Pinochle is a free online version of the American trick-and-meld card game, played head to head against the computer with the traditional 48-card deck — two each of nine, jack, queen, king, ten and ace. The rank order is the one newcomers trip over: the ten sits between the king and the ace, so a ten beats a king and loses to an ace. A hand runs in two halves that feel nothing alike. In the draw, twelve cards each with twenty-four in the stock and the bottom card turned face up for trumps, you need not follow suit; win a trick and you may lay one meld from your hand — a run in trumps for 150, four aces for 100, a pinochle for 40 — and the melded cards stay in your hand, still playable. Then both players draw, winner first. Once the stock is gone the play-off begins and the gloves come off: follow suit, beat the card if you can, trump if you are void, and now the cards you win are worth points. Aces are 11, tens 10, kings 4, queens 3, jacks 2, and the last trick is worth 10 — 250 a hand, against melds worth several times that. Hands are dealt until one side passes 1000.
How to play Pinochle
- Press Play. You and the computer get twelve cards each; twenty-four more form the stock, and the card turned face up at the bottom of it sets trumps for the hand.
- Watch the rank order: nine, jack, queen, king, ten, ace. The ten is the second-highest card, above the king — it is not a low card in pinochle.
- While the stock lasts you may play any card at all. The higher card of the suit led wins, and any trump beats any plain suit.
- Win a trick and the meld panel opens. Lay one meld from your hand for its points, or skip — either way, both players then draw, winner first.
- Melded cards stay in your hand and can still be played. That is the heart of pinochle: a run in trumps is worth 150 and you still have five playable cards.
- Each named meld scores once per hand. A run in trumps is 150, four aces 100, four kings 80, four queens 60, four jacks 40, a royal marriage 40, a plain marriage 20.
- A pinochle is the jack of diamonds with the queen of spades, worth 40 — and 300 if you hold both pairs. A dix, the nine of trumps, is worth 10 and swaps itself for the turned-up trump card.
- When the stock runs out the play-off starts. Now you must follow suit, you must beat the led card if you can, and if you are void you must trump.
- Only the play-off tricks score cards: ace 11, ten 10, king 4, queen 3, jack 2, nine nothing, plus 10 for the very last trick — 250 in all.
- The hand is scored as melds plus tricks, both totals carry forward, and a new hand is dealt with the lead alternating. First past 1000 wins the game.
Tips
- The draw is for collecting, not for winning. Let the computer take a trick with nothing in it — you keep your aces and it still has to lead into you.
- Never break a marriage for a trick. Forty points is worth more than any single trick in the play-off, and once the king is gone the queen is worth nothing.
- Count the trumps you have seen. There are only eight, and knowing whether the last two are out decides whether your ace of trumps is safe to lead.
- A dix is worth laying even for ten points, because the swap usually upgrades a nine into the highest trump in the deck.
- Save an ace and a ten of the same suit for the play-off. Twenty-one points in two tricks is nearly a tenth of the cards on offer.
- Watch the stock count. The last two draws are the ones that matter, because whoever takes that trick gets the better of them — including the face-up trump.
- In the play-off, lead your long suit. The computer has to follow and has to beat you, so a long suit drains its high cards for free.
- Four jacks is only forty, but it is forty for cards you were never going to win tricks with. Lay it the moment you can rather than hoping for something better.
FAQ
Is Pinochle free to play?
Yes. It runs free in your browser with no download, no install and no account. There is nothing to buy and nothing is wagered.
What order do the cards rank in?
Nine, jack, queen, king, ten, ace — lowest to highest. The ten sitting above the king is the thing that surprises everyone coming from other card games, and the trump marking on each card is there to help.
What is a meld worth?
A run in trumps 150, four aces 100, four kings 80, four queens 60, four jacks 40, a royal marriage 40, a plain marriage 20, a pinochle 40, a double pinochle 300 and a dix 10. Each scores once per hand.
Do melded cards leave my hand?
No. They stay in your hand and you can still play them. That is what makes pinochle a balancing act: the cards that score your melds are usually the cards that win your tricks.
When do I have to follow suit?
Only after the stock runs out. During the draw you may play anything; in the play-off you must follow suit, beat the led card if you can, and trump if you are void.
How many points are the tricks worth?
Aces 11, tens 10, kings 4, queens 3, jacks 2, nines nothing, plus ten to whoever takes the last trick — 250 a hand. Melds are worth several times that, which is why the draw matters more than it looks.
How many players is this?
Two: you and the computer. Pinochle is also played three and four handed with bidding and partnerships; this is the two-handed draw game, which is the version most people learn first.
How long is a game?
Hands are dealt until one side passes 1000, which usually takes two or three. Each hand is twenty-four tricks and takes a few minutes.