Hay's Rule Book: Pinochle
John Hay
I am working on. I wanted these rules to reflect the way the games
are actually played at the present time. One of the methods I am
using to is to post a set of rules and let people send me variations
that they play. Below is what I have gotten so far in response to my
Pinochle rules (if you don't remember seeing them, it has been a
while). If you play Pinochle (I am doing double-deck Pinochle
separately) and use variations that I have not included below, please
e-mail me and let me know how you play. Thanks.
Oh, I have done this previously with Hearts and Spades. If you would
like to see the rules I have collected for either of those games,
e-mail me and I will send them to you.
I need to thank George Klemic, David Sedgwick, and David Dailey for
the contributions they have made to the rules below.
Pinochle
Number of Players: 4 playing as partners
Object of game: To score 150 points.
Deck: A 48 card deck made up of 2 each of all cards 9 and above
(including Aces).
Rank of Cards: A, 10, K, Q, J, 9 in all suits.
Preliminaries: The players are seated so that partners are
non-adjacent. Deal progresses clockwise.
The Deal: All the cards are dealt out so that each player receives 12
cards.
Bidding: The person to the left of the dealer starts the bidding and
the bidding proceeds clockwise. The minimum bid is 15. Each player
may bid an amount higher than the previous highest bid or pass. Once
a player passes they may not bid again during that hand. When
everyone but one player has passed, the highest bidder is the
Declarer.
Note: If the first three bidders all pass, the dealer is the declarer
with a mandatory bid of 15.
The Meld: When bidding is finished, the Declarer names a trump suit.
Each player then places face up on the table any meld that they have.
Combinations that a player may meld and their point values are:
Run: A,K,Q,J,10 in trumps - 15 points (2 runs - 150 points)
Royal Marriage: K, Q in trumps - 4 points (2 RM's - 8 points)
Marriage: K, Q not in trumps - 2 points (2 Marriages - 4 points)
Aces around: 1 ace in each suit - 10 points (2 Aces around - 100
points)
Kings around - 8 points (Double - 80 points)
Queens around - 6 points (Double - 60 points)
Jacks around - 4 points (Double - 40 points)
Pinochle: Jack of Diamonds and Queen of Spades - 4 points (2 Pinochles
are worth 30 points)
Dix: 9 of trumps - 1 point (Both 9 of trumps - 2 points)
Note: A run is 15 points. Do not count an additional 4 points for the
Royal Marriage it contains.
A "round house" is a marriage in every suit. It is worth 24 points,
which is the total you get if you add up all the marriages, kings
around, and queens around. Some people do play, however, that if you
have a round house and a run, they are worth a total of 39 points
instead of 35.
A card may be used in more than one meld, but may not be used in more
than one meld of the same type (e.g. A single Jack of Diamonds could
be used in a Pinochle and Jacks around but a single Jack of Diamonds
could not be paired with 2 Queen of Spades for 2 pinochles).
After all meld has been laid down, count each players meld points,
adding the two players on a team's points together. Write this total
below each teams score on the scoresheet. Each player then picks up
their meld and places it back in their hand.
The Play of the Hand: The Declarer leads to the table any card they
choose from their hand. Each player in turn clockwise then plays a
card to the trick. The player who plays the highest trump (or if no
trumps are played, then the highest card of the suit led) places the
cards in the trick face down in front of them and then leads to the
next trick. Play continues until all cards have been played. When
playing to a trick there are very strict rules as to what cards may be
played. These rules are listed below in order of precedence (highest
precedence first).
A player must play a card of the suit led if possible.
A player must play a card that will beat the highest card played if
possible.
If a player does not have any cards in the suit led, they must play
trumps if possible.
If a player plays trumps, they must play a card higher than the
highest trump played if possible.
If a player has no cards in the suit led and no trumps, they may play
any card.
(Clarification: If a player has a higher card of the suit led, but
trumps have already been played, they may play any card of the suit
led.)
Scoring: The last trick taken counts one point for the team taking
it. Each Ace, King, and Ten counts one point for the team that
captured it in play. The number of points the Declarer's team takes
in play plus the amount of their meld must be greater than or equal to
the amount of their final bid. If it is not (called "going set"), the
amount of their meld is disregarded and their score is reduced by the
amount of their bid. If their meld was more than the amount of their
bid, they only need to take one trick to keep from going set. If the
Declaring team does not go set, the amount of their meld plus the
points they took in play are added to their score. If the
non-Declaring team took a trick, the amount of their meld plus the
points they took in play are added to their score. If a team exceeds
150 points at the end of a hand they win the game. If both teams
exceed 150 points, the Declaring team on the final hand wins the game
regardless of which team had the most points.
