Pinochle Online
Bid on your meld, pass to your partner and count every ace, ten and king. Play a complete game against the computer, or open a private table for friends.
You and a computer partner against two computer players, or 2–4 friends online · phone or computer · no sign-up
Pinochle in short
Pinochle is a trick-taking card game for four players in two partnerships, played with a 48-card deck that has two of every card from 9 up to ace. Players bid on the points their side will make, the high bidder names trump, and everyone shows their meld: scoring sets such as runs, marriages and the pinochle itself. Then the tricks are played for the aces, tens and kings, and the first side to 1,500 points wins.
Players
Solo: you and a computer partner against two computer players. Online: 2–4 people on their own devices, with computer players in any empty seats.
Devices
Any phone, tablet or computer with a modern browser. Nothing to download and no account to play.
Time
About 20 to 30 minutes for a game to 1,500 (an estimate). There is no turn timer.
Free or At Yours Plus
Complete games are free, solo and at a private table. The host’s At Yours Plus adds 1,000- or 2,000-point games, passing options and a game-night series.
Rooms, phones and privacy
Each screen only receives its own twelve cards. Passed cards are seen only by the two partners who swap them, and meld is shown to everyone, just as it is laid on a real table.
Partners and computer playersWith two or three people, computer players take the empty seats. In the lobby the host can swap seats: play as partners against the computer, or face each other with a computer partner each.
RoomsRooms last two hours, and the host can add time in the final 30 minutes. Reopen your invitation in the same browser to get your seat back after a disconnection. Room data is removed when the room closes or expires.
How do you play Pinochle?
- Sit across from your partner. The dealer gives everyone 12 cards, three at a time.
- Bid on how many points your side will make with meld and counters. Starting left of the dealer, bid 250 or more, or pass; every raise is at least 10, and a pass is final. If the first three players pass, the dealer is stuck with the bid at 250.
- The high bidder names trump. Then the bidder’s partner passes four cards to the bidder, who passes four back.
- Everyone lays down their meld: runs, marriages, arounds and pinochles. Each side adds up its meld.
- The bidder leads. Follow suit if you can; if you can’t, you must trump. Always head the trick: beat the best card so far whenever you can. The highest trump wins, otherwise the highest card of the suit led; of two identical cards, the first played wins.
- Aces, tens and kings are counters worth 10 each, and the last trick is worth 10. Each side scores its meld plus its counters. If the bidders fall short of their bid, they lose the bid instead. The first side to 1,500 wins.
Deal a game against the computer
What are the meld values in Pinochle?
Meld is scored from the cards in your hand after trump is named and cards are passed. Here hearts are trump:
| Meld | Cards | What it is | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Run | A♥ 10♥ K♥ Q♥ J♥ | Ace to jack of trump | 150 |
| Double run | Both runs in trump | All ten cards | 1,500 |
| Royal marriage | K♥ Q♥ | King and queen of trump | 40 |
| Marriage | K♠ Q♠ | King and queen of another suit | 20 |
| Dix | 9♥ | The 9 of trump, each | 10 |
| Aces around | A♣ A♦ A♥ A♠ | One ace of each suit | 100 |
| Double aces | All eight aces | 1,000 | |
| Kings around | K♣ K♦ K♥ K♠ | One king of each suit | 80 |
| Double kings | All eight kings | 800 | |
| Queens around | Q♣ Q♦ Q♥ Q♠ | One queen of each suit | 60 |
| Double queens | All eight queens | 600 | |
| Jacks around | J♣ J♦ J♥ J♠ | One jack of each suit | 40 |
| Double jacks | All eight jacks | 400 | |
| Pinochle | Q♠ J♦ | Queen of spades and jack of diamonds | 40 |
| Double pinochle | Q♠ J♦ Q♠ J♦ | Both of each | 300 |
A card can score in melds of different kinds, never twice in the same kind. The Q♠ can be part of a pinochle, queens around and a spade marriage all at once, but one king and queen of trump can’t make both a run and a royal marriage. A side only keeps its meld if it wins at least one counter in the play.
