You and Shelly against Hops and Pip. How long a game?
Pinochle
Cards · Bid, meld and take your counters with Shelly against Hops and Pip.
Play Pinochle free online: the classic American partnership card game with a 48-card deck. You and your partner Shelly play against Hops and Pip. Bid on what your side can score, name trumps, lay down your meld and win the tricks with aces, tens and kings in them. Choose Easy, Medium or Hard, learn as you go with Teach me, or play Pinochle online with up to three friends.
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How to play
- 48 cards: two of each 9, J, Q, K, 10 and A in every suit, 12 each. Cards rank A, 10, K, Q, J, 9. Your partner sits across.
- Bid what your side will score from meld and tricks. Bids start at 250 and go up by 10; a pass is final.
- The top bidder names trumps and everyone shows their meld, like a run (150), aces around (100) or a pinochle, Q♠ J♦ (40).
- Follow suit and beat the winning card if you can. Out of the suit, you must trump.
- Aces, tens and kings in tricks are 10 each, the last trick 10 more. Reach your bid with meld plus points or lose it. First side to 1500 wins.
Tips to win
- Count before you bid: your meld with your best suit as trumps, about 100 to 150 from tricks, and a little for your partner's meld.
- A long trump suit with aces is worth more than it looks: pull the other side's trumps first, then your aces and tens are safe.
- Lead your side-suit aces early, before the other side runs out of the suit and trumps them.
- When your partner is sure to win a trick, add a counter: a king or ten is 10 more points for your side. When the other side is winning, play a 9, jack or queen.
- You must head the trick, so a low lead makes the players after you spend their big cards.
- Remember the meld you saw: those cards are still in their hands. A player who showed aces around has an ace in every suit.
- Learning? Press Teach me: Hops suggests a bid, the trump suit or the card to play and says why in one line. Coached games are practice, so they don't count as wins.
Questions
How do you play Pinochle?
Four players in two partnerships get 12 cards each from a 48-card deck. They bid on what their side will score, the top bidder names trumps, everyone shows their meld, and then 12 tricks are played: follow suit, beat the winning card if you can, trump when you're out. Aces, tens and kings in tricks are 10 each. The bidding side must reach its bid with meld plus points, or it loses the bid.
How many cards are in a Pinochle deck?
48: two of each 9, jack, queen, king, 10 and ace in all four suits. In Pinochle the 10 ranks above the king, just under the ace.
What is a pinochle?
The queen of spades together with the jack of diamonds, worth 40 points of meld. Both queens of spades with both jacks of diamonds make a double pinochle, worth 300.
What are the meld values in Pinochle?
Run (A, 10, K, Q, J of trumps) 150; aces around (one in each suit) 100, double 1000; kings around 80; queens around 60; jacks around 40; pinochle 40, double 300; royal marriage (K and Q of trumps) 40; marriage (K and Q of another suit) 20; dix (9 of trumps) 10.
What does it mean to be set in Pinochle?
The bidding side is set when its meld plus the points it takes in tricks come to less than its bid. It scores nothing that hand and the bid is taken off its score.
Do you have to play a higher card in Pinochle?
Yes. If you can follow suit you must beat the card winning the trick when you can, even your partner's. If you're out of the suit you must trump, and over-trump if you can.
Can I play Pinochle online with friends?
Yes. Choose Online, then Play a friend, pick 2, 3 or 4 players and send the link. Partners sit across, Hops and his friends fill empty seats and the table checks every bid and card. Online games are played to 1000.
Is Pinochle free?
Yes. Play free in your browser on phone, tablet or computer, with no download and no account. Your game is saved if you leave mid-way.