Pinochle
Bid. Meld. Take the tricks.
The partnership card game with its own deck, where you score for the cards you hold as well as the tricks you win. Bid on what your side can make, name trump, show your meld, and play it out. Here is everything you need to know before you sit down.
- Free practice
- No sign-up
- Play in your browser
Join a Game Room
PinochleGot a room code?
- Players
- 4, in two teams
- You need
- A 48-card deck
- Style
- Bidding and tricks
- Goal
- Reach the target score
What is Pinochle?
Meld and tricks. Two ways to score.
Pinochle is played by four players in two partnerships, with a special 48-card deck: the 9, Jack, Queen, King, 10 and Ace in each suit, two of each. Everyone is dealt twelve cards.
Players bid for the right to name trump, the bidder and partner swap four cards each, then everyone shows meld, the combinations in their hand, for points. After that comes a round of twelve tricks, where aces, tens and kings score. The team that bid has to reach its number.
The practice table
Try itLearn it with the cards in your hand.
Play with a bot partner against two bots, with our Classic rules. Bid, name trump, pass four cards, see the meld counted, and the coach shows the play it would make and why.
- Easy, Normal, or Sharp bots. Sharp bots bid by playing the hand out, and know which cards are the boss of their suit.
- Quick game goes to 50. Full game goes to 150.
- No account, no host, nothing saved.
Meld chart: what everything is worth
| Meld | Cards | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Run | A, 10, K, Q, J of trump | 15 |
| Double run | two of each of those | 150 |
| Royal marriage | K and Q of trump | 4 |
| Extra K or Q | of trump, with a single run | 2 each |
| Marriage | K and Q of another suit | 2 |
| Dix | the 9 of trump | 1 each |
| Pinochle | Q of spades and J of diamonds | 4 |
| Double pinochle | both of each | 30 |
| Aces around | an Ace of each suit | 10 |
| Kings around | a King of each suit | 8 |
| Queens around | a Queen of each suit | 6 |
| Jacks around | a Jack of each suit | 4 |
| Double around | two of every suit | 100, 80, 60, 40 |
| Roundhouse | a marriage in all four suits | 24 |
- A card can count once in each group: runs and marriages, pinochle, and the arounds.
- Tricks: every Ace, 10 and King you win is 1 point, and the last trick is 1 more.
- A team that wins no trick scores no meld. Bidders who miss their bid lose it.
A little history
A cousin of Bezique.
Pinochle grew out of Bezique, a French game, and came to America with German immigrants in the nineteenth century. It was one of the most popular card games in the country for a hundred years.
The game has many versions: two-handed, three-handed, with and without partners. These are our Classic rules, the four-player partnership auction game with the common meld values.
Fun facts
- The deck has 48 cards, the 9, Jack, Queen, King, 10 and Ace in each suit, two of each, so each of four players is dealt twelve.
- Aces, tens and kings are the counters: 24 cards worth a point each, plus one for the last trick, so 25 are up for grabs every hand.
- The Queen of Spades and the Jack of Diamonds together make pinochle.
- A team that takes no tricks scores no meld.
Why people love it
A bidding game. A trick-taking game.
Your hand is a hand of cards.
Run, marriages and pinochle score the moment they are shown, so a good deal is worth points before a trick is played.
Bid what you can make.
Overbid and you go set, losing your bid. Underbid and the other side takes the contract.
The partnership matters.
Your partner’s meld counts toward your bid, and the counters they take count for you.
The twelve tricks.
Following suit and trumping are forced, so the play is about timing and counting.
How to play
Bid. Meld. Play it out.
Setup
- Players: four: you and North against West and East.
- Cards: a 48-card deck, twelve cards each.
- Rank: from high to low: A, 10, K, Q, J, 9. A 10 beats a King.
- Bidding: from 20 up, raising by at least 1. Pass and you are out. If the first three pass, the dealer must bid 20.
Winning
The first team to reach the target wins: 50 in our Quick game and 150 in the Full game. If both teams reach it in the same hand, the bidders win.
- 1
Bid
Bid the points your side expects to make in meld and counters, or pass. The top bidder names trump.
- 2
Pass four cards
The bidder’s partner passes four cards to the bidder, usually trump and Aces. The bidder then passes four back, usually low cards outside trump.
