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> Classified Index >
Trick Taking Games > Ace-Ten Games > Marriage Group > Pinochle
- Single Deck Partnership

Single Deck Partnership Pinochle

This page is based on David Dailey's rules,
entitled Pinochle is for Fun!

Note: There are other pages on this site for Double Deck Pinochle and Two Handed Pinochle.

Contents

Introduction

Overview

The Deck

The Deal

The Bid

Passing
Cards

Laying
Down Meld

Taking
Tricks

Counting
Points

Variations

Further
Pinochle WWW Pages

Other Types
of Pinochle

Pinochle
Software and On-Line Games

Pinochle Tactics

Pinochle
Glossary

Introduction

David Dailey writes:

My parents taught me to play Pinochle the summer before my sixth
birthday. I have been playing for many years since, and I greatly enjoy this
opportunity to share my version of Pinochle with you all.

There are many variations of this game. In fact, nearly every aspect of the
game is played differently by somebody, somewhere. I call this version "My
Family's Pinochle," or MFP for short. I have found Pinochle to be a wonderful
game for playing in large groups, and it can be an excellent vehicle for
social interaction if you play, as I do, not necessarily to win, but to have
fun. I hope you also enjoy playing Pinochle.

Please write me with any comments, questions, or suggestions regarding this
document. Additionally, I am working on a paper version of these rules
(complete with illustrations!) that will be available for sale. Please send
e-mail if you are interested in purchasing a copy. I can be reached at [email-masked].

Overview

Pinochle is a trick-taking game, like Euchre, Bridge, Hearts, Spades, and even the
children's game War. Under Taking
Tricks, I'll cover how you decide who leads each trick, how you decide who
wins each trick, and what that all means. But before we get to the trick-taking
phase of the game, I'll talk about the deck, how it's dealt,
how bidding
takes place, and all the other pieces of the game.

For those familiar with Pinochle terminology, My Family's Pinochle (MFP) is
single-deck, four-handed, partnership, auction, racehorse Pinochle. For those
not familiar with these terms, check out the list below:

Single-deck means we use only one deck of Pinochle cards.
There are variations on the game that use two or more decks, especially to
accommodate more than four players.

Four-handed means that four people play at a time. I also
play three-handed pinochle, and I've worked on developing a special deck for
playing five-handed pinochle. Two-handed and six-handed pinochle also exist,
and I'm sure there are others (eight-handed comes to mind).

Partnership means that the four people are grouped in two
teams of two. There are variations (notably in three-handed) where each player
plays independently, and other variations where the player taking the bid has
a partner based on which other player is holding a particular card.

Auction means that the privilege of naming trump is bid
for amongst the players. The player winning the bid gets the right to name
trump, but also has the responsibility to make sure the team earns the number
of points bid. One variation is that trump is determined by the final card
dealt from the deck.

Racehorse means that, after the winning bidder has named
trump, that player's partner passes cards across the table. The bidder
incorporates those into the hand, then passes the same number of cards back. A
common variation is to play cutthroat, where such passing of cards does not
take place.

Back to contents

The Deck

My Family's Pinochle is played with a 48-card deck (there are variations).
The deck consists of twelve cards in each of four suits - two in each of the
ranks Ace, Ten, King, Queen, Jack, and Nine. Note that the rank of cards differs
from standard usage: the Ten outranks everything (within its suit) except the
Ace. This is likely to be a stumbling block for many people; however, if you are
familiar with the bowers in Euchre or the strange role played by the Queen of
Spades in Hearts, you should have no trouble with the transition.

In the trick-taking phase of the game, the Aces, Tens, and Kings are worth
points, and thus are called "counters." Queens, Jacks, and Nines are not worth
points (although they can win tricks [and influence people]), so they are called
"non-counters."

The (at first) unusual order of ranks can be remembered by chanting "Ace,
Ten, King" over and over, much as a beginning or infrequent dancer (such as
myself) chants "one, two, three" while learning to waltz. "Ace, Ten, King" has
become something of a mantra at our pinochle parties.

Back to contents

The Deal

For the first round of a game, the players select a dealer in whatever manner
they choose. At our house, it's generally whoever happens to pick up the cards
first. (Throughout this document, a "round" will refer to the entire sequence
from one deal to the next; the set of cards dealt to an individual player will
be called a "hand.")

The dealer shuffles the cards in whatever manner is convenient to mix them
thoroughly. (It is considered good form to offer to shuffle and/or deal for
somebody whose hands don't work so well.) The shuffled deck is placed on the
table to the dealer's right; the player to that side cuts the deck, preferably
toward the dealer.

