get 5 points is the winner.

Additional "Switch" Rule

If the final two players sink their coins at the same time, the boards do not stack. Instead, the boards switch, with those players playing head-to-head until one player sinks their coin & stacks the other player. This is a "Switch."

Teams

Setup

Split into two teams. Set up two boards across from each other on a table.
Boards should be 1 foot apart.
Note: Coins are not thrown across the table, they are bounced in front of the board facing you & onto the boards or into the hole.
Teammates stand directly across from each other, next to an opponent.
One player from each team starts the round, each with two matching color coins. Their teammates will play in the next round.

Let's Play

The game is played in rounds, with one side bouncing coins while the other side watches.
Decide on a team & side to go first.
Start: Players alternate turns, bouncing one coin at a time.
- Player 1 (Team A) bounces their first coin.
- Player 2 (Team B) bounces their first coin.
- Player 1 (Team A) bounces their second coin.
- Player 2 (Team B) bounces their second coin.

Scoring

Coin in the hole = 3 points.
Coin on the board = 1 point.
Scores cancel out: Subtract the lower score from the higher score to determine points for the round.
Points are tallied after each round.
Play Continues: The two teammates who haven't played yet collect their team's coins. The next round begins, following the same bouncing order with the team who scored points last going first.

Winning

The first team to 21 points wins!

Two-Player Version

Play with just one board and stand next to each other.
Take turns bouncing coins.
First player to 21 points wins.

Stack Attack

Setup

2+ Players (the more, the crazier!)
Each player starts with: One board in front of them & Two Coinhole coins.
Use tabletop boards, pocket sized boards or both size boards together for an extra challenge.

Let's Play

One player shouts "GO!", everyone starts bouncing their coins as fast as possible.
No turns, just speed! Each player keeps bouncing until they make both coins into the hole.
Once a player sinks both coins, they move their board to the center of the table.
As more players sink both coins, they stack their boards on top of the first board.
Boards can be stacked in any direction to stay up.
Play continues until only the last player is left who hasn't sunk both coins.
The last player gets one chance to sink a coin, at the stacked boards in the center.
- If they make it, they stay in the game & challenge any other player to make the one-shot.
- If they miss, they're OUT!
Note: The coin only has to go in the top board hole.
Play Continues: All remaining players get a board back & reset in front of them. Someone shouts "GO!", & the game starts again!
Play continues until there are only 2 players left.

Winning

When only two players are left, the first player to sink both their coins stacks their board on top of the other players.
Play Stops: The player with the stacked boards now has one chance to make the stacked shot.
- Miss, they lose & the other player wins.
- Make the shot, another board is added to the stack & then passed back to the other player.
Each time a player makes a shot another board is added & passed to the other player.
Play continues until one player misses & the other player becomes the STACK ATTACK CHAMPION!

Additional Rules

Switch Rule: If the final two players sink their coins at the same time, the boards do not stack. Instead, the boards switch, play continues & they have to sink both coins again. This is called a "Switch."
Change Up Rule: If you're playing with both Pocket and Tabletop-sized Coinhole boards, you must switch type of boards after each round. If you use a Pocket board in one round, you must use a Tabletop board in the next round, and vice versa.

Rapid Fire

Setup

Each player gets 4 coins.
Each player gets 1 board.

Let's Play

On "GO," players bounce their coins as fast as possible to be the first player to land all 4 coins in the hole.
First to sink all 4 coins, stack their board onto the other player's board.
Note: If players finish at the same time, they switch boards & have to sink all 4 coins again.
The player with the stacked boards has one chance to make the shot.
- If they miss, they lose.
- Make the shot, they pass the stacked board to the other player & they have one chance to make the shot.

Winning

Play continues until there is a winner.
The winning player of the round gets 1 point.
The first to 5 points is the winner.

Trick Shot Battle

Setup

2+ Players (head-to-head or group play).
At least 1 Coinhole board (more for extra difficulty).
Each player gets one Coinhole coin.
The youngest player goes first.

Let's Play

Call your trick shot. The first player calls out a trick shot & demonstrates it.
If the player makes the trick shot, the next player must attempt the same shot.
- If that player misses, they earn the first letter in P-A-R-T-Y.
- If they make the shot, the next player has to try to make the shot.
Play continues until someone misses & earns a letter.
When a player misses, the next player creates their own trick shot.
Every time a player misses a shot, they earn their next letter in P-A-R-T-Y.

Winning

Players who gets all the letters in P-A-R-T-Y lose & are out of the game.
Last player standing wins.