- 3
Show meld
Everybody shows their meld. Partners’ meld adds together, and the cards go back in the hand.
- 4
Lead
The bidder leads. Follow suit, and beat the winning card if you can. With no suit to follow, trump if you have one.
- 5
Count the tricks
Each Ace, 10 and King taken scores a point, and the last trick scores one too.
- 6
Make the bid
The bidders add up their meld and counters. Reach the bid and they score it all.
- 7
Or go set
Fall short, and the bidders lose the bid. The other side scores what it took.
These are our Classic rules, and they'll be shown in every room before the game starts. Printable rules card →
Lessons
Learn it in a few minutes.
4 quick lessons, one idea each. Make the call, see why it works, and move on. Your progress is saved in this browser.
The order of the cards
The deck has two of every card from 9 to Ace. Which is the strongest card in a suit?
Scoring
Every card is worth something.
Meld is scored for the combinations in your hand, once trump is named. A card can count once in each of three groups: runs and marriages, pinochle, and the arounds.
| Meld | Points | |
|---|---|---|
| Run: A, 10, K, Q, J of trump | 15 | |
| Double run: two of each of those | 150 | |
| Royal marriage: K and Q of trump | 4 | |
| Extra K or Q: of trump, with a single run | 2 each | |
| Marriage: K and Q of another suit | 2 | |
| Dix: the 9 of trump | 1 each | |
| Pinochle: Q of spades and J of diamonds | 4 | |
| Double pinochle: both of each | 30 | |
| Aces around: an Ace of each suit | 10 | |
| Kings around: a King of each suit | 8 | |
| Queens around: a Queen of each suit | 6 | |
| Jacks around: a Jack of each suit | 4 | |
| Double around: two of every suit | 100, 80, 60, 40 | |
| Roundhouse: a marriage in all four suits | 24 |
Our Classic rules: two of everything counts ten times (a double run 150, double aces 100, kings 80, queens 60, jacks 40), except a double pinochle, which is 30. A team that takes no tricks scores no meld. Some tables pass cards between partners after the bid, or bid in fives; those are house rules.
Strategy
Play it smart. Then play it feral.
Tip 1
Bid what you can make.
Add your meld, a guess at your partner’s, and the counters you can expect. Bid a little below.
Tip 2
Name your longest, strongest suit.
A trump suit with the Aces and 10s means you win the tricks that matter.
Tip 3
Draw their trumps.
If you made trump, lead your top trumps early to pull the other side’s out of their hands.
Tip 4
Smear counters on your partner’s tricks.
When your partner is sure to win, play a King or 10 on it. Every counter is a point for your side.
Tip 5
Save the last trick.
The last trick is worth a point, and often decides a close bid.
What would you do?
One decision. Every day.
A new Pinochle puzzle every day, the same for everyone. Solve it, then send it to the group chat and see who gets it right.
Want more? See today's puzzles for every game →
Your path to game night
Learn it here. Play it with friends.
Finish the lessons or win a practice game and you're ready to sit down at a real Pinochle table with your people.
The Feral Worlds community
Play-testing Pinochle? Tell us in Discord.
Found a bug, a rule that feels off, or a house rule your family swears by? Our Discord is where we collect play-test feedback, and where game nights are starting to happen.
Glossary
Talk like a regular.
- Meld
- Scoring combinations in your hand, shown after the bid.
- Counters
- Aces, 10s and Kings taken in tricks: a point each.
- Run
- The Ace, 10, King, Queen and Jack of the trump suit.
- Marriage
- A King and Queen of the same suit.
- Pinochle
- The Queen of Spades with the Jack of Diamonds.
- Set
- When the bidders fall short of their bid, and lose it.
The Feral twist
Still under the hat.
Every game can be played Classic. In Feral mode, the host writes the house rules: the opening bid, whether partners pass cards, the meld values. We'll show you what Pinochle can do when it's ready.
In the Card Games pack
Pinochle is on the ballot.
Backers vote on which card games join the Card Games pack. Owning the pack means every one that joins is yours too.
$9.95, one time, to host every game in it. Playing is always free. Packs go on sale when the full game launches.
Pinochle is on the ballot
Save me a seat.
Hear when the Kickstarter opens so you can vote Pinochle into the Card Games pack, and when you can host it with friends.