Marriage Card Game

1. Marriage Card Game Rules
2. Marriage Card Game

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This page is mostly based on information from Tomáš Němec, Jiří Soukup and Tomáš Svoboda.

• Mariáš for three players
• Four-player Mariáš
• Two-player Mariáš

Introduction

Mariáš is the most popular card game in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia. It is a point trick game of the marriage group played with the Czech 32-card German suited pack. The name is a phonetic transcription of the French 'mariage'. As in all games of this group, there is a bonus for holding the king and over-knave of a suit in hand, the over-knave corresponding to the queen in French suited packs, where the king-queen combination is known as a marriage.

The basic and most popular version of is for three players, but it can also be played by four or (as a last resort) by two. In the three-player game, in each hand one player plays alone against the other two in partnership. Normally the lone player's objective is to win more card points than the other two players together; card points are obtained for winning aces and tens in tricks, for winning the last trick, and for holding the above mentioned combination of king and over-knave of a suit. There are bonuses for winning the last trick with the trump seven and for taking 100 or more card points, and the value of these bonuses can be increased by announcing in advance in advance that you are playing for them. As an alternative to playing to win card points, it is possible for a player to undertake a contract whose objective is to win all the tricks or to lose all the tricks.

Mariáš for Three Players

The Cards

The 32 card pack consists of four suits: hearts or red (červené), bells or balls (kule), acorns (žaludy) and leaves or green (zelené), each with eight cards: ace (eso), king (král), over-knave (svršek or filek), under-knave (spodek), 10 (deset), 9 (devět), 8 (osm), 7 (sedm). Two designs of these cards are in use. The cards generally used in Bohemia have seated kings and are single headed. In Moravia and Slovakia Mariáš is often played using double headed cards of the William Tell pattern, pattern similar to that used in Austria and Hungary, with mounted kings. In either case, the cards have no indices. The over-knaves and under-knaves are distinguished by the position of the suit mark, which are at the top of the over, and lower down on the under of each suit.

When there is a trump suit, the cards of every suit rank from high to low: ace, ten, king, over, under, nine, eight, seven. The aces and tens are called sharp cards and are worth 10 points each. A further 10 points are awarded for winning the last trick, making 90 points in all. The king and over of trumps held together in one hand are worth an extra 40 points if declared when playing the first of the cards to a trick, and the king and over of a non-trump suit are worth 20. A king-over combination is called a mariáš or hláška.

In contracts that have no trumps (Betl and Durch), the cards of each suit rank from high to low: ace, king, over, under, ten, nine, eight, seven.

In North America, Bohemian cards and William Tell cards can be obtained from TaroBear's Lair. If these cards are not available it is possible to play Mariáš with 32 cards from a standard international pack, removing the jokers and cards from 2 to 6 in each suit. The cards and suits correspond as follows: queen=over, jack=under, clubs=acorns, spades=leaves, hearts=hearts, diamonds=balls/bells.

The deal

The game is played clockwise. The first dealer is chosen at random and after each hand the turn to deal passes to the left. The cards are not normally shuffled between hands - they are just gathered together, cut and dealt. This enables experienced players to judge the likely positions of the cards from the order in which they were played in the previous hand. Traditionally, the cards are shuffled at the start of the game, at midnight, and every two hours after that.

The player to the dealer's left is known as forehand(forhont). Forehand receives extra cards in the deal, chooses the trump suit, and is the lone player in the event that a trump contract is played.

Before the deal, the player to the dealer's right must cut the cards. The dealer then gives a packet of seven cards face-down to forehand, and continues dealing clockwise in packets of five, so that after two rounds of dealing forehand has 12 cards and the other two players each have 10. At this stage forehand is only allowed to pick up and look at the first seven cards dealt; forehand's other five cards are left face down on the table until trumps have been chosen. The other players may look at all 10 of their cards.

Selecting trumps

Forehand selects a trump suit on the basis of the first seven cards dealt, by placing a card of that suit face down on the table. If unwilling to choose a suit from the first seven cards, forehand can 'choose from the people' instead, which is done by selecting an unseen card from the five cards that at this stage are still lying face down in front of forehand. Either way, after selecting trumps, forehand picks up his or her remaining cards, for a total of 11 cards in hand and one face down on the table. If the trump card was chosen from the people forehand is allowed to look at it, without yet showing it to the other players.

Selecting the contract

In basic Mariáš, there are five different contracts that can be played. Whoever is willing to undertake the highest contract will play alone against the other two players. In ascending order, the possible contracts are:

Marriage Card Game Rules

• Hearts: A-K
• Bells: A-K-O-9-8
• Leaves: -
• Acorns: A-K-O

The procedure for selecting the contract to be played is as follows. First forehand chooses and announces one of the five contracts. Forehand is not allowed to 'pass', but must always play alone if no one else is willing to. If wishing not to play 'suit', but one of the higher contracts without trumps, forehand takes the selected trump card back into hand. Whatever the contract, forehand must now throw away two cards face down to form the talon. If the chosen contract is 'suit', forehand is not allowed to discard sharp cards; in other contracts any card may be discarded.

