Favored by money playplayers because of its speed and its prompt and straight forward pay-off, this version of the game is probably the biggest gambling variant of the Pinochle family. You can play it for stakes ranging from a penny a hundred points to X dollars a hundred, arid write your own ticket. The most popular scale of betting is five or ten cents a hundred.

Requirements

Three or four players. (When three are playing, each is dealt a Pinochle hand, and each is an active player. When there are four players, the dealer stays out of the play, dealing a hand only to each of the three others. In a four-handed game the deal rotates and each player takes his turn at dealing and staying out; hence, in an extended session, this feature will work mathematically to the disadvantage of no one. But I do recommend the three-handed version.)
A standard Pinochle deck. (For rules on the deck, rank of cards and suits, value of melded cards, bonus melds, and value of cards won in tricks, see basic General Rules for Pinochle.)

Object of the Game. To make a winning bid and then to score a number of points equal to or greater than the number bid. In this competition, where every hand dealt is a game complete in itself, the objective of the opponents is to prevent the bidder from making his bid. The maximum points a bidder can make at auction pinochle (holding a legal hand of 15 cards plus the three cards buried, and disregarding such special circumstances as bonus melds, reneges, and bad play) is 721 points. This total is arrived at by making use of the old timers ’ card count. The use of the simplified card count gives us a count of 720. The use of the so-called stream lined count would reduce these totals to 710 points. Since I’ve encountered some players who don’t understand how to calculate this maximum, here’s the way the cards can be distributed to pile up a 721-point total:
In the Bidder’s Hand:

Double flush in diamonds (ten cards).
Ace of clubs, ace of spades, and ace of hearts (three cards).
Two queens of spades (two cards).
Bidder buries the widow which holds the ace and two tens of spades (three cards).

Held by the Opponents:

Opponent No.1 holds two kings of spades. Distribution of other cards in his hand does not affect the score.
Opponent No.2 holds two jacks of spades and two nines of spades. Distribution of other cards in his hand has no effect on the scoring.

Stipulating the above distribution, the bidder would meld 480 points (300 in trump, 100 aces, and 80 Pinochle), and the bidder’s count in valuable cards won in tricks would total 241 points, for a grand total of 721 points. It is possible for the bidder to make 730 points, providing the bidder’s opponents played the hand incorrectly.
The Kitty. The kitty is not a compulsory feature of Auction Pinochle. To be legal it must be agreed upon by all online poker players at the start of the game. It is simply a pot, additional to other routine settlements among the players, to be put aside and collected by the player who bids and makes a 350-point hand. Since the kitty is optional, the rules for paying and collecting from it are also optional and subject to wide variation. However, here are the rules I Suggest for the kitty:

Before the game starts each player antes into the kitty an amount equal to the stipulated settlement for a 250-point bid.
Whenever all contestants pass, or fail to bid, each player must ante into the kitty an amount equal to the first ante. (By mutual consent, players may stop anteing whenever they choose.)
To collect the kitty a player must bid and make a minimum of 350 points.
If a player bids 350 or more, irrespective of suits, and then concedes the hand he must ante into the kitty an amount equal to the sum already in the kitty.
Moreover, if a player bids 350 or more, irrespective of suit, and plays the hand and fails to make his bid he must ante into the kitty an amount double the sum already in the kitty.

I do not recommend compelling the unsuccessful bidder to ante into the kitty an amount four times its value for failure to make a spade hand, or six times its value for failure to make a heart hand. This arrangement is grossly inequitable. No matter what bids, the player can win only the total amount in the kitty, That is, the kitty doesn’t payoff any more if spades or hearts are trump; it offers the player no advantage for the risk he assumes, so why should his contract with the kitty impose all the hardship on him? That’s a personal credo. But certain players will insist on a ‘maximum of excitement and a minimum of logic. For them I append the following two rules, with this admonition: They cannot be binding unless they are mutually and unanimously under- stood and agreed upon before the start of the game.

If a player bids 350 or more points in spades, plays the hand, and fails to make the bid, he must ante into the kitty an amount triple the sum already in the kitty.
If it has been agreed that hearts are payable at triple value and a player bids 350 or more points in hearts and fails to make his bid, he must ante into the kitty an amount four times the sum already in the kitty.

These rules, as stated above, are optional. The following are compulsory:

If a player goes broke he is entitled to take out of the kitty an amount determined by the number of players in the game. If there are three players he may take out one- third of the kitty’s total cash value. If there are four players he may take out one-fourth of the kitty’s total cash value. But taking money from the kitty signifies the player has quit the game, He cannot resume play with the money he takes from the kitty.
If the kitty gets unusually big, the poker players may by mutual consent divide it among themselves in equal portions.
If the game ends and a kitty survives, it is split equally among the players.
If, when a new player enters the game, there is an existent kitty, that player must put into the kitty an amount determined by the number of other players. If he is the fourth player, he must ante an amount equal to one- third of the sum in the kitty.
A bidder cannot play for the kitty unless he has on the table enough money to cover the kitty in the event he fails to make his bid. Lacking enough cash on the table, he may play for as much of the kitty as his means will cover-after deducting the amount he must pay the other players for an unsuccessful bid.

