Play Pinochle online for free
Pinochle is a classic American card game for four players in two teams, played with a special 48-card deck. You bid for the right to choose trumps, show your meld (scoring combinations of cards), then play twelve tricks to win Aces, 10s and Kings. Here on Kitchen Table Cards you can play partnership Pinochle free in your browser, with Walter as your partner against Rosa and June. Your meld is counted for you, there is a Hint button that explains every suggestion, and nothing to download.
Pinochle rules · Bidding · Passing · Meld chart · Playing tricks · Scoring · Tips · Questions
Pinochle rules: how to play
In short: everyone gets twelve cards. The players bid; the highest bidder names trumps. Partners pass four cards to each other, then everyone shows their meld. Twelve tricks are played, and each Ace, 10 and King won is worth 10 points. The bidding team must reach its bid with meld plus trick points, or it loses the bid. The first team to 1,500 points wins.
- The deck: 48 cards, two each of the Ace, 10, King, Queen, Jack and 9 in every suit.
- The teams: four players, with partners sitting across from each other. On this site you play with Walter against Rosa and June.
- The deal: everyone gets twelve cards. The deal moves one player to the left each hand.
- Bidding: the players bid for the right to name trumps (see below).
- Passing: the bidder's partner passes them four cards, and the bidder passes four back.
- Meld: everyone lays down their scoring combinations so the others can see them, then picks them up again.
- Tricks: the bidder leads the first card, and twelve tricks are played.
- Scoring: each team adds up its meld and its points from tricks.
Bidding
Starting with the player to the dealer's left, each player either bids or passes. The first bid must be at least 250, and every bid after it must be higher, in steps of 10. Once you pass, you are out of the bidding for that hand. The bidding goes round until three players have passed.
Your bid is the number of points you think your team can make with meld plus points from tricks. Count your meld in your best suit, add what your partner is likely to have, and add the trick points a long trump suit should bring. If the first three players all pass, the dealer is stuck and must take the bid at 250.
The player who wins the bid names the trump suit. Usually that is their longest suit, especially if it gives them a run.
Passing cards
After trumps are named, the bidder's partner passes them four cards: normally trumps and Aces, which help the bidder take tricks and complete a run. The bidder then passes four cards back, usually cards that do not help them, such as a short suit. The other team does not pass. If you prefer, you can play without passing under Settings.
Pinochle meld chart
Meld is a set of cards that scores points just for holding it. Each player's meld is shown after the passing, and the points go to their team. A card can be part of several melds of different kinds.
| Meld | Cards | Points | Double |
|---|---|---|---|
| Run | Ace, 10, King, Queen, Jack of trumps | 150 | 1,500 |
| Royal marriage | King and Queen of trumps | 40 | – |
| Marriage | King and Queen of another suit | 20 | – |
| Dix | 9 of trumps | 10 each | – |
| Aces around | An Ace of each suit | 100 | 1,000 |
| Kings around | A King of each suit | 80 | 800 |
| Queens around | A Queen of each suit | 60 | 600 |
| Jacks around | A Jack of each suit | 40 | 400 |
| Pinochle | Queen of Spades and Jack of Diamonds | 40 | 300 |
Double means holding both copies of every card in the meld, for example both Queens of Spades and both Jacks of Diamonds. The King and Queen in a run cannot also count as a royal marriage, but a second King and Queen of trumps can.
Playing the tricks
- The bidder leads the first trick. The winner of each trick leads the next.
- Card order: Ace (highest), 10, King, Queen, Jack, 9.
- Follow suit if you can, and beat the winning card if you can.
- No cards of the suit led? You must play a trump, and beat any trump already played if you can. With no trumps either, play any card.
- Who wins: the highest trump, or if no trump was played, the highest card of the suit led. If two identical cards are played, the first one wins.
Pinochle scoring
| What | Points |
|---|---|
| Each Ace, 10 and King won in tricks | 10 |
| Winning the last trick | 10 |
| Total points from tricks in every hand | 250 |
Each team adds its meld to its points from tricks. A team's meld only counts if it wins at least one trick. If the bidding team's total reaches its bid, it scores the whole total. If it falls short, the team is set: it loses the amount of its bid. The other team always scores its own total. The first team to 1,500 points wins; if both get there on the same hand, the bidding team wins. For a quicker game, choose 1,000 points under Settings.