Marriage Card Game

Forehand now asks each of the other players in turn - first the player to dealer's right and then the dealer - whether they would like to play a higher contract. The answer is either

• 'good', which means that the player is content to allow the announced contract to proceed, or
• 'bad', which means that the player wants to take over the right to play alone, and commits to play a higher contract.

If both players answer 'good', the contract announced by forehand goes ahead. If it was a suit contract, forehand now turns the trump card face up and may announce bonuses (see below).

• Hearts: A-K
• Bells: A-K-O-9-8
• Leaves: -
• Acorns: A-K-O

The procedure for selecting the contract to be played is as follows. First forehand chooses and announces one of the five contracts. Forehand is not allowed to 'pass', but must always play alone if no one else is willing to. If wishing not to play 'suit', but one of the higher contracts without trumps, forehand takes the selected trump card back into hand. Whatever the contract, forehand must now throw away two cards face down to form the talon. If the chosen contract is 'suit', forehand is not allowed to discard sharp cards; in other contracts any card may be discarded.

Marriage Card Game

Forehand now asks each of the other players in turn - first the player to dealer's right and then the dealer - whether they would like to play a higher contract. The answer is either

• 'good', which means that the player is content to allow the announced contract to proceed, or
• 'bad', which means that the player wants to take over the right to play alone, and commits to play a higher contract.

If both players answer 'good', the contract announced by forehand goes ahead. If it was a suit contract, forehand now turns the trump card face up and may announce bonuses (see below).

A player who answers 'bad' immediately picks up the two talon cards discarded by forehand, discards two cards face down (which could be the same cards or others), and announces a higher contract. This player then asks the other two players in turn whether this new contract is 'good' or 'bad'. If both say 'good' the new contract goes ahead; if not, the player who answers 'bad' takes the talon, discards and names a higher contract still. This process continues until a proposed contract is called 'good' by both opponents.

Bonuses

If the contract is 'suit' - an ordinary game with a trump suit - there are several bonuses and penalties that can apply. There are bonuses for winning the last trick with the trump seven and for taking 100 or more card points, and a penalty for having your trump seven captured in the last trick.

It is possible to announce in advance that you are trying for a bonus, thereby increasing the score for it. If both opponents say 'good' to forehand's suit contract, forehand has the opportunity to announce 'seven' or '100', or '100 and seven' if playing for both. After forehand has finished, each of the other players in turn has an opportunity to announce bonuses for the opponents' team ('7 against', '100 against') or to double the score for the game or any bonus announced by forehand by saying 'flek' (see below).

The details of the possible bonuses and penalties are as follows:

Seven(sedma)

This bonus is for winning the last trick with the lowest trump - the seven. It is possible to announce in advance that you will play for this bonus, but if you announce seven and then fail to win the bonus - because your trump seven is forced out early or another player has a higher trump at the end - you suffer a penalty equal to what you would have won. If the trump seven is played to the last trick and is beaten by a higher trump, the team that played the seven has to pay for a lost seven, even if seven was not announced.

Seven against

This is just the same as 'seven', but if it is one of the opponents of the lone player who wins the last trick with the trump seven, it is called 'seven against'. 'Seven against' can be announced or killed in the same way as a seven by the lone player. Note that if one opponent plays the trump seven to the last trick and the other opponent also has a trump, the seven is killed, and the opponents have to pay the penalty to the lone player.

100(sto)

This is a bonus for winning 100 or more points including one Mariáš. Since the sharp cards and last trick total only 90 card points, you cannot reach 100 points without a Mariáš. If you have declared more than one Mariáš, you are only allowed to include one of them when qualifying for the 100 bonus. Therefore you will need at least 60 points in tricks if it is a 40-Mariáš and at least 80 if it is a 20-Mariáš. Having taken sufficient card points in tricks to qualify for the bonus, you can increase the size of the bonus by adding in the points for other Mariáš combinations you have declared. The 100 bonus can be increased by announcing it in advance, but if you announce it and then fail to make it, you have to pay a penalty.

100 against

This is exactly like 100, but won by the opponents rather than by the lone player. It can also be announced in advance, which increases its value but risks a penalty if it fails.

Flek

An opponent who does not think that the lone player will win the contract can double the payment for it by saying 'flek' (meaning 'stain', 'smudge', from the German 'Fleck') . After 'flek' has been said, a confident lone player can double the payment again by saying 're'. An opponent can then double again by saying 'tutti', and in theory the lone player and opponents can continue doubling without limit. In some circles the next few doubles are announced by saying 'shoes' (boty), 'pants' (kalhoty), 'kaiser' and after that further doubles are expressed simply by saying 'higher' or 'one more time'.

If a no-trump contract was announced, the saying of flek is combined with the selection of the contract. So if a player announces a Betl or Durch and asks the others if it is good there are three possible answers: 'good' means the game can be played; 'bad' means that the game cannot be played, because the player saying 'bad' will player a higher contract; 'flek' means that the contract can be played but the payment for it is doubled.

