Jump into single-deck Pinochle, where strategy, memory, and teamwork intertwine in a dynamic dance of cards. It's all the fun of trick-taking games like Double Deck Pinochle, compacted into a fast-paced, 48-card challenge for four players. With teams of two, this game scales the heights of strategy and partnership, setting it apart from the rest.
No downloads, no fees, no fuss - just a straightforward path to playing Pinochle. Whether you're outsmarting the computer solo or forming alliances across digital tables with friends, family, or future rivals, it's time to deal in and let the games begin.
How to play Pinochle
Single Deck Pinochle is a 4 player card game so it's perfect for those who like partnerships. Like the double deck version it's 2 teams of 2 players with partners across from each other. Points are scored by "melding" and "trick taking".
After the cards are dealt players meld their cards in patterns to score points. All players show their melds and points are recorded.
When you play you play cards into a "trick". The highest card wins the trick for the player who played it.
So here we go, fellow Pinochle pilgrim, let's get those cards singing!
Card Rank
In Pinochle the Ace is the highest rank, then 10, King, Queen, Jack, and 9 (lowest). Cards in the trump suit beat all others.
Only the Ace, 10 and King in a trick score points. 1 point each.
Objective
The goal is to be the first team to 150 points. This game uses "modern" scoring, some games use "classic" scoring. The only difference is points in classic scoring are worth 10 times what they're worth in modern scoring so those games are played to 1500 points.
Deal
A random player is the dealer.
Each player is dealt 12 cards from a 48 card deck with 2 A, 10, K, Q, J and 9 of each suit.
Bid
Bidding starts with the player to the left of the dealer and goes clockwise. Each player bids to win the right to choose the trump suit and get meld and trick points for their team.
Players can pass instead of bidding. The minimum bid is 25. Each subsequent bid must be 1 point higher than the previous bid.
Bidding continues until 3 players in a row pass. If no one bids the dealer must bid 25. If the dealer has no marriages the team loses 25 automatically.
Trump
The highest bidder chooses the trump suit. Cards in the trump suit beat all others.
If the highest bidder has no marriages in any suit their team loses and their bid is subtracted from their score!
Passing Cards
After the trump suit is chosen the bidder's partner passes 4 cards to the bidder. The bidder then passes 4 cards back. These can include some of the cards just received.
Meld
After the cards are passed players show any meld in their hand. Meld is a group of cards in specific patterns. For example the Jack of Diamonds and Queen of Spades is a pinochle meld 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 | 10 | 10 | |
| Nine of Trump - called the deece | 23 | 23 | |
| 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 card can be in multiple melds of different types but not in more than one meld of the same type.
Use the "Show Meld" button to show all melds in your hand that don't require a trump suit.
Play
The player who bid leads the first trick by playing any card. Play goes clockwise.
You must follow suit if you can. If you can't follow suit you must play a trump. If you can't follow suit or trump you can play any card.
When following suit you must play a card that beats the highest card in the trick if you can. This is called "crawling".
For example if the trick starts with a King of Diamonds and you have an Ace, 10 and Q of Diamonds you can't play the Queen; you must play the Ace or 10.
The trick is won by the highest card. Trump cards beat all others.
The trick winner scores 1 point for each Ace, 10 or King in the trick. The team that takes the last trick gets a 2 point bonus so the total trick points always add up to 5.
Score
After each hand scores are added up for the team's meld and trick points.
Game End
First team to 150 wins!
If both teams reach 150 on the same hand the higher scoring team wins. If tied the bidding team wins.
There you have it your A to Z of Pinochle. Now you have the rulebook and the strategies to turn beginners into pros. Shuffle up, strategize and let the cards guide you to victory. Happy melding and savvy trick taking, my friends!
Single Deck Pinochle Strategy Guide
Welcome to Single Deck Pinochle! If you're used to Double Deck Pinochle, you'll find Single Deck has its own challenges and requires a different approach. Here's a guide to help you master Single Deck with partner play and card passing.
Single Deck Pinochle is a game of strategy, communication, and calculated risk. Master the art of bidding, passing, and playing, and you'll win more games.
Signaling through Bidding
In Single Deck Pinochle, communication with your partner is everything. Bidding is your main way to signal what you have.
Standard Bidding Conventions:
- Opening Bids:
- 25-30: This range means you have a basic hand with some meat. If you have a marriage or some meld, this is a safe range to open.
- 31-33: Means you have a stronger hand with a marriage and some meld potential. This bid means you want to choose trump.
- 34-37: Means you have a very strong hand with a lot of meld or trick-taking potential. You're telling your partner you're confident in choosing trump and making the bid.
- 38+: Use this range when you have a super hand. You're telling your partner you have a lot of meld or trick-taking power and you're going for high stakes.
- Jump Bidding:
- Jumping the bid by 2 or more can mean you have all four Aces (ace bidding) or you have a strong trump suit with a lot of meld.
General Bidding Strategy
- Evaluating Your Hand:
- Melds: Count your meld points. Runs, marriages, pinochles, and other combinations will help you decide how high to bid.
- Trumps: Evaluate your trump suit. The more trumps you have, especially high ones, the better you'll do in the trick-taking phase.
- Signaling Strength:
- Use incremental bids to show the level of strength in your hand. 30-31 means basic meld, 35 or more means strong meld and you're confident in taking tricks.
Passing Cards with Your Partner
When passing cards to your partner, focus on giving them meld and trick-taking potential.
- Trump First: Always pass trump if you can. This gives your partner control of the game.
- Aces Next: If you have no more trump to pass, pass Aces. They're trick winners.
- Pinochle Components: If you don't have better options, pass cards that will complete a Pinochle for your partner.
- Kings and Queens Off-Suit: These are generally not useful unless they complete a marriage or Pinochle.
Playing the Hand
Now it's time to win tricks.
- Lead with Aces: If you have Aces, lead with them to get high cards out of your opponents and win tricks early.
- Control Trump: Use your trump cards wisely. Leading with trump will get your opponents' trumps out and you'll be in control.
- Signal with Discards: When discarding on your partner's winning trick, throw high-value cards (Kings and Tens) to get the most points for your team. Don't discard Aces or valuable trump cards.
Advanced Tips
- Track Cards: Pay attention to which cards have been played. Knowing which high cards are still in play will help you make better decisions.
- Strategic Sacrifice: Sometimes it's worth letting your partner take a trick by sacrificing a high card. This will set you up to win more valuable tricks later.
- Last Trick Bonus: Remember, winning the last trick is an extra point. Save a high trump or a strategic card to get this bonus.
