The Penguin Book of Card Games: Everything You Need to Know to Play Over 250 Games (96 page)

this happens. (One recent description al ows a trick-winner to draw

first then meld from 13 cards, which seems somewhat over-

generous.)

Three-hand Pinochle

(3p, 48c) This forerunner of Auction gives everyone a chance to

meld, enabling beginners to gain experience faster. Deal sixteen

each in fours and turn the last for trump. The first player left of

dealer holding a dix (†9) may exchange it for the turned card, the

dix then being taken by dealer. This scores 10, so long as that

player subsequently wins at least one trick. Players meld and note

their scores. Eldest leads, and tricks are played in the usual way,

with 10 for last. Each player counts towards game the value of cards

captured in tricks plus the value of his melds, unless he won no

trick, in which case his melds are also cancel ed. Game is 1000,

increasing by 250 each time two players reach the target score in

the same deal.

Widow Pinochle

(3p, 48c) Played like Auction Pinochle, the highest bidder making

his melds from eighteen cards including the widow. Each opponent,

however, also scores for melds he makes and separately for

counters taken in tricks. The partners keep their tricks separate in

case one of them takes no tricks, in which case his melds are

case one of them takes no tricks, in which case his melds are

annul ed. The bidder scores the amount he bid if successful,

otherwise zero. Game is 1000. The bidder’s score is counted first,

and the others’ only if he fails to reach the target. If bidder exceeds

the target he wins, even if one opponent reaches a higher score on

the same deal. If both opponents reach the target but bidder does

not, the target is increased by 250 each time this happens.

Non-partnership Pinochle

(4p, 48c) Play as three-hand Pinochle without a widow. Each

receives twelve cards and the game is played up to 1000. A player

taking no tricks, which happens more often with four, scores

nothing for melds.

Widow Partnership Pinochle

(4p, 48c) As Partnership Pinochle, but deal eleven each in batches

of 4-(4)-4-3, the (4) denoting a four-card widow dealt face down to

the table. Highest bidder takes the widow, melds from 15 cards,

then buries four, which count to his side at end of play.

In the ‘one-bid ’ version, each player may make only one bid in

the auction and must therefore either pass or bid his hand to the

limit.

Firehouse Pinochle

(4p, 48c) – so-cal ed because the players could answer a cal ,

extinguish the fire, and get back to the game without forget ing

where they were in the auction – is an extension of the ‘one-bid’

game, in which each bid from 200 to 300 conveys previously

agreed information to one’s partner. For example, 200 shows a

barely biddable hand, 210 of ers a good trump suit but less than 60

in melds, 220 shows good trumps and 60 to 120 in melds, but

lacking four Aces; and so on. If the first three pass, the dealer must

take the game at 200.

Check Pinochle

(4p, 48c) This extension of Firehouse, not restricted to ‘one bid’,

introduces a bonus feature comparable to above-line scoring at

Bridge. Each partnership has a number of checks (chips or counters)

which it pays to the other at agreed rates for certain scoring features

in addition to those recorded in the scoring.

A player must hold a marriage in order to bid, but this does not

apply to the dealer if the first three pass, as he is then obliged to

make a bid and may do so at any level. Numerous bidding

conventions obtain. For example, 250 implies four Aces held, 290 a

roundhouse, 300 a flush. If the bidding side justifies its bid, it scores

what it makes; if not, it loses the amount of its bid, the value of its

melds, and the total value of counters won in play.

Certain melds made by either partner are immediately rewarded

in checks by the opponents as fol ows:

roundhouse (four marriages) 5

flush (trump sequence)

4

four Aces

2

double pinochle

2

four Kings, Queens or Jacks 1

But these checks are returned if the partnership then fails to make

its bid. If the bidding side wins, it col ects a number of checks

appropriate to the bid made, as fol ows: 2 for 200+, 4 for 250+, 7

for 300+, 10 for 350+, and thereafter 5 extra for every 50 jump. If

the bidding side fails, it pays the opponents twice the appropriate

amount.