In a suit contract, the payment for the game and for any announced bonuses are independent and can all be separately doubled. Therefore, if forehand proposes to play a suit contract, the opponents simply answer 'good' or 'bad'. If both say 'good', forehand turns over the trump and may announce bonuses. Forehand then asks the opponents in turn again, and this time they have the opportunity to say 'flek' to the game or any bonus announced by forehand and to announce bonuses of their own. An opponent who does not want to flek or announce anything just says 'good'. After both opponents have spoken, forehand has the chance to say 're' to any 'flek' and to say 'flek' to any bonus announced by the opponents, and if forehand does this the opponents can speak again, and so on until one team expresses their satisfaction by saying 'good'.

The Play

The lone player leads to the first trick. Each trick is won by the highest trump in it, or if it contains no trumps, by the highest card of the suit led. Any card can be led to a trick, but the other players are forced to follow suit, to trump if unable to follow, and to head the trick whenever possible subject to those rules. In more detail:

1. You must play a card of the suit that was led if you have one, and if possible you must play a card of the suit led which beats the card currently winning the trick (even if the trick is currently being won by your partner).
2. If you have a card or cards of the suit led, but none of them beat the card currently winning the trick (either because you do not have a high enough card in the suit, or because a non-trump was led and the trick has already been trumped), you may play any card of the led suit.
3. If you have no card of the suit led you must play a trump if you can. If there are already trumps in the trick, you must if possible play a trump that beats the highest trump so far played to the trick (even if that trump was played by your partner).
4. If you have no card of the suit led, and the trick is currently being won by a trump that you cannot beat, you must still play a trump if you have one.
5. If you have no cards of the suit led and no trumps, you may play any card you wish.

The obligation to follow suit and to beat cards already played to the trick when possible also applies in no-trump contracts.

In a suit contract, a player who wishes to score for a mariáš (the king and the over-knave of a suit held in hand) must play the over before the king and must announce '20' or '40' as appropriate when playing the over. No matter who wins the trick, the over is left face up in front of the player until the end of the play as a reminder of the score.

A player who has announced 'seven' or 'seven against' is not allowed to play the seven of trumps until there is no legal alternative.

The Scoring

When the play is finished, payment is made for the contract and any bonuses. The payments are expressed below in 'units'; the value of a unit should be agreed between the players at the start of the session. Payments are collected by the lone player from both opponents, or paid by the lone player to both opponents. The opponents of the lone player are a team, and always win or lose the same amount. For example, if one opponent wins the last trick with the trump seven, both opponents are paid the bonus; if one opponent says 'flek', both opponents are affected by the double payment.

The payments are as follows:

In a suit contract with hearts are trumps, all payments for the game and bonuses are doubled.

The game and bonuses are paid independently - for example it is possible to win the basic game but lose a seven. An exception to this is that the score for a 'hundred', whether quiet or announced, replaces the score for 'game'. If the game was doubled and silent 100 is made, then the score for the 100 is doubled - so a game with flek in which forehand takes 100 card points in worth 4 units.

The unplayed game

There are two cases in which the cards are not played out.

1. If forehand plays a suit game without announcements and there is no 'flek', it is assumed that forehand will win. The cards are not played, and forehand can claim 1 unit from each opponent for the game (or 2 units if hearts were trumps).
2. If forehand plays a suit game with seven announced, and there is a 'flek' to the game but no other announcements or doubles. Then it is assumed that forehand will win the seven but lose the game. The cards are not played and there is no payment, because the payments for announced seven and double lost game are equal and opposite.

Variations

Some players do not recognise the 'Open Betl' and 'Open Durch' contracts. However, there is a custom that a player who has a perfect Betl or Durch will lay down his or her cards and claim a win after the opponents have had the opportunity to 'flek': there is no 're' of a Betl or Durch with a perfect hand.

The 'official' rules of the Czech Mariáš Association (Český svaz mariáše) specify higher scores of 15 units for Betl and 30 units for Durch, but in informal games it seems that most players use the traditional scores of 5 and 10. Also the 'official' rules do not recognise the 'Open Betl' and 'Open Durch' contracts.

Some play that for each extra 10 points above 100 (or for each extra 10 points by which an announced 100 fails) an amount equal to the value of the 100 is added, rather than a double being applied. So an announced 100 with 130 points made is worth 16 units (4+4+4+4) rather than 32 units (4*2*2*2). Some play that the additional amount for each extra 10 is only half the value of the 100, so 100 announced with 130 made would be worth only 10 units (4+2+2+2).

Some allow sharp cards in the talon when playing a suit contract. In this case, forehand must announce when discarding that a sharp card has been discarded. If the suit contract is played, the point value of any discarded sharp cards counts for the opponents.

Some play that if 'seven' or 'seven against' has been announced, and the trump seven is beaten by a higher trump in the last trick, the announcing team has to pay an extra penalty for 'killed seven': 3 units instead of 2 in an ordinary suit without 'flek'. A flek of the seven doubles the payments to 4 (won or lost) and 6 (if killed in the last trick).

