Quick Rules
This is four-handed partnership Pinochle. You and North (a computer partner across the table) play against West and East. The deck has 48 cards: two each of the ace, 10, king, queen, jack and 9 in every suit. The cards rank A, 10, K, Q, J, 9, so the 10 beats the king. Everyone gets 12 cards.
- Bid. Starting left of the dealer, each player bids how many points their side will make, or passes. The lowest bid is 25. Once you pass you are out. If the first three pass, the dealer must take the bid.
- Name trump and pass. The high bidder names trump. Their partner passes them 4 cards, and the bidder passes 4 back.
- Meld. Everyone lays out scoring combinations: a run in trump (A-10-K-Q-J) is 15, aces around 10, kings around 8, queens around 6, jacks around 4, a pinochle (Q♠ with J♦) 4, a royal marriage 4, a marriage 2 and each 9 of trump 1. The game finds them all for you.
- Play 12 tricks. The bidder leads. Follow suit and play higher than the winning card if you can. If you can't follow, you must trump, and over-trump if you can. The highest trump wins, or the highest card of the suit led; of two identical cards, the first one played wins.
- Count. Each ace, 10 and king you take is a counter worth 1 point, and the last trick is worth 1 more: 25 a hand.
- Score. The bidding side adds meld and counters. If that reaches the bid, it scores it all; if not, it is set and loses the bid. The other side scores its meld and counters. Meld only counts if your side takes at least one counter.
- Winning. The first side to 150 points wins.
Play differently at home? Open Settings to use the classic point count (aces 11, tens 10 and so on, with bids from 250), change the game length, play without the pass, or relax the "play higher" rule. See Pinochle rule variations for what each one changes.
Tips for Winning at Pinochle
- Bid on meld plus tricks. Add up your meld for your best suit, then count on your partner and the pass for about ten more points.
- Name your longest suit. Trump length wins tricks late in the hand, and runs score big.
- Pass trumps and aces. When your partner wins the bid, send trumps first, then aces.
- Give counters to your partner. When North is sure to win a trick, play your 10s and kings on it.
- Remember there are two of each. An ace is only safe to lead while nobody can trump it; a 10 becomes the top card once both aces are gone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this Pinochle game free?
Yes. You can play as many games of Pinochle as you like for free, with no account, no email and no download.
Does the computer cheat?
No. The computer players, including your partner, can't see anyone else's cards. They know their own cards, the bidding, the meld everyone lays on the table and every card played, the same as you. The cards passed between partners are seen only by those two players. At the end of every hand, tap Show All Hands to see what everyone was dealt. Every game has a deal number; tap Replay This Deal, or type the number in Settings, to play the same cards again.
Why does the 10 beat the king?
That is simply the Pinochle card order: ace, 10, king, queen, jack, 9. The 10 is the second-highest card in every suit. The game keeps a small Card order key on screen so you never have to remember it.
What is meld?
Meld is the set of scoring card combinations you hold after trump is named, such as a run (ace, 10, king, queen and jack of trump), a marriage (king and queen of a suit) or a pinochle (queen of spades with jack of diamonds). Our game finds every meld for you, lays it out with names and points, and explains your own.
What happens when two identical cards are played to the same trick?
The deck has two of every card. If both are played to one trick and they are the best cards in it, the one played first wins.
What does it mean to be set?
The side that wins the bid must make at least that many points from its meld plus the counters it takes in play. If it falls short it is set: it scores nothing for the hand and the bid is taken off its score, which can go below zero.
Does the game save my progress?
Yes. Your game is saved in your browser after every bid and card. Close the page and come back later, and you can pick up where you left off on the same device.
Enjoy partnership card games? Try Euchre, Pinochle's quick cousin with its own odd card order, or Spades, where you bid the number of tricks you will take.
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