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Pinochle
Meld and trick-taking with a 48-card deck
- 2–4 players
- 30–60 min
- DifficultyHard
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Full leaderboardHow to play
- Uses 48 cards (two of each 9-A)
- Bid for the right to name trump
- Score for melds before play begins
- Win tricks containing counters for points
Questions
Win the bid, meld valuable combinations, and capture point cards in tricks. First team to reach 150 points wins.
48-card Pinochle deck (A, 10, K, Q, J, 9, doubled in each suit). 4 players in partnerships. Deal 12 cards each. Bidding determines who names trump.
Score melds plus trick points. Making the bid scores those points; failing sets you back by the bid amount. The defending team always scores its melds and trick points. First team to 150 points wins; if both reach it in the same hand, the higher score wins.
Bidding: Players bid how many points their team will score (melds + trick points). The minimum bid is 20. High bidder names trump. Melding: After trump is named, declare melds (card combinations) and score their point value. Common melds: Run (A-10-K-Q-J of trump = 15), Marriage (K-Q same suit = 2-4), Pinochle (Q of spades + J of diamonds = 4), Four of a kind (4-10 points).
Bid based on guaranteed melds plus realistic trick expectations. Aces and tens are worth winning - plan to capture them. Lead trump early to pull opponents' trumps and control the hand.
Two-handed Pinochle: Special dealing and play for two players. Double-deck Pinochle: 80 cards, higher meld values, faster play. Auction Pinochle: More complex bidding structure.