How to Play Pinochle: Rules for Beginners
To play Pinochle (partnership, 4 players), deal the 48-card deck (two each of 9, J, Q, K, 10, A in every suit) 12 cards each. Players bid what their team will score; the highest bidder names trumps, everyone shows their meld (scoring card combinations), then you play 12 tricks, where every ace, ten and king taken is worth 10. The bidding team must reach its bid or loses it. First team to 1,500 wins.
Players, teams and the deck
- Four players in two teams; partners sit opposite.
- 48 cards: two copies of 9, J, Q, K, 10 and A in each suit.
- Card order within a suit, high to low: A, 10, K, Q, J, 9. Note the 10 ranks above the king.
- Of two identical cards, the one played first wins the trick.
Play Pinochle online with Shelly as your partner against Hops and Pip.
1. The bidding
Starting left of the dealer, players bid how many points their team will make (meld plus tricks). The minimum is usually 250, raised in steps of 10. Once you pass you're out of the bidding. The last bidder left wins and names trumps.
2. Meld
Everyone lays down their meld: combinations that score for the team.
| Meld | Cards | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Run | A, 10, K, Q, J of trumps | 150 |
| Royal marriage | K, Q of trumps | 40 |
| Marriage | K, Q of another suit | 20 |
| Pinochle | Q♠ and J♦ | 40 |
| Dix | 9 of trumps | 10 |
| Aces around | One ace of each suit | 100 |
| Kings around | One king of each suit | 80 |
| Queens around | One queen of each suit | 60 |
| Jacks around | One jack of each suit | 40 |
3. Playing the tricks
- The bidder leads the first trick; the winner of each trick leads the next.
- You must follow suit, and play a card that beats the best card so far if you can.
- If you can't follow suit you must trump, beating any trump already played if you can.
- Only when you can't follow or trump may you throw any card.
4. Counting the hand
Each team scores 10 for every ace, ten and king it took, plus 10 for the last trick (250 in all). A team keeps its meld only if it took at least one trick. If the bidding team's meld + counters reach the bid, it scores them all; if not, it loses the bid (minus the bid) and scores nothing else that hand. The other team always scores what it made.
See Pinochle scoring and meld for worked examples.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards are in a Pinochle deck?
48: two copies of 9, J, Q, K, 10 and A in each of the four suits.
Does a 10 beat a king in Pinochle?
Yes. Within a suit the order is A, 10, K, Q, J, 9.
What is the minimum bid?
Usually 250 in partnership Pinochle; if everyone else passes, the dealer must take it at 250.
How many points win a game?
1,500 is the most common target; GameLake also offers a shorter game to 1,000.