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Pinochle
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Four-handed partnership Pinochle with a computer partner: bid, name trumps, meld, and take the counters. First to 150. Free, with no sign-up.
Also try: Euchre · Spades · Bid Whist
How to play Pinochle
This is four-handed partnership Pinochle. You play with a computer partner, North, against two computer players, West and East. The deck has 48 cards: two each of the Ace, 10, King, Queen, Jack and 9 in every suit. Each player gets 12 cards.
- The cards rank Ace, 10, King, Queen, Jack, 9, high to low. Of two identical cards in a trick, the one played first wins.
- Starting on the dealer's left, players bid for the right to name trumps. The first bid is at least 20, and each bid after must be higher. Once you pass, you're out of the bidding. If everyone else passes, the dealer must bid 20.
- The high bidder names trumps. Then everyone's meld is counted and shown. Your own melds are listed under the table.
- Meld: a run (Ace, 10, King, Queen and Jack of trumps) 15, or 150 for both runs. A royal marriage (King and Queen of trumps) 4. A marriage in another suit 2. The dix (9 of trumps) 1. Aces around (one in each suit) 10, Kings around 8, Queens around 6, Jacks around 4, or ten times as much for two of each. A pinochle (Queen of spades and Jack of diamonds) 4, or 30 for both.
- The high bidder leads. You must follow suit if you can, and beat the best card in the trick if you can. With none of the suit led, you must trump if you can, beating any trump already played if you can. Otherwise play anything.
- Aces, 10s and Kings in the tricks a side takes are counters, worth 1 each. The last trick is worth 1 more. That makes 25 in each hand.
- A side keeps its meld only if it takes at least one counter. The bidding side scores its meld and counters if they reach the bid. If they don't, it loses the amount bid. The other side scores whatever it made.
- The first side to 150 wins.
Cards you can't play are dimmed, and tapping one says why. Last trick shows the four cards just played. There's no Undo, because you're playing against the computer.
Keyboard
Tab moves to the bid list, the buttons and your cards. Enter or Space plays a card. H shows a hint.
Questions
How do you play Pinochle?
Four players in two partnerships use a 48-card deck: two each of the Ace, 10, King, Queen, Jack and 9 in every suit. Each player gets 12 cards. Players bid for the right to name trumps, then everyone lays down their meld (scoring combinations). Then 12 tricks are played: Aces, 10s and Kings taken in tricks are worth a point each.
Why does the 10 beat the King?
In Pinochle the cards rank Ace, 10, King, Queen, Jack, 9. The 10 is second only to the Ace.
What counts as meld?
A run (Ace, 10, King, Queen and Jack of trumps) is 15. A King and Queen of the same suit is a marriage, 2, or 4 in trumps. The 9 of trumps is the dix, 1. One Ace of each suit is 10, one King of each 8, one Queen 6, one Jack 4. The Queen of spades with the Jack of diamonds is a pinochle, 4, and both pairs are a double pinochle, 30. The game counts it all for you.
What are the playing rules?
Follow suit if you can, and play a card that beats the best one in the trick if you have one. With none of the suit led, you must play a trump if you have one. Of two identical cards, the one played first wins.
How does scoring work?
Aces, 10s and Kings in the tricks a side takes count 1 each, and the last trick 1 more: 25 in all. A side keeps its meld only if it takes at least one of those. The side that won the bid scores its meld and counters if they reach the bid, and loses the bid if not. The other side scores what it made. First to 150 wins.