Oct 12, 2020 Pinochle is a card game designed to be played by two to four players. It involves exchanging and putting together different combinations of cards, or “melds,” in order to score points. Learning the basic rules of pinochle only takes a few minutes, but the fast-paced excitement of the game can provide countless hours of fun.

1. Pinochle Game Rules
2. Pinochle Rules
3. Pinochle Game Free
4. Pinochle Game Rules
5. Pinochle Game Download
6. Pinochle Game Double Deck
7. Pinochle Games online, free

In this article, you will find:

• Rules and tricks

Pinochle is a trick-taking game played with a 48 card deck. Pinochle players score points by forming combinations of cards into melds and also by traditional trick-taking. Thus, each pinochle hand. Double deck Pinochle is a 4 player card game. There are two teams of two players, with partners sitting across from each other. Points are scored in two ways: via 'melding' and 'trick taking'. After cards are dealt, players combine their cards into particular patterns - called 'meld' - to earn points. All players display their meld, and points. Pinochle Classic has many settings so you can configure the game to play with whichever rule variations you prefer including: single/double deck, scoring in multiples of ten, game winning score, minimum bid, passing cards count, hints, undo button, and adjustable game play speeds for slow, standard, or fast play.

Rules and tricks

Two-Handed Pinochle

Two-Handed Pinochle is the original version of the game. It is—like the name suggests—played by two people. The card ranking is different than in other card games: Ace (high), 10, King, Queen, Jack, and 9.

This game is a trick-taking, meld-making, draw game. This means that you score your points by winning tricks and by laying your cards down in sets (melds).

Here's the Deal

Pick the dealer by cutting cards. You each draw a card from the deck and the highest card deals first. The nondealer shuffles and cuts the cards; the dealer may give the deck one last shuffle before the deal. The winner of each hand gets to deal the next game. When playing to 1,000, the deal alternates between players.

The dealer deals 12 cards to each player—three at a time and face-down. When the cards are dealt, the dealer turns up the next card on the top of the deck and that card becomes the “trump” card. The trump card is a card whose suit must be followed in trick-taking during the game. The trump card is face-up on the table and the remaining deck is placed on the table, partly covering the trump card. This stack of undealt cards becomes the stock pile.

Melds and Tricks

The object of the game is to score points by melding cards or winning tricks. You meld your cards in sequences or groups immediately after winning a trick and before drawing from the stock pile. Melds are still considered part of your hand, but as you construct them, you lay the cards face-up on the table for all other players to see.

Here are the point values of different types of melds:

• Run: A-10-K-Q-J of trump suit = 150 points.
• Marriage: K-Q of the same suit = 20 points.
• Royal Marriage: K-Q of trump suit = 40 points.
• Aces Around: One Ace of each suit = 100 points.
• Kings Around: One King of each suit = 80 points.
• Queens Around: One Queen of each suit = 60 points.
• Jacks Around: One Jack of each suit = 40 points.
• Pinochle: Jack of Diamonds and Queen of Spades = 40 points.

It's in the Cards

The dix in Pinochle is the 10. Dix (pronounced “deece”) is French for the number 10.

• Double Pinochle: Two Pinochles = 300 points (This is the only meld that gives you a bonus for having more than one. All other “double” melds simply count twice. For example: Double Kings Around = 160 points.)
• Dix: 10 of trumps = 10 points.

The Rules of Melding

Here are some tips to better explain the rules of melding:

• You can only meld after winning a trick.
• You can use a card in more than one meld as long as it is used to make a different kind of meld. For example: If a player melds a marriage in Hearts, he can later add three Kings for Kings Around; or three Queens for Queens Around. You cannot, however, add another King of Hearts to make a second Marriage.
• You don't score the same number of points for adding to a meld to create a new meld as you would if the original meld was made to begin with. For example, if you meld a Royal Marriage and later add the Ace, 10, and Jack or trumps for a Run, you only score an additional 110 points instead of 150.
• If a player melds a Pinochle and later adds on to make a Double Pinochle, they only score an additional 260 points instead of 300. If the first Pinochle has been broken to use the cards for tricks, then the second Pinochle only scores 40 points.

OBJECTIVE OF PINOCHLE: Win tricks and collect the most points.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2-4 Players (4 players play with partners)

NUMBER OF CARDS: 48 card deck

RANK OF CARDS: A (high), 10, K, Q, J, 9

TYPE OF GAME: Trick-Taking

AUDIENCE: Adult

INTRODUCTION TO PINOCHLE

Pinochle is a trick-taking and melding card game with components similar to Bridge, Euchre, Spades, and Hearts. Unexpectedly, it also has similarities to the popular kid’s game War. The game’s origin is from the French game Bezique. Non-French speakers adopted the name ‘Binocle’ for the game, which means eyeglasses in French. German immigrants who adopted the game mispronounced it as “pinochle” and brought that name with them to America where the game subsequently spread.

THE DECK

The Pinochle deck has 48 cards. In each of the four suits, the deck has two of each: A, K, Q, J, 10, and 9. These cards, however, do not follow the traditional ranking. Ace is high, followed by 10, and K, and are often referred to as counters. Meaning these cards are always worth points. There are several methods of scoring which will be outlined below in the scoring section, some of which include Q, J, 9 as both being worth points and as NOT being worth points. When these cards are valued at 0 points, they are referred to as noncounters. The mechanism of scoring must be mutually agreed upon before the deal and the play.

