Pinochle meld chart and cheat sheet

Every meld and what it's worth, the rule for using a card twice, and the counters, on one printable page.

Pinochle meld: single deck

Type	Meld	Single	Double
I	Run: A, 10, K, Q, J of trumps	150	1,500
I	Royal marriage: K and Q of trumps	40	80
I	Marriage: K and Q of another suit	20	40
I	Dix: 9 of trumps	10	20
II	Pinochle: Q♠ and J♦	40	300
III	Aces around: one ace of each suit	100	1,000
III	Kings around	80	800
III	Queens around	60	600
III	Jacks around	40	400

Tens around, a run outside trumps and a lone K or Q score nothing (beyond any marriage). Meld counts only for the hand it is shown in.

The sharing rule. A card may be used in melds of different types, but never in two melds of the same type. The Q♠ can be in a spade marriage (I), a pinochle (II) and queens around (III) all at once. But K‑K‑Q of one suit is only one marriage, and the K‑Q inside a run is not also a royal marriage.

Count in this order

Run, then a royal marriage outside it, then each dix
Marriages in the other suits
Pinochle (Q♠ + J♦)
Arounds: aces, kings, queens, jacks

Worth remembering

Run + aces around	250
Run + royal marriage	190
Roundhouse (K + Q every suit)	240
Marriage + pinochle + queens	120

Cards and counters

Order in every suit: A, 10, K, Q, J, 9. Identical cards: the first played wins. Counters: A, 10, K = 10 each; last trick 10; 250 per hand. (Older: A 11, 10 10, K 4, Q 3, J 2.)

Play: follow suit; beat the winning card if you can; void: trump (and overtrump) if you can. Made: score meld + counters. Set: minus the bid.

Pinochle meld: double deck

Meld	×1	×2	×3	×4
Run in trumps	15	150	225	300
Royal marriage	4	8	12	16
Marriage	2	4	6	8
Pinochle	4	30	60	90
Aces around	10	100	150	200
Kings around	8	80	120	160
Queens around	6	60	90	120
Jacks around	4	40	60	80

80 cards (A, 10, K, Q, J, four of each), no nines, so no dix. The card you hold fewest of sets the multiple: three Q♠ + two J♦ = double pinochle (30). Counters A, 10, K = 1 each; last trick 2; 50 per hand. Lowest bid 50; game 500. Same sharing rule.

House meld values

These are the values in the tables above, which most players use. Some tables play different values; if yours does, agree before the first hand.

Deck	Meld	Usual	House value	Who plays it
Single	Run with an extra king or queen of trumps	150	190	some families (+40 for each extra)
Single	Double marriage in trumps	80	240	reported from one region
Double	Run	15	25	tournament values
Double	Single pinochle	4	14 or 15	some players; tournament values
Double	Triple pinochle	60	45	many books
Double	Quadruple pinochle	90	300	many books
Double	Double run	150	30	book versions with no bonus for multiple runs
Double	Roundhouse (K and Q of every suit)	24	32	some players

Pinochle tools

Scorekeeper

Bids, meld, counters, made or set: 4-handed, 3-handed, 2-handed or double deck.

Meld calculator

Pick your cards and trumps; see every meld and the total.

How to play

Bidding, passing, meld and the rules of the play, in plain English.

Meld chart (cheat sheet)

Every meld and its value on one printable page.

Printable score sheet

Paper sheets for partnership and three-handed games.

Questions people ask

How much is a run worth in pinochle?

A run (ace, ten, king, queen and jack of trumps) is 150 in the single deck, and a double run is 1,500. In double-deck pinochle a run is 15, a double run 150, a triple 225 and a quadruple 300. A run in a suit that isn't trumps is only a marriage.

What does 'around' mean in pinochle?

One card of the same rank in each of the four suits: aces around is 100, kings 80, queens 60 and jacks 40 in the single deck. Holding all eight of a rank is a double around, worth ten times as much (1,000 for aces). Tens around score nothing.

What is the highest meld in pinochle?

In the single deck, a double run (both copies of the trump A, 10, K, Q, J) is 1,500, the biggest single meld; double aces is 1,000. Both are extremely rare.