How Americano Works
Pointsystem
Each match is played to a fixed point total — typically 16, 24, or 32 points depending on how much time your group has. Points won in each match are added to every player's individual score, so the leaderboard reflects how well each person performed across all their matches, regardless of who their partner was.
Partner rotation
Partners rotate every round using a round-robin scheduling algorithm (Berger tables). The first player is fixed while the rest rotate, ensuring that over the course of the tournament every player is paired with every other player at least once. This guarantees fair and balanced pairings without any manual setup.
Minimum Players
Americano works with as few as 4 players (one court). For multiple courts, the player count should ideally be divisible by 4 (8, 12, 16…) so every player has a court every round. A full tournament with N players takes N − 1 rounds to complete.
FAQ
How many rounds does an Americano tournament take?
A complete Americano tournament takes N − 1 rounds, where N is the number of players. For example, 12 players means 11 rounds. Each round everyone plays simultaneously, so with enough courts the tournament flows smoothly.
Can I use Americano with an odd number of players?
Yes, but it works best with a player count divisible by 4. If the number isn't divisible by 4, the app adds placeholder "bye" spots so the scheduling still works — some courts may sit empty in certain rounds.
Is Americano good for mixed-skill groups?
Americano is great for casual, social play where the focus is on having fun rather than strict competition. Because partners rotate constantly, the skill gap between teams tends to even out over time. For more competitive groups, consider Mexicano instead.