Melding is where Pinochle earns its reputation for being a “combination” game. After trump is named, every player lays down card combinations from their hand for points — before a single trick is played.
How Melding Works
Once the bidder names trump, all four players (not just the bidder) lay any qualifying combinations face-up on the table. Each player’s meld is scored separately, then added to their partnership’s total. After melding, all cards return to hand for the trick-play phase — meld cards can still be played in tricks.
Print the Full Meld Table
The free cheat sheet has every meld with its single and double value, the rules for using one card twice, and worked meld examples.
Download the Free Cheat SheetInstant PDF download · Free
The Meld Combinations
Marriage (King + Queen, same suit) — 20 points (40 if trump)
A King and Queen of the same suit. Worth 20 points normally, or 40 points if it’s a trump marriage (a “royal marriage”).
Run (A-10-K-Q-J of trump) — 150 points
The King and Queen inside a run don’t also score as a royal marriage — to score 190 you’d need an extra King and Queen of trump. Holding both copies of all five cards is a double run, worth 1,500.
Pinochle (Queen of Spades + Jack of Diamonds) — 40 points
The combination the game is named after. If you have two Pinochles (using both copies of each card), it’s a double pinochle, worth 300 points — far more than double the single value, so it’s worth watching for specifically.
Around (four of a kind across all suits) — varies by rank
Four cards of the same rank, one from each suit:
- Four Aces: 100 points
- Four Kings: 80 points
- Four Queens: 60 points
- Four Jacks: 40 points
Holding all eight cards of a rank (both copies in every suit) is a double around, worth ten times the single value: 1,000 for Aces, 800 for Kings, 600 for Queens, 400 for Jacks. Four 10s score nothing.
Dix / Nine of Trump — 10 points
The 9 of trump (“dix,” pronounced “deece”) is worth 10 points, or 20 if you hold both. It’s also the one meld that “saves itself”: a defending side whose only meld is the dix keeps those points even if it takes no tricks.
Meld Value Reference Table
| Meld | Points |
|---|---|
| Marriage (non-trump) | 20 |
| Marriage (trump) | 40 |
| Run (trump A-10-K-Q-J) | 150 |
| Double Run | 1,500 |
| Nine of Trump (dix) | 10 |
| Pinochle | 40 |
| Double Pinochle | 300 |
| Four Jacks / Double | 40 / 400 |
| Four Queens / Double | 60 / 600 |
| Four Kings / Double | 80 / 800 |
| Four Aces / Double | 100 / 1,000 |
Common Melding Mistakes
The most common beginner error is under-counting meld by assuming each card can only be used once. The actual rule: a card can count in several melds at once, as long as each meld is a different type. There are three types — (1) runs, marriages and the dix; (2) pinochles; (3) arounds. So one Queen of Spades can count in a spade marriage, a pinochle, and Queens around at the same time. What you can’t do is reuse a card within the same type: two Kings and one Queen of a suit make one marriage, not two. See Common Pinochle Mistakes for other frequent errors.
What Happens After Melding
Once meld points are written down, all cards return to each player’s hand for trick-play. See Pinochle Trick-Taking Rules for what happens next, or Pinochle Scoring Explained to see how meld and trick points combine into a final score.
📘 Beginner Guide
Pinochle Made Simple
Count your meld with confidence. This printable guide has the full meld table and 5 hands counted step by step.
- Every meld with single and double values
- The three rules for using one card in several melds
- 5 example hands, including one that scores less than it looks
17-page printable PDF · 10% off applied at checkout