The Stakes. The amount of cash bet, collected, and paid at this game depends on the number of points bid by the highest bidder. But, be it the minimum 250 or the maximum 700 plus, there is a standard ratio determining the cash worth of any hand. Although players before the start of the game solemnly agree that they’ll play for so much per hundred-a cent or 5 or 10 or 25 or 50 cents, and on up to X dollars-it doesn’t work out in that per- hundred ratio. Example: Suppose you are playing for the minimum bid of 250 at 5 cents a hundred. On any bid up to 290 points, the settlement is 10 cents-which isn’t any- where near a nickel a hundred. If you in- crease the bid by 50 points, making it from 300 to 340 points, the settlement becomes 15 cents. An increase of 50 points over that, making the bid from 350 to 390 points, calls for a settlement of 20 cents …and so on up in successive units of 50 points and 5 cents.
The following chart has been set up to specify the payoff in a game played for a nickel a hundred; but the last column will indicate the settlement at any stakes. To get the settlement on any bid in column I, multiply your stakes-per-hundred by the corresponding unit in column III.

STANDARD TABLE OF BETTING LIMITS AND UNITS

Column I Amount Bid in Points	Column II Amount to be paid at 5 cents a hundred	Column III Units by which to Multiply your stakes per hundred
250 to 290	10 cents	2
300 to 340	15 cents	3
350 to 390	20 cents	4
400 to 440	25 cents	5
450 to 490	30 cents	6
500 to 540	35 cents	7
550 to 590	40 cents	8
900 to 640	45 cents	9
650 to 690	50 cents	10
700 or over	55 cents	11

Special Bonus Betting Limits. Many players like to payoff at certain special bonus rates for high bids. While any scale of bonuses is permissible, the most common rates are set forth below; to be legal, however, such special arrangements must be made before the start of the game and must be entered in writing on the poker score sheet

Amount Bid in Points	Amount paid off in Units
250 to 290	2
300 to 340	3
350 to 390	5
400 to 440	7
450 to 490	10
500 to 540	13
550 to 590	17
900 to 640	21
650 to 690	25
700 or over	30

The Settlement or Payoff. The terms of settlement in this game are customarily cash. Chips are often used, but since-except in most unusual circumstances-the chips are negotiable for cash in the house, it amounts to the same thing. The amount of settlement on each hand is established by the betting- limit scale and the number of points a player bids. The extra points he may score above his bid are irrelevant to the payoff.

If the bidder plays the hand and makes his bid or his opponents concede the hand to him, and if hearts, clubs, or diamonds were trump, he collects a single unit amount from each player. Example: If the betting limit is 5 cents a hundred and the bid is 250 points, the winning bidder collects 10 cents from each of the other two players.
If, playing the hand, the bidder fails to make his bid or if after playing one or more cards he concedes the hand, and if hearts, clubs, or diamonds were trump, he must pay each other player a double amount. Example: If the betting limit is 5 cents a hundred and the bid is 250 points, the losing bidder must pay each other player 20 cents.
If the bidder concedes he cannot make his bid and throws in his cards without playing a card, he pays a single amount to each other player. Example: If the limit is 5 cents a hundred and the bid is 250 points, the losing bidder must pay each other player 10 cents as settlement.
If the bidder makes spades trump and makes his bid or his opponents concede the hand, he collects double the amount from each other player. With the betting limit 5 cents a hundred and the bid 250 points, the winning bidder collects 20 cents from each other player.
If, making spades trump and playing the hand, the bidder fails to make his bid or if he plays one or more cards and then concedes the hand by throwing in his cards, he must pay each other player double-double. Example: The betting limit is the same 5 cents a hundred and the bid is 250 points; in this circumstance the losing bidder must pay each other player 40 cents.

A player who makes spades trump and throws in his hand without playing a card pays only a single amount to each other player. My ruling here is dictated by my respect for realism. If opponents insist on their right to collect double on a spade-trump hand, the losing bidder would coolly reply-and well within his rights to do so-that in fact one of the other three suits was trump. (He can change the trump suit any time before he leads his first card.) Note: This rule, giving spades a special doubled value, is incorporated into my rules for the game, but players may agree that spades shall pay single value only. When this exception is played, however, it must be agreed upon before the start of the game to be legal.

In a four-handed game, even though the dealer stays out of the play of the hand, he is included in the cash settlement. When the bidder wins, the dealer must pay him as do the active players in the parlour game . When the bidder loses, he must pay the dealer the same as he pays the active players.