Additional checks are paid for yet other feats as fol ows:

10 for game (1000 up) plus 1 per 100 extra scored over 1000 5 more if the

losers finish with a minus score 5 for winning all 12 tricks, or 4 for taking 250

card-points but not all the tricks

Contract Pinochle

(4p, 48c) Deal twelve cards each in threes. The lowest bid is 100

and raises go in multiples of ten. Each bid must also mention a

prospective trump suit, as at Bridge (e.g. ‘100 spades – 120

diamonds – 160 hearts’, etc.), but al suits are equal and each new

bid must be numerical y higher. A bid may be doubled by an

opponent and redoubled by a defender. The bidding ends when

three players have passed.

The opponents do not meld, but the bidding partner lays his

melds on the table and scores for them, and his partner does

likewise. Scores may then be made for melds made between the

partners. Thus the bidder may lay out one or more cards which,

considered in conjunction with those of his partner, form valid

melds; after which his partner may then lay out more; and so

alternately until neither can make any further improvement. At that

point the bidder may nominate one card which he needs for

another meld. For example, holding Q he may cal for J or K

another meld. For example, holding Q he may cal for J or K

to make a pinochle or marriage respectively. If his partner can

oblige, the meld is made and scored and bidder may cal for

another desired card. This continues until his partner can’t

contribute. It is then the partner’s turn to cal for a card and, as

before, more melds can be made so long as the bidder can supply a

nominated card or either partner can add to the cards already

melded. As soon as he cannot, the melding is over.

The cards are then taken into hand and, if the bid has not yet

been fulfil ed by melds alone, the high bidder leads to the first

trick. Won cards are counted in the usual way. If the bidding

partnership succeeds, it scores the amount of its bid; if not, that

amount goes to the opposing side. The score may be doubled or

quadrupled as a result of doubling or redoubling earlier.

Two-pack Pinochle

(4p, 80c) Partnership Auction Pinochle using the ATKQJ of four

packs. Deal twenty each in fours or fives. Because of the inflated

scores, those of the traditional schedule are divided by 10 (see the

Table below). The minimum bid is 50. Raises go singly up to 60,

thereafter in fives (… 55, 60, 65, 70, etc.). If the first three pass,

dealer must bid at least 50. As now played, a player who can

fol ow suit to the card led must head the trick if possible.

single

double

triple

quadruple

flushes

15

150

225

300

pinochles

4

30

60

90

royal marriages

4

8

12

16

common marriages

2

4

6

8

Aces around

10

100

150

200

Kings around

8

80

120

160

Queens around

6

60

90

120

Jacks around

4

40

60

80

4, 8, 12, 16 of a kind must contain an equal number of each suit

Army and Navy Pinochle

(3-4-6p, 80-120c) Played with the Nines stripped out of either four

packs (80 cards) or six (120). Three play with twenty-five cards and

a five-card widow; four (partnership) with twenty; six (three teams

of two each) with twenty. Trumps may be established by turning,

by one-bid, or by free auction. Multiple melds with inflated scores

are recognized as fol ows: four Aces, Kings, Queens or Jacks at 100,

80, 60, 40 as usual; eight Aces, etc., score 10 times those values;

twelve score 15 times; sixteen score 20 times (for example, sixteen

Jacks count 800). Pinochles count 40 single, 300 double, 600 triple,

3000 quadruple. With 120 cards, 20 Aces count 2500, Kings 2000,

Queens 1500, Jacks 1200, quintuple pinochle 4000, sextuple

pinochle 5000.

Pinochle for Six or Eight

(6/8p, 96c) These realms of addiction are entered with a quadruple

24-card pack and the fol owing scores:

single double triple quadruple

flushes

150 1500 3000 a

royal marriages

40

300

600 1200

common marriages 20

300

600 1200