Note: In some cases, a player's bid may be more than 25 points
greater than the teams meld (e.g. Player bids 40, team has 12 meld).
In this case it is impossible for the declaring team to make their
bid. The hand is still played, though, to determine the amount of
points the defending team gets.
General Variations:
Some people play with everything counting 10 times what I have given
the value as (e.g. Pinochle is 40, Double pinochle is 300, Run is
150, etc.). In this case, the Ace, Ten, and King are each 10 points
and the last trick is 10 points. Game is 1500 points. This is the
original scoring system because it was once commonly played that Aces
counted 11 points, Tens 10, Kings 4, Queens 3, and Jacks 2. (Does
anyone still play this way?)
Specific Variations:
Iowa State Bidding Conventions
This game is played with the same rules as above except for a couple.
There is a special meaning to the bidding however:
A bid of 15 opens the bidding.
A bid of 17 or 2 above the current bid means you have 1 leg of a
Pinochle (J of Diamond or Q of Spades).
A bid of 19 means you have 2 legs of Pinochle (doesn't have to be a
matched set).
A bid of 24, 26, or 28 means you need one card to have a run.
A bid of 25 or 27 means you have a run.
A bid of 29 means you have 3 legs of Pinochle.
A bid of 30 means you have Double Pinochle.
A bid of 45 means you have Double Pinochle and a run.
A bid of 1 above the current bid means you like one ace having aces
around.
A bid of "by me" (meaning pass) means you have aces around.
Here is an example of bidding:
Player 1 has one leg of a pinochle, so he bids 17.
Player 2 needs one card for a run, so he bids 24.
Player 3 has all the other legs of pinochles, so he bids 30 (since
team definitely has Double Pinochle).
Player 4 has aces around, so he passes by saying "by me".
Player 1 also has a run, so he bids 45 (since team has double
pinochle).
Player 2 and 3 pass letting player 1 call trump.
After trump has been called the team that took the bid pass three
cards to each other. They may not look at the passed cards until they
have passed themselves. After the pass the melding takes place.
If a player is dealt 5 nines without any meld, or 6 nines with meld
they may call a misdeal. A misdeal may be called anytime before that
players first bid (even after other players have bid). The player may
ask their partner if they can call a misdeal.
Race Horse:
Race Horse is played as the regular game above with the following
differences:
The scoring used is the "Ten times as much" scoring described in the
general variations above.
Bidding starts at 250. If no one bids, person left of the dealer must
bid 250.
A player may meld an extra king or queen of trumps with a run and
count it as an extra trump marriage. (Bigamist marriage)
The team that takes the bid passes 4 cards to each other. They may
not look at the cards they have been passed until after they have
passed. This is done before melding.
A player may declare a "sweep" when bidding. This is a declaration
that their team will win all the tricks. Nobody melds. If the sweep
is made the team scores 1000 pts plus the 25 points taken in play. If
the sweep fails, the defending team scores 1000 pts plus the points
they took during the play of the hand.
Optional scoring method: IF the bidding team goes set, the defending
team takes the bidding teams meld and bid in points.
Another variation for which I have no specific name:
This variation differs from the basic rules above as follows:
Game is to 100 points.
The minimum bid is 20. If no one bids, dealer must take bid at 19.
A double run only counts 30 (not 150). Also, double aces around only
count 20, kings 16, queens, 12, jacks 8.
Pass Pinochle:
Pass pinochle is played the same as the general game above with the
following differences:
Minimum bid is 25.
If a player bid more than 25 points more than the team melds, they may
choose not to play the hand. The defending team simply gets to add
the meld they had to their score but do not get any points from the
play of the hand.
The declaring team passes each other 3 cards face down before melding.
They may not look at the cards they have been passed until passing is
complete.
3 player pinochle:
Pinochle may be played by 3 players by making the following
modifications to any of the rules above (except there will be no
passing).
Each player plays for themselves (no partners).
Each player is dealt 15 cards. 3 cards are dealt to the center of the
table. These cards are called the "kitty" or "widow".
Minimum bid is 25. If no one bids, dealer must bid 25 (or optionally
24).
The declarer takes the 3 cards in the kitty and places them in their
hand. They then discard three cards from their hand to their discard
pile. The cards are counted towards points for the declarer at the
end of the hand, but declarer must still take a trick to save their
bid. Cards discarded may not be used for melds.