Some play that 'seven against' and '100 against' can only be announced by an opponent if 'flek' has been said to the game, and that they score twice as much as 7 and 100 announcements by the lone player: 4 units for 7 against and 8 units for 100 against.

Some play that the trump card placed face down by forehand must be led to the first trick. Forehand cannot take back this card and lead a different card.

Some allow an announcement of two sevens. This is an undertaking to win the last two traicks with sevens. The trump seven must win the last trick, and the last but one trick must be won with the seven of another suit. The suit of the other seven must be declared when making the announcement. The player who announces two sevens must keep the two sevens for the last two tricks if possible, and play them in the correct order. The score for this is announcement 20 points, or 40 if hearts are trumps. It fails if the announcer is forecd to play either of the sevens early, or in the wrong order (the trump seven being forced out in the last trick but one), or either seven is beaten. There is no bonus for winning the last two tricks with sevens if they are not announced.

Four-Player Mariáš

It is possible for four people to play three-player mariáš in which the dealer sits out of each hand. This game is known as 'pauzírovaný mariáš' (paused mariáš) or 'pauzírák' for short. The dealer counts as an extra defender when settling up, so the lone player collects or pays 3× the cost of the contract, winning from or losing to the two opponents and the dealer.

There is also the following version, in which all four players are active. Sports betting sites. Rules are the same as for three-player mariáš unless otherwise stated.

The dealer deals a batch of four cards to each player. Forehand looks at the first four cards, and places one card face down on the table to determine the trump suit. Forehand also names (by rank) a card of the trump suit whose holder will become forehand's partner and the other two players will form a team against them. The dealer then completes the deal with another batch of four cards to each player. The player who holds the called trump must not do or say anything to indicate who they are - if a suit contract is played the partnerships will become clear in the course of play, when the called trump appears, or perhaps during the announcements of bonuses and doubles. If forehand has the called trump and a suit contract is played, forehand will play alone against the other three in partnership. (This happens when the called trump is dealt in forehand's second batch of four cards).

Forehand can reveal the face-down card and stay with the suit contract or can announce a higher contract (Betl, Durch, Open Betl or Open Durch), in which the bidder plays alone against the other three players. The others in turn either say 'good' or bid higher, exactly as in the three-player game, except that there is no talon. If everyone says the suit is good, all have the opportunity to announce seven or hundred on behalf of their team, forehand's opponents can say flek to the game, and anyone can say flek to bonuses announced by the other team.

The scores for the contracts are as in the three-player game. In games played two against two, each player pays or receives from one opponent; in games played one against three the lone player pays or receives from all three opponents.

Variations

In the four-player game, some play with two partnership Durch games, which rank below Betl in the bidding - so the possible games in ascending order are: suit, durch with partner, durch with the wise one, betl, durch alone, open betl, open durch.

• If a 'durch with partner' is called good by the other players, the bidder names a card whose holder becomes declarer's partner. Between them they must win all the tricks. If they fail and the bidder has won fewer than 6 tricks, the declarer pays double and the partner pays nothing.
• In 'durch with the wise one', the bidder undertakes to win the first seven tricks. If this fails, the declarer has to pay the cost of a durch to the other three players. If it succeeds, the winner of the eighth trick (the wise one) becomes the bidder's partner, and the bidder and the wise one are paid by the opponents. If the bidder is wise enough to win the last trick as well as the other seven, the bidder is paid by all three opponents.

5 team parlay bet sportsbook. A common rule in the four-player game is that an opponent of forehand in a suit contract who holds the king or the over-knave of trumps is obliged to say flek to the game. Some also play that an opponent of forehand who has a trump mariáš must flek and announce 100 against.

Two-Player Mariáš

This two-player game, known as lízaný mariáš (draw mariáš), is simpler and far less interesting than the three- or four-player versions. It is played by Mariáš players who cannot find a third player or by children.

The card ranks and point values and the scores for a hláška or mariáš are the same as in the three-player game.

The dealer gives four cards to each player (in a single batch), the non-dealer chooses and announces a trump suit, and then the dealer deals another batch of four cards each, so that each player has eight. The remaining 16 cards are stacked face down on the table to form the talon.

There is no possibility of betl or durch, but bonuses are scored as in the three-player game. Before the first lead, either player can announce 100 or seven or both. The dealer can say flek to the game, and either player can say flek to bonuses announced by the other. Further doubles (re, tutti, boty, kalhoty, kaiser, etc) are possible.

The non-dealer leads to the first trick. While there are cards in the talon, there is no obligation to follow suit or win the trick - the second player to the trick can play any card. After each trick the winner draws the top card of the talon (without showing it) and the loser draws the next card, so that both have eight cards again. The winner of the trick then leads to the next.

When all the cards from the talon have been taken, play continues with the cards remaining in the players' hands. It is now compulsory for the second player to a trick follow suit and to beat the led card whenever possible.

A player who has the king and over-knave of a suit in hand at any stage declares 20 or 40 as appropriate when playing the over to a trick. No matter who wins the trick, the over is left face up in front of the player until the end of the play as a reminder of the score.

The payments for the game, 7 and 100 are the same as in the three-player game.

