Pinochle Online Msn
Pinochle online, free download

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

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

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Contents

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 Pinochle@CompassRoseEnterprises.com.

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 decidewho 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.

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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.

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The Deal

For the first round of a game, the players select a dealer inwhatever 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 towardthe 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.

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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 higherthan 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
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Passing Card

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