THE DEAL

A dealer may be chosen by whatever method players wish. They then will shuffle the cards thoroughly and distribute 12 cards to each player, 3 or 4 cards at a time. The deal starts to the left of the dealer and moves clockwise, ending with their own set of cards.

Once each player has their hand, they examine their cards and prepare for the auction or bidding phase.

*If playing without bidding, after the deal, the dealer flips over the top card of the deck and places it face-up on the table. The suit of this card is the trump suit and all cards of that suit beat cards of all other suits. High ranking trump cards beat other trump cards. The remainder of the deck is placed face-down on the table and is the stockpile.

THE AUCTION/THE BID

A bid is a prediction of the number of points your hand might earn. The player who bids the highest, or the winner of the bid, has the following perks:

Pinochle Game Rules

• declare trump suit
• receive cards from their partner
• lead the first trick

The minimum bid players must make is 250 points. Bids increase by factors of 10 and consist only of a number. The bid goes around the table until each player passes and a winner is declared. Starting to the left of the dealer, and moving clockwise, player’s have the following options during bidding:

• bidnormally, by bidding 10 points higher than the previous bid
• give a jump bid, and bid 20 points higher than the previous bid
• pass and leave the bidding
• OR pass with help, which means you pass but you are giving extra information to your partner.

After the winner emerges, they announce the trump suit.

Passing Cards

The winner of the bid and their partner have the right to exchange cards. The winner’s partner selects exactly four cards to pass to their partner. The declarer (winner of the bid) adds those four cards to hand and examines them. After, they send back four cards to their partner, which can include sending back some cards they just received.

MELDING

After the passing of cards, all four players can place their melds on the table. Melds are made of particular card combinations, each combination having its own point value. There are various types of melds which players can create including arounds, flushes, marriages, and pinochle.

“Arounds”

Aces around (100 Aces) – four Aces, different suits – 10 or 100 points

Kings around (80 Kings) – four Kings, different suits – 8 or 80 points

Queens around (60 Queens) – four Queens, different suits – 6 or 60 points

Jacks around (40 Jacks) – four Jacks, different suits – 4 or 40 points

Aces abound (1000 Aces) – eight Aces – 100 or 1000 points

Kings abound (800 Kings) – eight Kings – 80 or 800 points

Queens abound (600 Queens) – eight Queens – 60 or 600 points

Jacks abound (400 Jacks) – eight Jacks – 40 or 400 points

“Marriages & Flushes”

Marriages and Flushes are the sequence combinations.

Trump Marriage – K and Q of Trump suit – 4 or 40 points, 8 or 80 points if double

Marriage – K and Q of any suit – 2 or 20 points, 4 or 40 points if double

Marriages around – K and Q in each suit – 24 or 240 points

Flush (run) – A, 10, K, Q in trump suit – 15 or 150 points, 150 or 1500 if double

“Pinochle”

Pinochle – J of diamonds and Q of spades – 4 or 40 points

Double Pinochle – both J of diamonds and Q of spades – 30 or 300 points

Dix – 9 in trump suit – 1 or 10 points

Once each player sets their melds out they are scored and recorded on the scoring pad.

Pinochle Rules

Since there are a maximum of 250 points available in the trick-taking phase of the game, if the declarer is 250+ points under their bid after melding they may throw in their cards and not participate in the trick-taking whatsoever.

Pinochle Game Free

If their bid is within 250 points after melding they may play their hand in the trick-taking.

Trick-Taking

After the melds have been scored players pick up their hands and prepare for the trick-taking portion of the game. The declarer leads the initial trick by playing any card they wish. A trick is won by playing either the highest ranking trump card or, if there are no trumps, the highest ranking card that follows the suit led with. During a trick, each player plays exactly one card. This continues until all 12 tricks have been played. Each trick after the first trick is led by the winner of the previous trick. Trick-taking follows the rules below:

• When you can follow suit you must. If you have a card in hand the matches the suit lead with you must play it. Play a higher ranking card than the lead if possible.
• If you are unable to follow suit, but a have a card in hand from the trump suit, you must play that card. This is called trumping the trick. If the suit led with was a trump play a higher ranking trump card if possible.
• In the event you can neither follow suit or play a trump, you may slough. This means playing any card at all.

Each team should designate a puller. This player will collect the cards from tricks won in a face-down pile in front of them for scoring later in the game.

SCORING

Pinochle Game Rules

After all twelve tricks are played players score the cards collected. Aces, 10s, and Kings are worth 10 points each. Winning the final trick is also worth 10 points. This gives a total of 250 points players can collect during trick taking.

Pinochle Game Download

If the declarer matches or exceeds their bid, their total score (melds + tricks) is added to their running total. If they are unable to match their bid, the amount of the bid is subtracted from their running total.

Pinochle Game Double Deck

When declarers ‘throw in’ their opponents score their melds. Tricks are not scored as no tricks are played. The declarer loses the amount they bid.

Pinochle Games online, free

The game continues until a team scores 1500+ points. If both teams hit 1500 points in the same round the declarer’s team automatically wins.

REFERENCES:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bezique

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinochle

https://www.fgbradleys.com/rules/rules4/Pinochle%20-%20rules.pdf

https://www.pagat.com/marriage/pinmain.html