PINOCHLE, or PENUCILE (Ger. Pinochel or Binochel, of uncertain

See also:

• ETYMOLOGY (Gr. grvµos, true, and X6yos, "account)

etymology)  , a game of cards probably invented by Germans in the United States about the middle of the loth century . It bears a general resemblance to Bezique (q.v.), and has almost entirely usurped the place of the older game in America . Pinochle may be played by two, three or four persons . Two packs, from which all cards below the nines have been deleted, are shuffled together, forming one pack of 48 cards . The object of the game is to make l000 points . The cards rank as follows: ace 1T, ten To, king 4, queen 3, knave 2 . The nine counts nothing unless it be turned for trumps, when it scores To . The last trick scores To . The term " to meld " (Ger. melden, to announce), as used in pinochle, means " to declare." " Melds " are combinations which are declared during the play of the hands . They are of three classes: (I) " marriages " and " sequences," (2) " pinochles," and (3) " fours." The " melds " of the first class score as follows: " marriage " (king and queen of any plain suit), 20; " royal marriage" (king and queen of trumps), 4o; " sequence " (the five highest trumps), 150 . In the second class the " melds " are " pinochle " (queen of spades and knave of diamonds), 4o; " double pinochle " (both queens of spades and knaves of diamonds), 300; " grand pinochle " (king and queen of spades and knave of diamonds), 8o; this " meld " is not often played in America . Of the third class the " melds " are: four aces of different suits, Too; four kings of different suits, 8o; four queens of different suits, 6o; four knaves of different suits, 40; eight aces, 1000; eight kings, 800; eight queens, 600; eight knaves, 400 .

In single pinochle (two players) each player receives twelve cards, four at a

time, the twenty-fifth being turned up beside the stock for trumps . The non-dealer leads a card, to which the dealer plays . There is no obligation either to take, follow suit or trump . The winner of the trick leads again, before which, however, he may " meld " any one combination he holds . After he has " melded," or refused to do so, he draws a card from the top of the stock and adds it to his hand without showing it, his adversary doing the same, so that each player continues to hold twelve cards . Playing, announcing, and drawing then go on until the stock is exhausted . All combinations " melded " must be laid face upward on the table but still belong to the player's hand, though they may not be taken up until the stock has given out . When this happens all announcements cease, and all cards exposed are replaced in the hands . The last twelve tricks are then played, but now both players must follow suit and must win the trick if possible, either with a superior card or a trump . A failure to do this is a " revoke " and is penalized by the loss of all points made by " cards," i.e. for the five highest cards in each suit, which after all the tricks have been played, are counted for the player holding them . Ace counts It points, ten To, king 4, queen 3, and knave 2, whatever the suit, so that 240 points for " cards " are divided between the two players . Though points are not counted during the play, a mental count is kept, and whenever a player sees that, by adding the value of his " melds " to what he thinks his cards will count, he has enough to win the game, namely woo points, he " calls out " or knocks on the table, and proceeds to expose his cards .

If he fails to show enough to win, he loses the game . If neither player knocks, the game continues until one of them scores 125o; if still a tie, 1500 . If a player fails to make

good a " meld " he is set back that number of points . The game is scored by counters or on a cribbage-board In three-handed pinochle the " melds " are exposed before a card is played, and no player may " meld " after he has played to the first trick . A rule is sometimes made that an overlooked combination may he scored by the other players . Four-handed pinochle is played either with partners or each player for himself .