The Penguin Book of Card Games: Everything You Need to Know to Play Over 250 Games (95 page)

Cards Forty-eight cards (double-24) ranking and counting as

fol ows.

A T K Q J 9

traditional 11 10 4 3 2 0

modern

10 10 10 0 0 0

simplified to 1 1 1 0 0 0

Agree beforehand which card-point system to fol ow. The

traditional is now largely restricted to two-handed play.

Melds The fol owing melds apply. When the simplified point-count

system is used, al scores quoted below are divided by 10 (flush

scores 15, etc.).

standard melds in all versions of the game

meld

definition

score

flush

ATKQJ of trumps 150

royal marriage trump KQ

40

plain marriage non-trump KQ

20

Aces around

four Aces, one of each suit

100

Kings around

four Kings, one of each suit 80

Queens around four Queens, one of each suit 60

Jacks around

four Jacks, one of each suit 40

pinochle

Q J

40

dix or deece

trump Nine

10

additional melds used by agreement

double flush

2 × ATKQJ of trumps

1500

double pinochle Q Q J J

300

K & Q flush

ATKKQQJ

230

K or Q flush

ATKKQJ or ATKQQJ

190

grand pinochle

K Q J

60

Note:

Two distinct but identical melds both score.

The royal marriage contained within a flush does not score

separately.

Auction Pinochle for three

Deal fifteen each in batches of 3-(3)-3-3-3-3. The (3) denotes three

dealt face down to the table as a widow.

Object The highest bidder becomes the soloist and aims to make at

least as many points as he bid from (a) melds declared from hand

after taking the widow, (b) card-points taken in tricks, and (c) 10

for winning the last trick. The total available for card-points and

last is 250.

Bidding Each in turn, starting with eldest, either passes or makes a

higher bid than any that has gone before. The minimum bid is 300

(unless agreed otherwise), and subsequent bids must rise in tens. A

player having passed may not come in again. If al pass, the hand is

annul ed and the next in turn deals.

Widow The bidder turns the widow face up and announces trumps.

From the 18 cards now in his possession he shows and scores for as

many melds as possible. If these fulfil his bid, there is no play and

he scores the value of his game. If not, and he doubts he can fulfil it

in play, he may concede immediately for a smal er penalty.

Play The bidder takes al 18 cards into hand and discards, face

down, any three which have not been used in melds. Any counters

among them wil count in his favour at the end of play. He then

leads to the first trick.

If a trump is led, subsequent players must not only fol ow suit

If a trump is led, subsequent players must not only fol ow suit

but must also beat any other trump already played, if possible. If a

plain suit is led, they must fol ow suit if possible, otherwise trump

if possible, but need not overtrump. A trick is taken by the highest

card of the suit led, or by the highest trump if any are played, or by

the first played of two identical winning cards. The winner of each

trick leads to the next. Score If successful, the bidder scores or

receives from each opponent an agreed stake related to the size of

the bid. If not, he loses or pays it double, unless he conceded

without play. A game valuation scheme might be 1 chip or game-

point for a bid of 300, plus 1 or 2 points for each additional 50.

Auction Pinochle for four

Preliminaries Four play crosswise in fixed partnerships. Deal twelve

cards each in threes.

Object Each side’s aim is to score 1000 or more points over as

many deals as necessary. Points are scored for standard melds in

individual hands, counters taken in tricks, and winning the last

trick, as scheduled above.

Bidding A bid is the minimum point-score a player claims his

partnership wil make if al owed to name trumps. Eldest may not

pass but must make an opening bid of at least 100 (variant: 200).

Each in turn may thereafter pass or bid any higher multiple of ten.

A player having once passed may not bid again. A bid fol owed by

three passes establishes the bidding side, and the player who made

itannounces trumps, without consulting his partner.

Play Eldest leads to the first trick, and the winner of each trick leads

to the next. (Variant: Declarer leads first.) As each plays to the first

to the next. (Variant: Declarer leads first.) As each plays to the first

trick, he scores for any combination that he holds and shows. If a

trump is led, subsequent players must not only fol ow suit but must

also beat any other trump already played, if possible. If a plain suit

is led, they must fol ow suit if possible, otherwise trump if possible,

but need not overtrump. A trick is taken by the highest card of the

suit led, or by the highest trump if any are played.

Score The bidding side counts its score first. If they took at least the

amount bid, they score whatever they make; if not, they deduct

from their score the amount they bid. If the bidding side thereby

reaches or exceeds 1000, they win, and the opponents add nothing

to their score. Otherwise, the opponents score everything they make

– unless they fail to win a single trick, in which case their meld

scores are cancel ed and they score nothing.

Comment Most hands are worth opening for the minimum 100. By

convention, an average-looking hand would be opened at 100 plus

the value of melds it contains – for example, 120 shows a plain

marriage held, 140 a trump marriage. Another convention is to bid

an odd number of tens (e.g. 250, 270) to show a flush held, an even

number (e.g. 180, 200) to deny this. As in al point-trick games,

players wil seek every opportunity to stuf their partners’ tricks by

throwing high counters to them.

Two-hand Pinochle

(2p, 48c). Deal twelve each in threes and fours, turn the next for

trump and half cover it with the face-down stock. Play as at two-

hand Bezique, but scoring for melds as at Pinochle. Double pinochle

counts only 80, but can bedeclaredin one trick rather than requiring

one each. (Variant. Many players now give it 300.) Similarly, grand

pinochle ( K Q J) may be declared at one trick for 60, or 80 if

pinochle ( K Q J) may be declared at one trick for 60, or 80 if

spades are trump. Game is 1000. The first to reach that total cal s

‘Out’ to end the play, and loses if he is wrong. If both have over

1000, play up to 1250, and increase the target by 250 each time