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This page is intended as a "bidding aid" for use in the The Game. Pinochle is a game of "house rules," so this page clearly defines the meld values used in Internet Pinochle.

In our circles, we affectionately call this a "cheat sheat." :-)

Meld Values Independent of Trump Suit

Meld	Single		Double		Triple		Quadruple
Aces Around		10		100		150		200
Kings Around		8		80		120		160
Queens Around		6		60		90		120
Jacks Around		4		40		60		80
Pinochle		4		30		45		60
Marriages		2
		2
		2
		2
Roundhouse*		24

^*There is nothing magic about a Roundhouse. It is merely a counting convenience for kings around (8), queens around (6), three common marriages (6), and a royal marriage (4).

Meld Values Dependent on Trump Suit

Meld	Single		Double
Runs		15		150
		15		150
		15		150
		15		150
Royal Marriages		4
		4
		4
		4

Guidelines for First Bid

What You Have	Guideline	Comments
10 Points	+1	Tells your partner that you have some meld.
20 Points and/or Aces Around	+2	Indicates that you have power or good meld. It's nice to have both.
30-40 Points	+4	Indicates a lot of meld. Note that +3 is reserved for special situations and is rarely used.
50 Points	+5	Add one for each ten points in hand.
60 Points	+6	Etc.

Remember that these are just guidelines. You should use your best judgment for "in between" cases, such as six or 16 points. Generally, having a lot of aces (5 or more) will justify "encouraging" bids (e.g., +1 with only six points in hand). There are other special situations worthy of discussion, but they are beyond the scope of this document.

Documentation

List of Players

Bidding Aid