Variations

I have been shown an even simpler version of two-player mariáš. Six cards each are dealt, the thirteenth card is turned up to determine the eventual trump suit, and the remaining stock is placed crosswise on top of it. There is no choice of trump suit, no announcements and no doubling. Non-dealer leads and the mechanics of play are as in the two-player game described above, but the trump suit does not take effect until the talon is exhausted. Each trick is won by the highest card of the suit led. If a mariáš is declared in this first phase it is only worth 20, even if it is in the turned up suit. While there are cards in the talon, either player who holds the 7 of the turned up suit can exchange it for the turned up card. The face-up card will be drawn by the loser of the 10th trick. After this, the turned up suit becomes trumps, and it is compulsory to follow suit and win the trick when possible. Whoever has the majority of card points at the end of the play wins a stake.

Auction Mariáš

Licitovaný mariáš (auction mariáš) is a more complex version of the three-player game. The basic rules of mariáš apply with the following differences.

The dealer offers the pack to the player to the right, who may either cut or just tap the cards if not wishing to cut. The dealer deals a batch of five cards to each player, then two cards face down to the centre of the table to form the talon, and finally another batch of five cards to each player.

There is now an auction. Whoever is prepared to undertake the highest contract will play alone against the other two players. The possible contracts are listed below in ascending order, with their traditional scores. Note that higher ranking contracts, although more difficult, do not necessarily score more.

• Seven (2)
• Seven in hearts (4)
• Hundred (4)
• Hundred and seven (4+2)
• Hundred in hearts (8)
• Hundred and seven in hearts (8+4)
• Betl (5)
• Durch (10)
• Two sevens (20)
• Two sevens and hundred (20+4)
• Two sevens, hearts trump (40)
• Two sevens and hundred, hearts trump (40+8)

'Two sevens' is an undertaking to win the last trick with the trump seven and to win the trick before that with another seven. The two sevens have to win the last two tricks in the correct order for that component of the contract to succeed. If either seven is beaten or played early, or if they are played in the wrong order, the two sevens component of the contract is lost.

The player to dealer's right speaks first, bidding against forehand. When one of them has passed, the dealer bids against the survivor. If two players want to play the same game, forehand has priority over the player to dealer's right, who has priority over the dealer. If the other two players both pass, forehand can pick up the talon and play any contract or can also pass. If all pass, the cards are thrown in without play and the next dealer deals.

The winner of the bidding picks up the talon, discards two cards and announces any contract that is equal to or higher than the final bid, and the trump suit if any. Before the bidder leads to the first trick, players may say 'flek' or announce '100 against', etc. as in the normal three-player game. There is of course no announcement of 'good' or 'bad' since the lone player has already been chosen by the bidding process.

A player who has bid no higher than the lowest bid ('seven') may give up after looking at the talon, paying a penalty of 6 to each opponent without play.

Since the winner of the auction is allowed to play any contract that is at least as high as the final bid, it is usual for players to bid through all the contracts in order, in order to win the auction as cheaply as possible without giving away their intentions. For example if forehand (A) wants to play 7, the second player (B) wants to play 100 in hearts, and the dealer (C) wants to play Betl, the auction will go like this:

• B: 'seven', A: 'seven'
• B: 'seven in hearts', A: 'pass'
• C: 'hundred', B:'hundred'
• C: 'hundred and seven', B: 'hundred and seven'
• C: 'hundred in hearts', B: 'hundred in hearts',
• C: 'hundred and seven in hearts', B: 'pass'.

The scoring is similar to that in ordinary three-player Mariáš. There is a score of 1 unit for the game in all suit contracts where 100 is neither announced nor made. A quiet 7 scores 1 unit and a quiet 100 scores 2 units, doubled for each extra 10 points. In contracts that involve a seven or sevens, the score for the seven(s) is independent of the score for game or 100, and the opponents can say flek to either or both. All scores are doubled when hearts are trumps. There is no Open Betl or Open Durch contract.

Variation

The Czech Mariáš Association has published a revised schedule of contracts in which the scores for Betl, Durch and Two Sevens are increased so that higher ranking contracts always score more than lower ones. In this schedule, shown below, the score for 'two sevens' does not double when hearts are trumps, but increases only from 40 to 60.

• Seven (2)
• Seven in hearts (4)
• Hundred (4)
• Hundred and seven (4+2)
• Hundred in hearts (8)
• Hundred and seven in hearts (8+4)
• Betl (15)
• Durch (30)
• Two sevens (40)
• Two sevens and hundred (40+4)
• Two sevens, hearts trump (60)
• Two sevens and hundred, hearts trump (60+8)

Other Mariáš WWW Pages

One Mariáš site in Czech: https://www.zetlog.com/marias/

You can play Mariáš on line at the talon.cz web site which has interfaces in Czech and English. In the box to the right you can check how many players are currently on line.

Mirek Petricek has written a Mariáš game for iPhone.

Tomáš Němec has written a Mariáš game for IOS and Android.

This page is based on David Dailey's rules, entitledPinochle is for Fun!