What is the card rank in Pinochle, and which cards count?
In every suit the ace is highest, then the 10, king, queen, jack and 9. Aces, tens and kings are counters, worth 10 points each when your side wins them in a trick.
| Card | Symbol | Counter points |
|---|---|---|
| Ace | A | 10 |
| Ten | 10 | 10 |
| King | K | 10 |
| Queen | Q | 0 |
| Jack | J | 0 |
| Nine | 9 | 0 |
There are 24 counters in the deck, worth 240, and the last trick earns 10 more: 250 points to win in every hand. Any trump beats any card of another suit, and when two identical cards meet in a trick, the one played first wins.
How does bidding work in Pinochle?
Your bid is the total your side promises to score in the hand: meld plus counters. The auction starts left of the dealer at 250 or more and goes round the table; each new bid must be at least 10 higher, and once you pass you are out until the next deal. When three players have passed, the last bidder wins and names trump. If nobody bids at all, the dealer is stuck with the bid at 250.
To judge a bid, add up your meld in your best suit, then add the counters your long trump suit and aces should win, plus a little for your partner’s meld and the cards they will pass you. While you bid, the table shows your meld in every suit.
How do you score a hand of Pinochle?
| Result | Score |
|---|---|
| The bidding side reaches its bid | Its meld plus its counters |
| The bidding side falls short (it is set) | Minus the bid |
| The other side | Its meld plus its counters |
| A side takes no counter | Its meld does not count |
Passing four cards each way is the standard game here. Against the computer you can also pass three, or play without passing, when hands are weaker and the opening bid drops to 200. If both sides reach 1,500 on the same hand, the bidding side wins.
Pinochle questions
How many cards are in a pinochle deck?
A pinochle deck has 48 cards: two each of the 9, jack, queen, king, 10 and ace in each of the four suits. In four-handed partnership Pinochle every player gets 12 cards and there is no kitty.
What is a pinochle in the game?
A pinochle is the queen of spades together with the jack of diamonds. It is worth 40 points of meld. Hold both queens of spades and both jacks of diamonds and you have 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. Holding both copies of all five cards is a double run, worth 1,500. An extra king and queen of trump beyond the run still count as a royal marriage, so a run plus a royal marriage is 190.
What does heading the trick mean?
Heading the trick means you must beat the best card played so far whenever you can, even if your partner is winning. Follow suit with a higher card if you have one; if you can’t follow suit you must trump, and over-trump if the trick is already trumped. The table here highlights the cards you’re allowed to play and tells you why a card can’t be played.
Can you play Pinochle with fewer than four people?
Yes. Against the computer you play with a computer partner against two computer opponents. A private table seats two to four people on their own devices, and computer players fill any empty seats; the host decides who partners whom. Three-handed Pinochle, a different game, isn’t offered here.
How long does a game of Pinochle take?
A game to 1,500 points usually takes about 20 to 30 minutes, around six or seven hands. That is an estimate, not a timer: the computer players wait for you. Games to 1,000 are quicker and games to 2,000 take longer.
Do you pass cards in Pinochle here?
Yes, by default. After trump is named, the bidder’s partner passes four cards to the bidder, who passes four back; only those two see the cards. Against the computer you can choose to pass three cards or play without passing, when the opening bid drops to 200. At a private table the host’s At Yours Plus unlocks those options.
Is this Pinochle game free?
Yes. Complete games to 1,500 against the computer are free and unlimited, with any passing rule, and your game saves on this device. A private table with friends also plays a complete game to 1,500 free. There is no download or sign-up.
What does At Yours Plus add to a private table?
The host’s At Yours Plus lets a private table play to 1,000, 1,500 or 2,000 points, pass three cards or none instead of four, and keep a private game-night series across rematches and other games. At Yours Plus is US$4.99/month or US$29/year. Only the host needs it; guests always join free.
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