Scott Dudek
>>>>> "John" == John Hay <ja...@hcc-uky.campus.mci.net> writes:
In article <4ipnsu$4...@news.campus.mci.net> ja...@hcc-uky.campus.mci.net (John Hay) writes:
Let me thank you, John, for doing a wonderful job on the pinochle
rules. I have a question or two.
John> Scoring: ...
John> team that captured it in play. The number of points the
John> Declarer's team takes in play plus the amount of their meld
John> must be greater than or equal to the amount of their final
John> bid. If it is not (called "going set"), the amount of their
John> meld is disregarded and their score is reduced by the amount
John> of their bid.
I am slightly confused by this point. Let's say my team has a meld
of 4, bids 15, and gets 9 points, hence not meeting the bid.
Are you saying that: new score = old score - 15,
or: new score = old score + 9 - 15.
That is, do you add the number of points to the negative bid before
applying to your score?
Thanks,
Scott
John Hay
Thank you for pointing out this bit of confusion.
To answer your question, you disregard the points taken during the
hand and subtract the bid from what your score was before the hand
began.
In other words:
new score = old score - 15 (or whatever bid was)
Sedgwick
On 21 Mar 1996, Scott Dudek wrote:
>
> >>>>> "John" == John Hay <ja...@hcc-uky.campus.mci.net> writes:
> In article <4ipnsu$4...@news.campus.mci.net> ja...@hcc-uky.campus.mci.net (John Hay) writes:
>
> John> Scoring: ...
> John> team that captured it in play. The number of points the
> John> Declarer's team takes in play plus the amount of their meld
> John> must be greater than or equal to the amount of their final
> John> bid. If it is not (called "going set"), the amount of their
> John> meld is disregarded and their score is reduced by the amount
> John> of their bid.
>
> I am slightly confused by this point. Let's say my team has a meld
> of 4, bids 15, and gets 9 points, hence not meeting the bid.
> Are you saying that: new score = old score - 15,
> or: new score = old score + 9 - 15.
> That is, do you add the number of points to the negative bid before
> applying to your score?
I think that John is trying to say that a team that goes set losses their
meld, so the new score - old score - 15. I haven't seen his whole post
yet because my server occassionally likes to post items out of order.
--Cyrus
email:sedg...@wsunix.wsu.edu
"The wind of time is blowing through me,
And it's all moving relative to me."
--"Master of the Universe", Hawkwind
>Thanks,
> Scott
>
>
>
>
David E H Dailey
: I am slightly confused by this point. Let's say my team has a meld
: of 4, bids 15, and gets 9 points, hence not meeting the bid.
: Are you saying that: new score = old score - 15,
: or: new score = old score + 9 - 15.
: That is, do you add the number of points to the negative bid before
: applying to your score?
Your team does not get credit for any points taken in this hand.
Therefore, new score = old score - 15.
Your opponents, however, *do* get credit for any points they take during
the hand. This leads to the following observation:
If it looks very much like you're not going to be able to make your bid,
but you are technically on the board (that is, it's mathematically
possible for you to make your bid), you're frequently better off throwing
in the hand and just taking the loss (if your local variation allows
this). Your opponents still get their meld, but they are denied the
points they would have otherwise taken in tricks.
Happy playing!
David Dailey
michael kelly
Hmmm...never played that variant. I have frequently played where
a team *must* take at least one TRICK (no points required) in order to
keep their meld. (i.e., the team that loses the bid) It can get pretty
desperate when one teams meld consists entirely of marriages and jacks :)
--
+ Mike Kelly, Notre Dame Department of Physics mke...@ovid.helios.nd.edu +
+ +
+ Oh, and never mind the words, just hum along and keep on going. +
+ - Ian Anderson +
David E H Dailey
: Hmmm...never played that variant. I have frequently played where
: a team *must* take at least one TRICK (no points required) in order to
: keep their meld. (i.e., the team that loses the bid) It can get pretty
: desperate when one teams meld consists entirely of marriages and jacks :)
Variations on variations on variations... However, I [personally] would
be upset if my team couldn't score its meld because the other team threw
in the hand.
In my local variation, when the hand is played out, each team must pull at
least one counter (or the last trick, worth one counter on its own) to
save its meld. The only exception is that if the *only* meld a team has
is one or both Nines of Trump, the meld saves itself. (If there's any
meld other than the Nines, all of it must be saved by taking a counter.)
{Note that a trick full of non-counters will not save your meld in this
variation [unless it's the last trick, of course].}
David