The dealer picks up the deck (cut portion last) and deals the cards evenly to
each players, beginning with dealer's left. Some players insist that the cards
be dealt one at a time. I was taught to deal the cards three at a time, and
continue to do so. Truth be told, it doesn't matter as long as each player
receives twelve cards, the dealer receiving the final card(s). All 48 cards will
have been dealt.

It is generally courteous to wait until all the cards have been dealt before
picking up your hand. This way, if one player does not have enough cards, they
can be re-distributed without having to re-shuffle and re-deal the whole deck.

Once the cards have been dealt, the players pick up, sort, and examine their
hands. The next phase is bidding.

Back to contents

The Bid

The winner of the bid (hereafter called the "declarer") acquires three
rights:

the right to name trump,

the right to receive cards from his/her partner, and

the right to lead the first trick.

The minimum opening bid is 250
points, and the player to the dealer's left has the first opportunity to bid.
Bids are made in increments of 10 (or multiples of 10) points. Unlike Bridge, no
suit is named along with the point value - the bid consists of a number only.

Bid passes to the left, and when the bid reaches you, you have four options:

Give a normal bid by announcing a number 10 points higher than the last
bid.

Give a "jump"
bid by saying a number at least 20 points higher than the last bid.

Say "Pass," thereby removing yourself from the bidding for this round. (If
it looks as though the other players will be bidding for a while, go get a cup
of tea.)

Say "Pass with help." This phrase removes you from the bidding for the
round, but can be used to convey extra
information to your partner. Note that some people do not allow the use of
"Pass with help"; always inquire locally before starting play.

When only one person has not said "pass" (or "pass with help"), that person
has won the bid and becomes the declarer. The amount bid is recorded on a piece
of paper which is being used as a score pad.

In My Family's Pinochle, the dealer is "under": this means that if the other
three players pass, the dealer has taken the bid at 250 points.

The winner of the bidding names the trump suit.

Go to bidding
tactics
Go to tactics of
choosing trumps
Back to contents

Passing Cards

When the bidder has named trump, the bidder's partner selects four cards to
pass across the table. Exactly four cards must be sent; no more and no fewer.
Once you've selected your four cards, place them in one stack face down on the
table in front of you, and slide them across to your partner.

The bidder picks up these four cards and sorts them into his or her hand and
chooses four cards to send back across the table in the same way. These may
include some of the cards just received.

Go to tactics for
passing cards
Back to contents

Laying Down Meld

Now that the cards have been passed back and forth across the table, all four
players lay down their meld. My dictionary calls meld "a combination of cards
declared, especially by putting them face up on the table," and that definition
is appropriate. Each combination is called a piece of meld, and each piece is
worth a particular number of points.

There are three types of meld, and an individual card may belong to several
different pieces of meld as long as they are of different types. Each player
places face-up on the table only those cards necessary to show the value of
their meld.

In My Family's Pinochle, the various pieces of meld are worth the following
numbers of points:

TYPE I

Runs (all cards must be in trump-- non-trump runs do not count)
Bare Run (A, T, K, Q, J) ............................. 150
Run with Extra King (A, T, K, K, Q, J) ............... 190
Run with Extra Queen (A, T, K, Q, Q, J) .............. 190
Run with Extra Marriage (A, T, K, K, Q, Q, J) ........ 230
Double Run (A, A, T, T, K, K, Q, Q, J, J) ............ 1500

Nine of Trump (called the deece) ...................... 10

Marriages (King and Queen of the Same Suit)
Royal Marriage (in Trump) ........................... 40
Common Marriage (non-Trump) ......................... 20

TYPE II

Pinochle
Single (one Jack of Diamonds and one Queen of Spades) ....... 40
Double (both Jacks of Diamonds and both Queens of Spades) ... 300

TYPE III

Arounds One of Each Suit Both of Each Suit
Aces ............... 100 ................. 1000
Kings .............. 80 ................. 800
Queens ............. 60 ................. 600
Jacks .............. 40 ................. 400

Although it seems arbitrary, Tens Around is worth nothing. Nines Around, if
you really want to meld it, is (facetiously) worth 10 points, because you
automatically have the deece.

