Use a standard 48-card pinochle deck or two copies of the 9, 10, J, Q, K, A cards from a standard deck
Play with 4 players in two partnerships
Deal 12 cards to each player
Determine trump suit
Bid to win the right to choose trump and try to meet a point goal
The highest bidder names trump
Meld cards for points before trick play
Common melds include runs, marriages, pinochle, and sets
Count meld points according to the agreed scoring rules
Play tricks with the lead suit if possible
Follow suit if you can
If you cannot follow suit, play trump if possible
Highest trump wins the trick
If no trump is played, highest card of the led suit wins the trick
Take tricks and count trick points
Score meld points and trick points
The bidding team must meet or exceed the bid to score
If the bidding team fails, they are set and lose points
Continue playing hands until a target score is reached
Use the specific scoring table agreed on before play begins