How to play Pinochle on this site
| Bidding | When it's your turn, buttons appear above your hand with the bids you can make, and Pass. The current bid is shown at the top of the table. |
|---|---|
| Trumps | If you win the bid, choose the trump suit with the buttons. |
| Passing | Click or tap four cards to choose them (click again to put one back), then press "Pass these 4 cards". Cards Walter passes you are outlined in blue. |
| Meld | Everyone's meld is worked out for you and shown with pictures of the cards, along with how many trick points the bidding team still needs. |
| Play a card | Click or tap it when it's your turn, or drag it up onto the table. Cards you can't play are shown darker. |
| Hint | Suggests a bid, a trump suit, which cards to pass or which card to play, and explains why. |
| Scores | Shows each hand's bid, meld and trick points for both teams. |
| Settings | Play to 1,500 or 1,000 points, turn passing on or off, choose how fast the other players play, and the table colour. |
Tips for winning at Pinochle
- Bid on trumps, not just meld. Six or more cards in one suit win tricks and make a run more likely after the pass.
- Pass trumps and Aces to the bidder. When Walter wins the bid, your trumps and Aces help Walter most.
- Pass back a short suit. As the bidder, empty a suit so you can trump it later.
- Lead trumps when you won the bid. Drawing out the other team's trumps makes your Aces safe.
- Give your partner points. When Walter is sure to win the trick, play a 10 or a King on it.
- Keep track of Aces. There are eight Aces in the deck. Once both Aces of a suit are gone, the 10s become the top cards.
If you enjoy Pinochle, try Euchre, another partnership game with trumps, or Spades and Bridge.
Pinochle questions and answers
Is this Pinochle game free?
Yes. Pinochle on Kitchen Table Cards is completely free to play in your browser. There is no download, no sign-up and nothing to buy.
Who am I playing Pinochle with?
Walter, a computer player, is your partner and sits across the table from you. You play against Rosa and June, two more computer players. You never have to wait for other people to join a game.
What cards are in a Pinochle deck?
A Pinochle deck has 48 cards: two each of the Ace, 10, King, Queen, Jack and 9 in all four suits. You do not need a special deck to play at home: take the 9s to Aces out of two ordinary decks and shuffle them together.
What is the order of cards in Pinochle?
From high to low: Ace, 10, King, Queen, Jack, 9. The 10 ranks above the King, which surprises many new players. When two identical cards are played to the same trick, the one played first wins.
What is a pinochle in the game of Pinochle?
A pinochle is the Queen of Spades together with the Jack of Diamonds. It is worth 40 points of meld. Holding both Queens of Spades and both Jacks of Diamonds is a double pinochle, worth 300.
What is a run in Pinochle?
A run is the Ace, 10, King, Queen and Jack of the trump suit, worth 150 points of meld. It is the most important meld for the player who wins the bid, which is why a long trump suit is so valuable.
Can a card be used in more than one meld?
Yes, as long as the melds are of different kinds. The Queen of Spades can count in a marriage with the King of Spades, in a pinochle with the Jack of Diamonds and in Queens around, all at once. It cannot count in two marriages.
What is the minimum bid in Pinochle?
On this site the lowest bid is 250, and bids go up in steps of 10. If the other three players pass without bidding, the dealer must take the bid at 250.
What happens if you don't make your bid?
If the team that won the bid gets fewer points (meld plus points from tricks) than it bid, it is "set": it scores nothing for the hand and loses the amount of the bid. The other team still scores its own meld and trick points.
Do you have to win a trick to keep your meld?
Yes. A team's meld only counts if the team wins at least one trick during the hand. Any trick will do, even one with no points in it.
Do you have to beat the card on the table?
Yes. In Pinochle you must follow suit, and you must play a higher card than the one winning the trick if you can, even if your partner is winning. If you have none of the suit led, you must play a trump if you have one. The game only lets you play legal cards and tells you why if you try another.
Can I play Pinochle on a tablet or phone?
Yes. Tap a card to play it, or drag it up onto the table with your finger. Cards you are not allowed to play are shown darker. Turning your phone sideways gives you bigger cards.
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