PINO-CLE

PINO-CLE has much in common with Bezique and it originated in Europe. It has, however, long since crossed the Atlantic, and if we exclude the ubiquitous Bridge it shares with Poker the honour of being the national card game of the U.S.A.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

In its original form, Pinocle is a game for two players and is descried. American card-players, however, have developed a number of variations suitable for more than two.

The most popular is Auction Pinocle, a rather remarkable game because though fundamentally a game for three it makes a better game when played by four. The four-handed game is described first. However, the game can be played by more than four players, and a version is descried later.

CARDS

From two packs of 52 cards, the 8s and below are stripped, leaving a pinocle pack of 48 cards. The cards rank Ace, 10, King, Queen, Jack, 9.

The dealer deals 15 cards face downwards to the poker players, either in five threes, or in three fours and one three, and after the first round, three cards face downwards to the table as a widow hand.

THE PLAY

In every deal only three players take an active part. If four play (as recommended) the dealer deals no cards to himself; and if five wish to take part the dealer deals no cards to the second player on his left as well as none to himself. The inactive players, as they are called, take no part in the bidding and play, but participate in the settlement.

A bid is contract to score either by melds, by cards won in tricks, or by both, the number of points named, and the player on the left of the dealer makes the first bid which must be at least 300.

After this, each player in turn may either pass or make a higher bid. Bids must be in multiples of ten, and once a poker player has passed he cannot reenter the auction. When two players pass a bid the player who made it becomes the bidder, his bid the contract, and the other two players his opponents.

If the opening bid of 300 is passed by the other two players the bidder may concede defeat by throwing in his cards without looking at the widow. He pays three units to the kitty (but nothing to his opponents) and the deal passes to the next player.

If the bid is for more than 300, or if the bidder does No-Trumps wish to concede defeat, he shows the widow to his opponents and takes cards into his hand. He then names the trump suit, and places on the poker table in front of him his melds. They are scored for as follows:

No card may be used twice in melds of the same class, but the same card may be used in two or more melds of different classes. Only the bidder melds. He then discards face downwards (buries) three cards from his poker hand in order to reduce it to 15 cards: later the cards that he discards will be counted for him as won in a trick.

The discards must be made from the cards in his hand, No-Trumps from those in his melds, but before he leads to the first trick he may change the cards that he has discarded, change the melds and the trump suit.

When the bidder and his opponents have agreed on the value of the melds and how many more points (if any ) he needs to fulfill his contract, the bidder leads to the first trick. If , however, he thinks he will not be able to make his contract he may concede defeat (called single bete) and pay to the players, active and inactive, the value of his bid.