Note: There are other pages on this site for Double Deck Pinochle , Three Player Auction Pinochle and Two Handed Pinochle.

Contents

Introduction

David Dailey writes:

There are many variations of this game. In fact, nearly every aspect of the game is played differently by somebody, somewhere. I call this version 'My Family's Pinochle,' or MFP for short. I have found Pinochle to be a wonderful game for playing in large groups, and it can be an excellent vehicle for social interaction if you play, as I do, not necessarily to win, but to have fun. I hope you also enjoy playing Pinochle.

Please write me with any comments, questions, or suggestions regarding this document. Additionally, I am working on a paper version of these rules (complete with illustrations!) that will be available for sale. Please send e-mail if you are interested in purchasing a copy. I can be reached at Pinochle@CompassRoseEnterprises.com.

Overview

Pinochle is a trick-taking game, like Euchre, Bridge, Hearts,Spades, and even the children's game War. Under Taking Tricks, I'll cover how you decide who leads each trick, how you decidewho wins each trick, and what that all means. But before we get to the trick-taking phase of the game, I'll talk about the deck, how it's dealt, how bidding takes place, and all the other pieces of the game.

For those familiar with Pinochle terminology, My Family's Pinochle (MFP) is single-deck, four-handed, partnership, auction, racehorse Pinochle. For those not familiar with these terms, check out the list below:

• Single-deck means we use only one deck of Pinochle cards. There are variations on the game that use two or more decks, especially to accommodate more than four players.
• Four-handed means that four people play at a time. I also play three-handed pinochle, and I've worked on developing a special deck for playing five-handed pinochle. Two-handed and six-handed pinochle also exist, and I'm sure there are others (eight-handed comes to mind).
• Partnership means that the four people are grouped in two teams of two. There are variations (notably in three-handed) where each player plays independently, and other variations where the player taking the bid has a partner based on which other player is holding a particular card.
• Auction means that the privilege of naming trump is bid for amongst the players. The player winning the bid gets the right to name trump, but also has the responsibility to make sure the team earns the number of points bid. One variation is that trump is determined by the final card dealt from the deck.
• Racehorse means that, after the winning bidder has named trump, that player's partner passes cards across the table. The bidder incorporates those into the hand, then passes the same number of cards back. A common variation is to play cutthroat, where such passing of cards does not take place.

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The Deck

My Family's Pinochle is played with a 48-card deck (there are variations). The deck consists of twelve cards in each of four suits - two in each of the ranks Ace, Ten, King, Queen, Jack, and Nine. Note that the rank of cards differs from standard usage: the Ten outranks everything (within its suit) except the Ace. This is likely to be a stumbling block for many people; however, if you are familiar with the bowers in Euchre or the strange role played by the Queen of Spades in Hearts, you should have no trouble with the transition.

In the trick-taking phase of the game, the Aces, Tens, and Kings are worth points, and thus are called 'counters.' Queens, Jacks, and Nines are not worth points (although they can win tricks [and influence people]), so they are called 'non-counters.'

The (at first) unusual order of ranks can be remembered by chanting 'Ace, Ten, King' over and over, much as a beginning or infrequent dancer (such as myself) chants 'one, two, three' while learning to waltz. 'Ace, Ten, King' has become something of a mantra at our pinochle parties.

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The Deal

For the first round of a game, the players select a dealer inwhatever manner they choose. At our house, it's generally whoever happens to pick up the cards first. (Throughout this document, a 'round' will refer to the entire sequence from one deal to the next; the set of cards dealt to an individual player will be called a 'hand.')

The dealer shuffles the cards in whatever manner is convenient to mix them thoroughly. (It is considered good form to offer to shuffle and/or deal for somebody whose hands don't work so well.) The shuffled deck is placed on the table to the dealer's right; the player to that side cuts the deck, preferably towardthe dealer.

The dealer picks up the deck (cut portion last) and deals the cards evenly to each players, beginning with dealer's left. Some players insist that the cards be dealt one at a time. I was taught to deal the cards three at a time, and continue to do so. Truth be told, it doesn't matter as long as each player receives twelve cards, the dealer receiving the final card(s). All 48 cards will have been dealt.

It is generally courteous to wait until all the cards have been dealt before picking up your hand. This way, if one player does not have enough cards, they can be re-distributed without having to re-shuffle and re-deal the whole deck.

Once the cards have been dealt, the players pick up, sort, and examine their hands. The next phase is bidding.

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The Bid

The winner of the bid (hereafter called the 'declarer') acquires three rights:

• the right to name trump,
• the right to receive cards from his/her partner, and
• the right to lead the first trick.

The minimum opening bid is 250 points, and the player to the dealer's left has the first opportunity to bid. Bids are made in increments of 10 (or multiples of 10) points. Unlike Bridge, no suit is named along with the point value - the bid consists of a number only.

