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Double Deck Pinochle

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description Double Deck Pinochle Overview

Double Deck Pinochle is a four-player partnership trick-taking game played with an 80-card pack made from two pinochle decks, with the nines removed. Players bid for the right to name trump, score declared card combinations known as melds, and then compete for points in the tricks. It is intended for players who enjoy partnership strategy, hand evaluation, bidding, and the need to coordinate play through legal card choices rather than open discussion.

help Double Deck Pinochle FAQ

How many cards are used in Double Deck Pinochle?

Double Deck Pinochle is played with an 80-card pack created by combining two pinochle decks and removing all the nines. Each of the four suits then contains twenty cards, with multiple copies of the ace through jack ranks.

What is 'meld' in Double Deck Pinochle?

Meld refers to declared card combinations that earn points before the trick-taking phase begins. Common melds include runs in trump (A-10-K-Q-J), marriages (a king and queen of the same suit), the pinochle (Jack of Diamonds with Queen of Spades), and 'arounds' — one card of the same rank in all four suits.

How many players is Double Deck Pinochle designed for?

Double Deck Pinochle is a four-player partnership game, with partners sitting across from each other at the table. It is one of the most popular partnership card game formats in the United States.

How does bidding work in Double Deck Pinochle?

After the deal, each player evaluates their hand's potential scoring from meld and trick-taking, then bids accordingly. The highest bidder names the trump suit and must score at least the number of points bid during the hand, or else they go set and lose points.

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