When all four players have laid down their meld, both teams count their
points and record them on the score pad. Here's where it starts to get
interesting: There are only a total of 250 points available during the
trick-taking phase of the game. If the amount that was bid is more than 250
points above the amount melded by the declarer's team, there is no way that team
can make their bid. They are not "on the board," and they will "go set" for this
hand. (See the Taking Tricks section for what happens when you've "gone set.")

If the difference between the amount bid and the amount the declarer's team
has melded is 250 points or less, the hand can be played out. However, if the
declarer feels there is absolutely no chance of making the required points, he
or she can "throw in the hand" and the consequences are the same as if that team
had not been "on the board". General courtesy calls for all players to wait
until the declarer picks up his or her own meld; then they may pick up theirs.
This gives the declarer a fair chance to see what he or she is up against.

Back to contents

Taking Tricks

Once all players have picked up their melded cards, the declarer leads to the
first trick. Proceeding to the left, each player plays a card on the trick
(following the rules outlined below). When four cards have been played to the
trick, the highest-ranking card of trump - or, if there is no trump in the
trick, the highest-ranking card of the suit led - wins the trick. If there is a
tie for highest-ranking card, the trick is won by whichever of the equal cards
was played first. The player who played the winning card leads to the next
trick, and so on until twelve tricks have been played.

There are some rules about what must be played on the trick. The first, or
lead, card, may be anything in the leader's hand (although some plays are
smarter than others). The basic rules of engagement are as follows:

If you have a card of the same suit as the lead card, you must play it. If
possible, you must play a card that beats the card that currently controls the
trick.

If you do not have any cards in the suit led, but you have a card in
trump, you must play it, thereby "trumping the trick". If the trick already
contains trump, you must beat it with a higher trump card if you can.

If you cannot follow suit and you cannot trump the trick, you may
"slough", that is, play any other card.

Notes:

The first played of two identical cards beats the second.

The rule obliging you to beat the card currently winning the trick applies
even if the card you are obliged to beat is your partner's.

If you have no card of the suit led, you must play a trump if you can,
even if someone before you has already played a higher trump than yours. The
only case in which you are allowed to throw a card of a non-trump suit
different from the led suit is when you have no cards of the suit led and no
trumps.

The obligation to play higher only applies if you are able to beat the
card that is currently winning the trick. If you are unable to do this you may
play any card, subject always to the necessity to follow suit and to play a
trump if you have no card of the suit led. For example, if the non-trump lead
has already been trumped, and you have cards in the suit led, you cannot beat
the trump that is currently winning the trick (since you have to follow suit),
so you may play any card of the suit that was led.

Once all four cards have been played to a trick, it should be clear which
player has won the trick. Each team should designate one partner to "pull" the
tricks, or gather them from the center of the table. For the declaring team,
this is usually the non-declarer (giving the declarer time to concentrate on
what to lead next). The puller collects the cards, turns them face-down, and
places them in a stack in front of him or her on the table. As a courtesy, the
puller shows the cards to the other players (especially the declarer) before
they are turned face-down.

Go to tactics of playing
tricks
Back to contents

Counting Points

Once all twelve tricks have been played, both teams collect their stacks of
pulled cards and count the Aces, Tens, and Kings (the "counters") collected
during the round. Each counter is worth 10 points. The final trick, in and of
itself, is worth an additional 10 points. This make 250 points total: 240 for
the twenty-four counters in the deck, plus 10 for the final trick.

The scores obtained by each side are recorded on the score pad.

If the declaring team "makes the bid" (earns enough points, through melding
and trick-taking combined, to meet or exceed the amount bid), all the earned
points are added to the team's previous score. If they do not, they "go set".
This means that they do not score any points melded, they score no points taken
in the tricks, and their previous score is reduced by the amount bid.

If the non-declaring team fails to earn points while taking tricks (that is,
they pulled no counters and failed to capture the final trick), they do not
score any points that were melded. (It is said that they failed to "save their
meld.") The exception is that if their only meld was one or both deeces, the
points are scored. Nines of trump are said to "save themselves". If the
non-declaring team does capture points in tricks, the meld is added to their
previous score, along with any points earned in tricks.

If the declaring team were not "on the board" (their meld fell short of their
bid by more than 250 points) or they decided to throw in the hand without play,
they lose the amount of their bid, and the opponents score their own meld. The
cards are not played, so there is no score for cards won in tricks. Note that if
the declaring side have no chance of making their bid, it is advantageous for
them to throw in the hand, as this prevents the opponents from scoring for cards
taken in the play.

