Partnership trick-taking with a 48-card pinochle deck — meld combinations of cards first, then play tricks.
Setup & play
Pinochle deck: two copies each of 9, J, Q, K, 10, A in each suit (48 cards), or double-deck (80 cards). 4 players in two teams.
Bidding determines trump and who must make the bid. After bidding, partners meld their combinations face-up for points, then play 12 tricks (or 20 for double-deck) to take additional points from the cards captured.
Card ranking (high to low): A, 10, K, Q, J, 9. Yes, the 10 ranks above the King.
Scoring
Meld — laid down before play, scored once. Common melds: - Aces around (one Ace of each suit): 100 - Kings around: 80 - Queens around: 60 - Jacks around: 40 - Run (A-10-K-Q-J of trump): 150 - Royal marriage (K-Q of trump): 40 - Marriage (K-Q of non-trump): 20 - Pinochle (J of diamonds + Q of spades): 40 (double pinochle = 300) - Dix (9 of trump): 10
Trick points: - Each Ace, 10, or King taken: 10 points - Last trick: 10 points
Making the bid: Team must combine meld + trick points to meet or exceed their bid. Failure subtracts the bid from their total.
Game: First to 1500 (configurable).
Variants
- Single-deck partnership
Classic 48-card 4-player game. Default in the scorecard.
- Double-deck
Two pinochle decks combined (80 cards). Hands are 20 cards each; meld values change. Higher game target (3500+).
- 3-handed Auction Pinochle
Three players, declarer plays against the other two with a 3-card widow. Not toggled — pick 3-handed Cluster A games like Cutthroat Gin for similar feel.
Common house-rule decisions
These are the questions that come up most often. The Rules tab toggles between the common choices — agree before the first hand or you’ll re-litigate them mid-game.
- Must meld to win (default on) — must take at least one trick or your meld doesn't count.
- Single or double deck.
- Game target — 1500 default; 3500 for double-deck.
- Pinochle / double pinochle scoring nuances (some groups score double pinochle as 80 instead of 300).
- Whether the dix (9 of trump) is melded automatically by the winning bidder.
- Trump shifts on failed bid — some groups let the next dealer pick again.