Coolies and Flags: How Scoring Works in 40
In the 40 card game nobody counts points across hands. Instead, coolies pass back and forth between the teams, and too many of them earns you a flag.
Giving and taking
| Call | Callers win | Callers lose |
|---|---|---|
| 20–29 | Give 1 (2 if the others got 0 points) | Take 2 |
| Honours / Jodi | Give 3 | Take 4 |
| Thani | Give 5 | Flag |
The return system
Coolies are like debt. When your team wins, you first give back any coolies you are holding; only the rest go to the other team. At any time, at most one team holds coolies.
Example: Team A holds 2. Team A calls 25 and wins: it should give 1, so it simply returns 1 and now holds 1.
Example: Team A holds 2. Team B calls Honours and loses (takes 4): Team A returns its 2, and Team B takes the other 2.
The flag
A team that ends up holding 7 coolies takes a flag, and both teams reset to zero. Losing a Thani is an instant flag.
Strategy
- Holding 5 or 6? Avoid risky Honours: losing one adds 4.
- Opponents near 7? A safe win that gives them 1–2 can push them over.
Why the return system matters
Because coolies cancel out, a team can't run away with a big lead: every win first pays off its own debt. That keeps games close and makes the flag threat real for both sides.
Coolies in short
- Small calls move 1–2 coolies.
- Honours and Jodi move 3–4.
- Thani moves 5 or a flag.
- Seven held = flag, then reset.
Practice: who holds what?
| Start | Hand result | After |
|---|---|---|
| A 0, B 0 | A calls 22, wins (B got 3 points) | B holds 1 |
| B holds 1 | B calls 24, wins | B returns its 1: both 0 |
| Both 0 | A calls Honours, loses | A holds 4 |
| A holds 4 | B calls 21, wins with A on 0 points | A holds 6 |
| A holds 6 | A calls 25, loses | A reaches 7+ → flag, both reset |
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