The ace-on-ace leadback in Double Deck Pinochle

By Marya · Updated by Holger in September 2026

A big part of Double Deck Pinochle is reading your partner's signals. One of the basic signals is the "ace-on-ace leadback".

A "leadback" is a signal you give your partner when they have the lead. That means they play the first card of the trick. They keep the lead by playing their highest cards, which are probably Aces. At some point they'll run out of Aces to play. Then they'll probably lose the lead to another player. They'd like to pass the lead to you, so your opponents don't get a chance to rake in point cards. If you can give your partner a signal, they may be able to play a card that lets you take the lead.

In the screenshot below, B-4 (West) has led an Ace and their partner T-1000 in the East has followed with an Ace. That's usually a bit of a surprise when it happens.

Most players won't waste an Ace by sacrificing it like this. It's better to play Aces only when they win the trick. So when it happens, your partner is probably trying to "tell" you something.

1. It may be an ace-on-ace leadback. This means your partner knows for a fact that they have all the remaining Aces in that suit. They're encouraging you to play a low card of the suit, so they can take the trick with their Ace.
2. It could mean your partner had no choice. The Ace was the only card they had in that suit.
3. It could mean their Ace is poorly protected. For example, suppose they only had the Ace and a Jack. Then they played the Ace just to give you a point card. It's normally a waste to give away an Ace as a point card. You can usually get more points by leading with it. So people don't often play an Ace for this reason.

If (1) or (2) is true, you can pass the lead to your partner by playing a low card in the suit of the leadback Ace. (1) If your partner has the remaining Aces in that suit, you can safely play a low card in it. Your left-hand opponent (Adam in the screenshot above) can't take the trick. (2) If your partner has no more cards in that suit, they can play a trump and take the lead that way.

So if your partner plays an Ace on the Ace you led, don't ignore it. Lead a low card in that suit and you'll most likely pass the lead to them. You may want to lead the King in that suit, if you have one. If you're confident your partner will take the trick, leading it gives your partner your own King, which is worth a point. Your left-hand opponent also has to play a higher point card (the 10 in this case), so your team will very likely get 3 points out of the trick. If you have no King in that suit, lead a Queen. That also forces your left-hand opponent to play a point card.

Resources

There's a fun Double Deck Pinochle tutorial at World of Card Games. You can also find Double Deck Pinochle tips at Pagat.

Video tutorial of the ace-on-ace leadback

This video shows the ace-on-ace leadback in a hand of Double Deck Pinochle.