Pinochle

What is Pinochle?

Pinochle is the American member of the Bezique family: German immigrants brought its forerunner, Binokel, to North America in the nineteenth century. This is the two-handed game, played here against the computer. The pack has 48 cards: nine, jack, queen, king, ten and ace in four suits, every card twice.

A deal comes in two halves. While the stock lasts, you play loose tricks and every trick you win lets you lay a meld, a combination worth points: a marriage, the run in trumps, four of a rank, or the pinochle, the queen of spades with the jack of diamonds. Once the stock is gone the last twelve tricks are played strictly, for the counters inside them. The first to 1000 points wins the game. The computer comes in three strengths, and every day brings new deals, the same for everyone.

How to play

The side that did not deal leads to the first trick, and the deal passes from side to side.

• The deal. Twelve cards each; the next card is turned for trumps and the stock lies across it. A turned nine scores the dealer 10 at once.
• Tricks while the stock lasts. Any card may be played. The higher trump wins, else the higher card of the suit led; of two identical cards the first one played wins.
• Melding. The trick's winner may lay one meld, then draws the top card of the stock; the loser draws the next. The turned trump is the last card drawn, by the loser of the twelfth trick.
• The melds. Run (A 10 K Q J of trumps) 150, royal marriage (K Q of trumps) 40, marriage (K Q of another suit) 20, aces around 100, kings around 80, queens around 60, jacks around 40 (one of the rank in each suit), pinochle (Q♠ J♦) 40, double pinochle 300.
• The dix. The nine of trumps scores 10, on top of the trick's meld. The first dix is melded by taking the turned trump in exchange for it; a second is simply laid down.
• Using cards twice. A meld must lay at least one card from your hand. A card on the table can serve again in a meld of another kind (the queen of spades of a marriage can join a pinochle), never twice in the same kind, except that a royal marriage still on the table grows into the run for 110 more, and a pinochle into the double for 260 more.
• Melded cards. They stay face up in front of you and can be played to a trick from there.
• The last twelve tricks. When the stock is gone, the melds go back to the hands. Now you must follow suit and beat the card led if you can; with none of the suit, you must trump if you can.
• Counting. Cards taken count ace 11, ten 10, king 4, queen 3, jack 2, nine 0, and the last trick 10 more: 250 in a deal.
• Winning. Melds count the moment they are laid, card points at the end of the deal. The first to 1000 wins; if both pass it after a deal, the higher total wins, and a tie means one more deal.
• Score. A tenth of your points, a tenth of what the computer is short of 1000, and 100 for the win.

Strategy tips

1. Win tricks when you have something to meld. Each trick you take lets you lay one meld, so a hand full of melds needs tricks. When you have nothing to show, let the computer have a trick of nines and jacks.
2. Throw cards you will never meld. A nine that is not the dix or a lonely jack is the cheapest card to give away. Keep kings, queens and the cards of your run.
3. Exchange the dix early. If the turned trump is an ace or a ten, your nine of trumps buys it for 10 points as soon as you take a trick.
4. Meld cards play twice. The queen of spades in a marriage can still make a pinochle, and the king in kings around can still marry. Lay the big meld first and add to it later.
5. Count for the endgame. With the stock gone, every card you cannot see is in the computer's hand. Keep your trumps and aces for the last twelve tricks: they collect the counters, and the last trick is worth 10.

FAQ

Is Pinochle free to play?

Yes. Like every game on Play, it runs free in your browser, with no download and no account needed.

Which rules does this follow?

The standard two-handed game described by pagat.com: the trick's winner melds before drawing, one meld a trick plus the dix, traditional card points (ace 11, ten 10, king 4, queen 3, jack 2) and a game to 1000.

Can the computer see my cards?

No. It plays only on what it can see from its seat: its own cards, your melds on the table, the turned trump and the cards already played. Once the stock is gone it knows the rest by elimination, as any attentive player does.

Why can I not play some cards in the second half?

When the stock runs out the strict rules begin: you must follow suit, beat the card led if you can, and trump if you have none of the suit. The cards you may play rise; the others dim.

What is the daily deal?

Every day everyone gets the same deals against the same computer, so scores compare directly on the leaderboard.