Pinochle
Card Track with Paper ScoreMeld, bid, and take the tricks.
Who goes first?
Settle it before the Pinochle argument starts. Pick how many players, add names if you like, and spin.
Keeping score too? Doodle Score remembers your players and tallies every round.
Game Identity
- Name: Pinochle
- Player Count: 2–4 players. Standard: 3 or 4 (4-player partnership is most common).
- Teams: Yes for 4-player (2 teams of 2, partners sit across). Individual for 2 and 3-player.
- Theme: Classic American card game using a 48-card pinochle deck (two copies of each 9, J, Q, K, 10 and A in all four suits).
Scoring Mechanics
- Scoring Variant: Accumulative — scores grow toward a target.
- Target Score: 150 points (standard). First team/player to reach 150+ after a hand where they bid and won wins.
- Unit of Scoring: Points per hand (meld points + trick points).
- Lower vs. Higher: Higher score wins.
Rules & Validation
Per-Hand Logic
Points per Hand: Variable. Consists of two phases:
- Meld Phase: Players reveal combinations from their hand for points (see table below).
- Trick Phase: Points are scored by taking tricks (Aces = 11, Tens = 10, Kings = 4, Queens = 3, Jacks = 2, Last trick = 10).
Total trick points: 250 per hand (standard counting).
Bid: The winning bidder names trump and must score at least as many points as their bid; failing to do so subtracts the bid from their score.
Common Meld Values:
Combination Points Ace, 10, K, Q, J of trump (Run) 150 K+Q of trump (Royal Marriage) 40 K+Q of non-trump (Marriage) 20 4 Aces (one of each suit) 100 4 Kings (one of each suit) 80 4 Queens (one of each suit) 60 4 Jacks (one of each suit) 40 Pinochle (J♦ + Q♠) 40 9 of trump (Dix) 10 Validation Rules:
- The bidding team's total (meld + tricks) must meet or exceed the bid; otherwise subtract the bid from their score.
- Non-bidding team always scores their meld + tricks.
Special Actions / Bonuses
- Double Pinochle: Both J♦ and both Q♠ = 300 points.
- Double Run: Two complete runs in trump = 1,500 points.
- Going Set (Burying the Bid): Bidding team fails to make their bid — subtract the bid amount from their score; score can go negative.
Win Conditions
- Condition: After any hand, if the bidding team's cumulative score reaches or exceeds 150, they win. Non-bidding teams can also reach 150 through accumulated meld + tricks. The bidding team wins if tied.
- Tie-Breaker: The bidding team wins all ties at or above 150. If neither team bid in a tied hand, play continues.
Set Up in Doodle Score
Pinochle doesn't have a dedicated scorecard yet — track it for free using a general scorecard:
- Tap New Scorecard and choose Paper Score (tracks all players each round in a grid)
- Add 4 players (adjust as needed)
- Set Target Score to 150 points (or skip for open-ended play)
Score type: Ascending — highest score wins.
Common Pinochle rules questions
The arguments that come up at the table, answered from the official rules. Where house rules differ, we say so.
Do you have to take a trick to keep your meld?
In most partnership rules, yes. A team must take at least one trick to score its meld.
House rule Some groups count meld no matter what, so agree first.
What happens if the bidding team goes set?
They lose the amount they bid, and their meld for that hand doesn't count.
Do you have to play a higher card in Pinochle?
Yes. You must follow suit and beat the highest card played if you can. If you can't follow suit, you must trump if you can.
Can one card count in two melds?
Yes, if the melds are in different classes. A King of spades can count in a run and in a marriage, but not in two marriages.
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