Bid passes to the left, and when the bid reaches you, you have four options:

1. Give a normal bid by announcing a number 10 points higherthan the last bid.
2. Give a 'jump' bid by saying a number at least 20 points higher than the last bid.
3. Say 'Pass,' thereby removing yourself from the bidding for this round. (If it looks as though the other players will be bidding for a while, go get a cup of tea.)
4. Say 'Pass with help.' This phrase removes you from the bidding for the round, but can be used to convey extra information to your partner. Note that some people do not allow the use of 'Pass with help'; always inquire locally before starting play.

When only one person has not said 'pass' (or 'pass with help'), that person has won the bid and becomes the declarer. The amount bid is recorded on a piece of paper which is being used as a score pad.

In My Family's Pinochle, the dealer is 'under': this means that if the other three players pass, the dealer has taken the bid at 250 points.

The winner of the bidding names the trump suit.

Go to bidding tactics
Go to tactics of choosing trumps
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Passing Cards

When the bidder has named trump, the bidder's partner selects four cards to pass across the table. Exactly four cards must be sent; no more and no fewer. Once you've selected your four cards, place them in one stack face down on the table in front of you, and slide them across to your partner.

The bidder picks up these four cards and sorts them into his or her hand and chooses four cards to send back across the table in the same way. These may include some of the cards just received.

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Laying Down Meld

Now that the cards have been passed back and forth across the table, all four players lay down their meld. My dictionary calls meld 'a combination of cards declared, especially by putting them face up on the table,' and that definition is appropriate. Each combination is called a piece of meld, and each piece is worth a particular number of points.

There are three types of meld, and an individual card may belong to several different pieces of meld as long as they are of different types. Each player places face-up on the table only those cards necessary to show the value of their meld.

In My Family's Pinochle, the various pieces of meld are worth the following numbers of points:

TYPE I

TYPE II

TYPE III

Although it seems arbitrary, Tens Around is worth nothing. Nines Around, if you really want to meld it, is (facetiously) worth 10 points, because you automatically have the deece.

When all four players have laid down their meld, both teams count their points and record them on the score pad. Here's where it starts to get interesting: There are only a total of 250 points available during the trick-taking phase of the game. If the amount that was bid is more than 250 points above the amount melded by the declarer's team, there is no way that team can make their bid. They are not 'on the board,' and they will 'go set' for this hand. (See the Taking Tricks section for what happens when you've 'gone set.')

If the difference between the amount bid and the amount the declarer's team has melded is 250 points or less, the hand can be played out. However, if the declarer feels there is absolutely no chance of making the required points, he or she can 'throw in the hand' and the consequences are the same as if that team had not been 'on the board'. General courtesy calls for all players to wait until the declarer picks up his or her own meld; then they may pick up theirs. This gives the declarer a fair chance to see what he or she is up against.

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Taking Tricks

Once all players have picked up their melded cards, the declarer leads to the first trick. Proceeding to the left, each player plays a card on the trick (following the rules outlined below). When four cards have been played to the trick, the highest-ranking card of trump - or, if there is no trump in the trick, the highest-ranking card of the suit led - wins the trick. If there is a tie for highest-ranking card, the trick is won by whichever of the equal cards was played first. The player who played the winning card leads to the next trick, and so on until twelve tricks have been played.

There are some rules about what must be played on the trick. The first, or lead, card, may be anything in the leader's hand (although some plays are smarter than others). The basic rules of engagement are as follows:

1. If you have a card of the same suit as the lead card, you must play it. If possible, you must play a card that beats the card that currently controls the trick.
2. If you do not have any cards in the suit led, but you have a card in trump, you must play it, thereby 'trumping the trick'. If you have no card of the suit led and the trick already contains trump, you must beat it with a higher trump card if you can; even if you can't win the trick you must in any case play a trump if you have one.
3. If you cannot follow suit and you cannot trump the trick, you may 'slough', that is, play any other card.

Notes:

• The first played of two identical cards beats the second.
• The rule obliging you to beat the card currently winning the trick applies even if the card you are obliged to beat is your partner's.
• If you have no card of the suit led, you must play a trump if you can, even if someone before you has already played a higher trump than yours. The only case in which you are allowed to throw a card of a non-trump suit different from the led suit is when you have no cards of the suit led and no trumps.
• The obligation to play higher only applies if you are able to beat the card that is currently winning the trick. If you are unable to do this you may play any card, subject always to the necessity to follow suit and to play a trump if you have no card of the suit led. For example, if the non-trump lead has already been trumped, and you have cards in the suit led, you cannot beat the trump that is currently winning the trick (since you have to follow suit), so you may play any card of the suit that was led.

Once all four cards have been played to a trick, it should be clear which player has won the trick. Each team should designate one partner to 'pull' the tricks, or gather them from the center of the table. For the declaring team, this is usuallythe non-declarer (giving the declarer time to concentrate on what to lead next). The puller collects the cards, turns them face-down, and places them in a stack in front of him or her on the table. As a courtesy, the puller shows the cards to the other players (especially the declarer) before they are turned face-down.

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Counting Points

Once all twelve tricks have been played, both teams collect their stacks of pulled cards and count the Aces, Tens, and Kings (the 'counters') collected during the round. Each counter is worth 10 points. The final trick, in and of itself, is worth an additional 10 points. This make 250 points total: 240 for the twenty-four counters in the deck, plus 10 for the final trick.

