Pinochle combines melding and trick-taking with a 48-card deck. Partners score by forming melds like marriages and the famous pinochle, then win tricks.
A 48-card deck — two copies of the 9 through Ace in each suit. Deal 12 cards to each of four players.
After trump is set, players lay down melds for points: marriages (K-Q of trump), aces around, kings around, and the pinochle (queen of spades + jack of diamonds).
Follow suit, trump as needed, and win tricks. Each ace, ten, and king captured in tricks scores points.
Melds plus trick points are tallied. First partnership to 150 points wins the game.
The queen of spades plus the jack of diamonds — worth 40 points.
48 — two copies each of the 9, 10, J, Q, K, and A in all four suits.