How to Play Pinochle: Card Game Rules & Interactive Tutorial
Pinochle is a 4 player card game combining strategy and partnership. Like its double deck cousin, Double Deck Pinochle, it's played by two teams of two players, with partners sitting across from each other. Points are scored by "melding" and "trick-taking".
The game might seem complex at first with its unique deck and two-phase gameplay, but don't worry - we've got you covered! Below you'll find complete instructions for playing Pinochle, and above, you'll find an interactive tutorial that will teach you the game step by step. Choose whichever learning style works best for you.
Once you've learned the rules, you can Play Pinochle Online at World of Card Games. Challenge our computer opponents to practice, join public tables to play with others online, or invite friends to your own private game.
Ready to master the art of melding and trick-taking? Let's dive in and get those cards dancing!
Rank of cards
Understanding card power is crucial in Pinochle. The Ace reigns supreme as the highest card, followed by the 10 (unusually high in this game!), then King, Queen, Jack, and finally the 9. When a suit is declared trump, any card in that suit beats all cards in other suits.
In scoring tricks, only three cards carry point value: Aces, 10s, and Kings each earn one point when captured in a trick.
Objective
Your team's mission is simple but challenging: be the first to accumulate 150 points. Points come from both melding card combinations and capturing valuable cards in tricks.
Deal
The game begins with a randomly selected dealer distributing the cards. From a special 48-card deck (containing two of each A, 10, K, Q, J, and 9 in all suits), each player receives 12 cards.
Bid
The real strategy begins with bidding, starting left of the dealer and moving clockwise. Players bid for the privilege of choosing the trump suit - a powerful advantage that can help secure both meld and trick points.
Each bid must exceed the previous one, starting at a minimum of 25 points. Players can choose to pass rather than bid. After three consecutive passes, the bidding ends. If everyone passes initially, the dealer must make the minimum bid of 25.
Here's a crucial rule: if the dealer is forced to bid 25 but holds no marriages (King-Queen pairs), their team immediately loses 25 points!
Choosing Trump
After winning the bid, that player must select a trump suit - but there's a catch! You can only choose a suit where you hold a marriage (King and Queen pair). This restriction is crucial because if you win the bid but have no marriages at all, your team faces a steep penalty: your bid gets subtracted from your score!
Choose wisely - the trump suit will be the most powerful throughout the hand, with even a 9 of trump beating an Ace of any other suit.
Passing Cards
After the winner selects trump, an unique element of Single Deck Pinochle comes into play: card passing. The winning bidder's partner passes them 4 cards, and then receives 4 cards in return. This exchange can include cards that were just received, adding an extra layer of strategy.
Showing Meld
After the card passing phase, players show any "meld" in their hands. A "meld" is a group of cards in a specific pattern. For example, the Jack of Diamonds and Queen of Spades form a "pinochle" meld, which is worth 4 points.
Here are the meld patterns and point values:
| Type | Meld | 1 | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type I - Runs and Marriages | Run - A, 10, K, Q, J of trumps | 15 | 150 |
| Run with Extra King - A, T, K, K, Q, J of trumps | 19 | 19 | |
| Run with Extra Queen - A, T, K, Q, Q, J trumps | 19 | 19 | |
| Run with Extra Marriage - A, T, K, K, Q, Q, J trumps | 23 | 23 | |
| Nine of Trump - called the deece | 1 | 1 | |
| Royal Marriage K, Q trumps | 4 | 4 | |
| Common Marriage K, Q not trumps | 2 | 2 | |
| Type II - Pinochles | Pinochle - J Diamond ♦ & Q Spade ♠ | 4 | 30 |
| Type III - Arounds | Aces around - A in each suit | 10 | 100 |
| Kings around - K in each suit | 8 | 80 | |
| Queens around - Q in each suit | 6 | 60 | |
| Jacks around - J in each suit | 4 | 40 |
A specific card in your hand may belong to more than one meld of different meld types, but it cannot belong to more than one meld within a meld type. For example, if you have Kings around and also a Queen of Clubs, the King of Clubs can be used in both the Kings around and a Marriage meld. However, if you have a Run in Clubs, those cards cannot be used for additional melds of the same type.
Use the "Show Meld" button to display all valid melds in your hand that don't require trump. You'll need to identify Runs and Royal Marriages on your own.
Play
The highest bidder leads the first trick by playing any card. Play continues clockwise, following these key rules:
- You must follow the led suit if possible.
- If you can't follow suit, you must play a trump if you have one.
- When following suit, you must "crawl" - play a higher card than the highest one played if you can.
- Highest card wins the trick (trump beats all other suits).
Each trick containing Aces, 10s, or Kings is worth points (1 point each). The last trick carries a 2-point bonus, making the total trick points always equal 5.
Score
After each hand concludes, teams total their points from both melds and tricks. Keep track carefully - every point counts on the road to 150!
Game End
The excitement builds as teams approach 150 points. The first team to reach this threshold wins! If both teams cross 150 in the same hand, the team with more points claims victory. In case of a tie, the bidding team wins.
History
Single Deck Pinochle traces its roots to the 19th-century French game Bezique, but has evolved into a distinctly American favorite. Its unique blend of strategy, partnership, and skill has kept players engaged for generations.