The scores obtained by each side are recorded on the score pad.

If the declaring team 'makes the bid' (earns enough points, through melding and trick-taking combined, to meet or exceed the amount bid), all the earned points are added to the team's previous score. If they do not, they 'go set'. This means that they do not score any points melded, they score no points taken in the tricks, and their previous score is reduced by the amount bid.

If the non-declaring team fails to earn points while taking tricks (that is, they pulled no counters and failed to capture the final trick), they do not score any points that were melded. (It is said that they failed to 'save their meld.') The exception is that if their only meld was one or both deeces, the points are scored. Nines of trump are said to 'save themselves'. If the non-declaring team does capture points in tricks, the meld is added to their previous score, along with any points earned in tricks.

If the declaring team were not 'on the board' (their meld fell short of their bid by more than 250 points) or they decided to throw in the hand without play, they lose the amount of their bid, and the opponents score their own meld. The cards are not played, so there is no score for cards won in tricks. Note that if the declaring side have no chance of making their bid, it is advantageous for them to throw in the hand, as this prevents the opponents from scoring for cards taken in the play.

It is a great coup for the declaring team to take all 250 points during the trick-taking phase of the game. It is also a great coup for the non-declaring team to steal enough points that the declaring team cannot make their bid. This tension, and waiting to see how it will be resolved, is part of the great fun of Pinochle.

My Family's Pinochle is generally played to 1500 points when there are only four people playing (and if both teams exceed 1500 on the same round, the declaring team wins regardless of the actual score). If we have several more people, however, we call four rounds a game and switch partners and/or tables. Pinochle is a lot of fun when you can play with four or five different people during the course of an evening - plus, you build up a lot of stories about 'the big one that got away'.

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Variations

Some play that no extra points are scored for a single extra king or queen added to a run. This is probably more usual than the way of scoring meld described in the main account. A-T-K-K-Q-Q-J of trumps would score 190 for a run plus a marriage in trumps.

The rules of play given in most card game books published since 1945 are somewhat different from those give in the taking tricks section of this page. According to these rules:

• If a trump is led, the other players must play trumps if they can, and if possible they must beat the highest trump so far played to the trick.
• If a non-trump is led, the other players must follow suit if they can, and must trump if unable to follow suit, but there is no obligation to beat the highest card in the trick. It is neither necessary to overtake when following suit, nor is it necessary to beat the highest trump so far played when trumping.

The older rules, as given on this page, require players to beat the highest card in the trick whenever possible, even if a non-trump was led, and many players, perhaps the majority, still observe these older rules.

Many players divide all the scores by 10 - so a pinochle is worth 4, a run is worth 15, each counter (A, T, K) taken in a trick is worth 1, and so on.

Robert J Gauen reports a different method of scoring frequently used in the Pacific northwest of the USA. This uses chips. Each team is allotted 14 colored chips (one team red, the opponents blue) representing 100 points each and 10 white chips representing 10 points each. One player from each team is assigned to hold the chips at the start and pass them to partner as points are scored. At the conclusion of each hand one colored chip for each hundred points won and one white chip for each ten points won is passed across to the partner. The first side to pass all chips to the opposite side of the table wins. There is one notable difference in scoring. When the bidding partnership 'goes set' on a hand (fails to make the points for their bid), they do not lose points; instead, the other team scores the failed bid in addition to the points which they made on meld, and the counters they took in their tricks. This method of scoring makes for a much faster game.

Further Pinochle WWW Pages

For other forms of Single Deck Partnership Pinochle, see John Hay's Pinochle page.

Steve Birnbaum's Stonebridge Pinochle site describes a different version of Single Deck Partnership Pinochle, with plenty of useful information on strategy and the meanings of bids. Some key differences in the rules there are:

• The minimum bid is 190.
• There is no passing of cards between partners.
• There are no special scores for double melds. A double run just scores a two single runs, a double pinochle as two pinochles and a double around as two arounds.
• When a non-trump is led, you must trump if void, but you do not need to beat the highest card in the trick.
• In the play, Kings are worth just 5 points, not 10; Queens are also worth 5 points so the total is still 250.

Associated with this page is a separate page on Pinochle Tactics (for the single deck partnership game) and a Pinochle Glossary. The material for both of these was also contributed by David Dailey.

B.J. Herbison's Playing Pinochle page describes a variation of Single Deck Pinochle, and a detailed set of suggested bidding conventions.

Other Types of Pinochle

There are separate pages on this site for:

Eventually, more types will be covered.

Pinochle Software and On-Line Games

Free Canasis.com is an online pinochle site that offers the most variations of pinochle including both single deck and double deck styles, both the old and new rules, and most of the variations described above. With a pleasing wooden theme and many other features, Canasis is definitely worth a long look.

You can play Pinochle online at

• AOL games (formerly games.com / Masque publishing)

The collection HOYLE Card Games for Windows or Mac OS X includes a partnership single deck Pinochle program, along with many other popular card games.