Pinochle

There are numerous different scoring systems (the 2001 edition of Hoyle dedicates 14 pages to a few of these; search the internet and you'll find many more).

We play pinochle with three different groups, and each uses a slightly different scoring variation. Here are the rules for these three variations:

• Variant 1: Our house rules. Lists scoring for 5 and 6 handed (though four handed, with or without partners passing cards) can use the same scoring.
• Variant 2: Similar scoring, but also includes scores for 4 Aces of the same suit, 4 Kings of the same suit, ditto with Queens and Jacks.
• Variant 3: Scoring similar to variant 1, but lists details for 4, 5, and 6 handed versions.

I also created scoring sheets for 3 handed players (individuals), and 4 handed (2 teams of 2):

• 3-handed scorecards
• 4-handed scorecards

Finally, I've calculated statistics of how likely it is to get the various scoring combinatins for 4, 5, and 6 handed games. These included the following information:

• How many different hands were analyzed
• A table of how many hands included each scoring combination, and how many of them
• The average score of all hands dealt
• The maximum score that was found among all the hands dealt
• The odds of getting each scoring combination, and how many of them
• Finally, the point values if these combinations were scored based on how likely (or unlikely) it is to get them. These values are all based around a score of 4 points for a pinochle, and vary according to the likelihood of a combination to the likelihood of a pinochle.

Here are the statistics:

• 4-handed statistics, no cards passed
• 5-handed statistics, pass one card
• 6-handed statistics, pass one card

One final note: I should have computed two cards passed for the 6 handed version, but I didn't because that analysis would have taken 20 times as long.

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