How to play Pinochle
Two-handed Pinochle: win tricks, declare melds for bonus points, and draw from the pile.
The rules, step by step
- The pack has 48 cards: 9, jack, queen, king, 10 and ace of each suit, two of each. You and the computer get twelve cards each. The next card is turned up and its suit is trump. It is the last card in the pile.
- You lead. Each of you plays one card. The higher card of the suit led wins, and a trump beats any other suit. From low to high the order is 9, jack, queen, king, 10, ace. If the cards are equal, the one led wins.
- While there are cards in the pile you may play any card. The winner of a trick may declare one meld, then both players draw, the winner first.
- A dix (the 9 of trump) scores 1. A marriage (king and queen of a suit) scores 2, or 4 in trump. A run (ace, 10, king, queen and jack of trump) scores 15. Pinochle (queen of spades and jack of diamonds) scores 4. Four aces, one of each suit, score 10, four kings 8, four queens 6 and four jacks 4.
- You can use a card again in a different kind of meld, but not twice in the same kind. Every meld needs at least one card not yet used for that kind.
- When the pile is empty, you must follow suit, play a higher card of that suit if you can, and play a trump if you cannot follow. Aces, 10s and kings taken in tricks score 1 each, and the last trick scores 10. The higher total wins.
An example
You win a trick and hold the king and queen of clubs. Declare the marriage for 2 points. Next time you win a trick you could declare a different meld, such as four queens, using one of those same queens again.
Tips
- Keep kings and queens of the same suit together: they can score a marriage.
- Play your low cards early and keep your aces and trumps for tricks that matter.
- Once the pile is empty, count which trumps are still out before you lead.
- Press Hint to see a sensible card to play, or which meld to declare. This is a free game: no money is involved.