It is a great coup for the declaring team to take all 250 points during the
trick-taking phase of the game. It is also a great coup for the non-declaring
team to steal enough points that the declaring team cannot make their bid. This
tension, and waiting to see how it will be resolved, is part of the great fun of
Pinochle.

My Family's Pinochle is generally played to 1500 points when there are only
four people playing (and if both teams exceed 1500 on the same round, the
declaring team wins regardless of the actual score). If we have several more
people, however, we call four rounds a game and switch partners and/or tables.
Pinochle is a lot of fun when you can play with four or five different people
during the course of an evening - plus, you build up a lot of stories about "the
big one that got away".

Back to contents

Variations

Some play that no extra points are scored for a single extra king or queen
added to a run. This is probably more usual than the way of scoring meld
described in the main account. A-T-K-K-Q-Q-J of trumps would score 190 for a run
plus a marriage in trumps.

The rules of play given in most card game books published since 1945 are
somewhat different from those give in the taking tricks
section of this page. According to these rules:

If a trump is led, the other players must play trumps if they can, and if
possible they must beat the highest trump so far played to the trick.

If a non-trump is led, the other players must follow suit if they can, and
must trump if unable to follow suit, but there is no obligation to beat the
highest card in the trick. It is neither necessary to overtake when following
suit, nor is it necessary to beat the highest trump so far played when
trumping.

The older rules, as given on this
page, require players to beat the highest card in the trick whenever
possible, even if a non-trump was led, and many players, perhaps the majority,
still observe these older rules.

Many players divide all the scores by 10 - so a pinochle is worth 4, a run is
worth 15, each counter (A, T, K) taken in a trick is worth 1, and so on.

Robert J Gauen reports a different method of scoring frequently used in the
Pacific nothwest of the USA. This uses chips. Each team is allotted 14 colored
chips (one team red, the opponents blue) representing 100 points each and 10
white chips representing 10 points each. One player from each team is assigned
to hold the chips at the start and pass them to partner as points are scored. At
the conclusion of each hand one colored chip for each hundred points won and one
white chip for each ten points won is passed across to the partner. The first
side to pass all chips to the opposite side of the table wins. There is one
notable difference in scoring. When the bidding partnership "goes set" on a hand
(fails to make the points for their bid), they do not lose points; instead, the
other team scores the failed bid in addition to the points which they made on
meld, and the counters they took in their tricks. This method of scoring makes
for a much faster game.

Further Pinochle WWW Pages

For other forms of Single Deck Partnership Pinochle, see John Hay's Pinochle
page.

Steve Birnbaum's Stonebridge
Pinochle site describes a different version of Single Deck Partnership
Pinochle, with plenty of useful information on strategy and the meanings of
bids. Some key differences in the rules there are:

The minimum bid is 190.

There is no passing of cards between partners.

There are no special scores for double melds. A double run just scores a
two single runs, a double pinochle as two pinochles and a double around as two
arounds.

When a non-trump is led, you must trump if void, but you do not need to
beat the highest card in the trick.

In the play, Kings are worth just 5 points, not 10; Queens are also worth
5 points so the total is still 250.

Associated with this page is a separate page on Pinochle Tactics (for the
single deck partnership game) and a Pinochle Glossary. The
material for both of these was also contributed by David Dailey.

The Pinochle page of the Card Players Web Site has a directory of
Pinochle clubs in the USA.

B.J. Herbison's Playing
Pinochle page describes a variation of Single Deck Pinochle, and a detailed
set of suggested bidding conventions.

Other Types of Pinochle

There are separate pages on this site for:

Double Deck
Pinochle

Three-handed
Pinochle

Two-handed
Pinochle

Eventually, more types will be covered.

Pinochle Software and On-Line Games

Free Canasis.com is an online
pinochle site that offers the most variations of pinochle including both single
deck and double deck styles, both the old and new rules, and most of the
variations described above. With a pleasing wooden theme and many other
features, Canasis is definitely worth a long look.

Pinochle can be played online free at games.com.

The collection Hoyle Card Games 2011
for Windows or Mac OS X includes a partnership single deck Pinochle program,
along with many other popular card games.

A free Java-based online multi-player single deck Pinochle game is available
at Gamegardens.

Home Page
> Classified Index >
Trick Taking Games > Ace-Ten Games > Marriage Group > Pinochle
- Single Deck Partnership

This
page is maintained by John McLeod (mailto:[email-masked]?subject=single_deck_pinochle.

© David Dailey, John McLeod,
1996, 2003, 2009. Last updated: 2nd October 2009