Two free sheets for the card table: the rules of four-player partnership pinochle on one page, and the meld chart to print on the back. Use the Print button on each sheet, or choose Save as PDF in the print window.
Print the sheet you need with its Print button. To keep a copy on your computer, choose Save as PDF in the print window. The rules match the game on this site. The full explanations, with examples, are on how to play pinochle and the meld chart.
Pinochle rules: four players, two partnerships
Deck. 48 cards: two each of the A, 10, K, Q, J and 9 in every suit. Cards rank A, 10, K, Q, J, 9 (the Ten beats the King). When two identical cards fall in one trick, the one played first wins. Partners sit across from each other. Deal 12 cards each.
Bidding. Starting left of the dealer, each player bids or passes. The opening bid is at least 25, and each bid must be higher than the last, up to 100. A pass is final. When three players have passed, the last bidder wins. A bid of 100 ends the bidding at once. If the other three pass without a bid, the dealer must bid 25.
Trump and passing. The winning bidder names trump. Their partner passes them 4 cards, then the bidder passes 4 cards back.
Meld. Everyone lays out their meld (see the chart on the back), and each team adds its total.
Play. The bidder leads the first trick. After that, the winner of each trick leads.
- Follow suit if you can, and beat the highest card in the trick if you can.
- If you can’t follow suit, you must play a trump, beating any trump already in the trick if you can.
- With no card of the suit led and no trump, play anything.
Trick points. Each Ace, Ten and King taken in tricks is worth 1 point. The last trick is worth 1 more. That makes 25 points a hand.
Scoring.
- The bidding team’s meld plus its trick points must reach the bid. If they do, it scores them all. If not, it scores nothing for the hand and loses the amount of the bid.
- The other team scores its meld and trick points if it took at least one trick point. If it took none, its meld doesn’t count, except a meld made only of nines of trump.
- If the bidding team’s meld plus all 25 trick points can’t reach the bid, the hand isn’t played. The bidding team loses the bid, and the other team scores its meld.
Winning. The first team to 150 wins. If both teams reach 150 in the same hand, the bidding team wins. A team that falls to -300 loses.
Our house rules: ________________________________________________
Pinochle meld chart (single deck)
A card can be used once in each of the three types of meld, but not twice within the same type.
| Type I: runs and marriages | 1 | 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Run (A-10-K-Q-J of trump) | 15 | 150 |
| Run with an extra King or Queen | 19 | — |
| Run with an extra marriage | 23 | — |
| Royal marriage (K-Q of trump) | 4 | 8 |
| Marriage (K-Q of another suit) | 2 | 4 |
| Dix (9 of trump), each | 1 | 2 |
| Type II: pinochles | 1 | 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Pinochle (J♦ + Q♠) | 4 | 30 |
| Type III: arounds (one of the rank in each suit) | 1 | 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Aces around | 10 | 100 |
| Kings around | 8 | 80 |
| Queens around | 6 | 60 |
| Jacks around | 4 | 40 |
The 1 column is one copy of a meld and the 2 column is two copies. In a run, the King and Queen of trump can’t also count as a royal marriage. Trick points: A, 10 and K are worth 1 each, and the last trick 1, for 25 a hand.
Playing double deck?
Double deck pinochle has its own meld table, with one to four copies of each meld, plus the Rule of 20. Its printable sheet is on the double deck pinochle rules page.
Keeping score
Print a pinochle score sheet for the table, or keep score on your phone with the score keeper. It does the scoring rules for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I save these pinochle rules as a PDF?
Press the Print button on the sheet you want, then choose Save as PDF (or Microsoft Print to PDF) as the printer in the print window.
Are there printable rules for double deck pinochle?
Yes. The double deck pinochle rules page has its own printable sheet with the double deck meld table.
Which pinochle rules do these sheets use?
They follow the same rules as the game on this site, World of Card Games' single deck partnership rules: bidding from 25, a four-card pass each way, game to 150. Tables that play a different minimum bid or no passing can note their house rules on the sheet.