Chapanka is recorded as early as 1752 in a collection of poetry,[1] but the earliest description, which is incomplete, dates to 1831.

The following is a summary of the 1930 rules by Wytrawny Gracz,[4][a] which are almost identical to the 1881 rules by Stary Gracz, who says that Chapanka was adapted from the old French game of Reversis "by our grandfathers" but is "rarely played today".

Card point values are: Ace 4, King 3, Queen 2 and Jack 1; remainder 0.

[b] Winnings are calculated by totalling the points in the four discards and adding four, then paying this in counters.

[4][c] Alternatively, a player with a strong hand may try to win by taking all tricks; this is a Chapanka.

[4] The highest card is the ♥J, the Kinal, and a player who discards it onto a different suit earns 1 point from its captor.

Although not mentioned by Gracz, it is probable that if Kinal was discarded successfully it earned the contents of the pot in addition to the side payments and if it was forced out, the holder had to double the pot and pay the side payments.