Hearts Triple. The hearts-triple rule is optional, and is not incorporated into my standard rules. Choosing to play this rule is within the players ’ discretion; however, it must be agreed upon by all the players before the start of the game.

If the bidder makes hearts trump and makes his bid or his opponents concede the hand, the winning bidder collects a triple amount from each other player. In our familiar example, the betting limit is 5 cents a hundred and the bid is 250 points. The: bidder, when he wins, collects 30 cents from each other player.

If, making hearts trump, the bidder plays the hand and fails to make the bid or: concedes the hand after playing one or more I cards, he must pay each other player an amount called “triple-triple” (two times: triple), which is six times the single amount. At 5 cents a hundred and a bid of 250 points,the losing bidder must pay each other player 60 cents. Note:For the realistic reasons cited above (when referring to spades),a player who makes hearts trump and then throws in his cards without playing the hand is liable to pay each other player only the single amount. The triple-triple or any other special penalty here is unenforceable; the bidder would simply state that trump was clubs or diamonds. Agreements Before the Game Starts. The following must be marked on the score sheet by a scorekeeper, mutually chosen: (a) amount of the stakes; (b) rules governing the kitty, if any; and (c) special bonus payoffs for high hands, if any.
Before the Deal. For selection of the dealer, establishment of positions at the table, and the shuffle cards and cut, see basic General Rules for Pinochle.
The Deal. Starting with the leader, the dealer deals one round of cards clockwise, three at a time, until each player has three cards. Then he deals one card face down in the center of the table to start the widow or blind. (The first widow card is the tenth card dealt from the pack.) He repeats this deal. (The second widow card is the twentieth card dealt from the pack.) The third round is dealt the same way. (Third widow card is thirtieth card off the deck.) Now, starting with the leader again and going clockwise, three cards at a time are dealt each player until the deck is exhausted and each player has 15 cards in his hand. Note: A method of dealing preferred by some players is to give each player in turn four cards and then to deal one into the widow. This method is continued for three rounds, after which each player is dealt cards three at a time until the whole deck has been dealt.
The Bidding. The bidding starts with the leader and rotates to the left, clockwise, until all or all but one player have passed. At his bidding turn, a player may elect:

To pass. When a player announces a pass, he indicates that he doesn’t want to bid and no longer has any interest in bidding. Once he has passed, a player cannot bid again on that hand.
To bid. When a player calls out a certain total of points, he commits himself to make those points with the hand he holds and the widow, if he wins the bid.

If the first bid is made by the leader or the player to the leader’s immediate left, it must be 250 or more. Should the leader and the man at his left pass, the last active player may bid-but he must bid at least 290 or 310 points. Just as 250 is the minimum bid for the first and second players, 290 or 310 is the minimum bid for the third. This last player cannot bid 300 flat; but he may bid any amount he likes over 310. If all three active players pass, their hands are thrown in, and a new hand is dealt by the next dealer.
If a player opens the bidding by stating a legal bid, and the other two players pass or have passed, the bidding player is the winner of that bid. If, the bidding being opened, one or both of the other active players want to enter the auction, the bids must be higher than the previous bidder’s by at least 10 points. Bidding is permitted in multiples of 10 only.
Bidding rotates around the table to the left until at last two players have passed and only one bidder remains. That player has won the bid.
The Widow, the Blind, or the Buy. In no circumstances may a player, be he active or inactive, look at the three cards in the widow while the bidding is still under way. The widow, the blind, or the buy is the name given the three cards face down on the table during the deal. The bidder-the player who won the auction takes these three cards and may use them in: an attempt to improve his hand. But before putting them into his hand, he must turn them face up on the table to let the other players see them. Now, having incorporated them into his holding, he may do one of two things: He may concede the hand and throw in his cards; or, he may decide to play the hand.
Conceding the Hand. Having considered the potentials of his hand plus the widow, and before leading a card to the first trick, the bidder may concede that he cannot with his melds and prospective tricks make his bid. It is his right to throw in his cards and pay the other players a single amount-as well as the kitty, if there is one.
The concession may work the other way. The bidder, holding a hand, may show a part of it plus his meld (equaling or nearly equaling the amount of his bid), and the opponents may concede and make their cash settlement with him. Also, the opponents may concede defeat at any time during the play by throwing in their cards. Note: If only one of opponents concedes the hand, the game must be played out to a formal decision.
The bidder may concede defeat at any time during the play of the hand by throwing in his cards, but if he has led a card to start the play, he must pay each other player a double amount, just as if he had finished the hand and had failed to make the bid. This is unless the trump was spades, in which case he must pay each other player four times the single amount. If neither the bidder nor the opponents concede the hand, it must be played out. Before actual play begins, the bidder must discard and meld.
Discarding or Buying Three Cards. To reduce his hand to the legal 15 cards for the play, the bidder must bury three cards after picking up the widow. These three cards are put face down in front of the bidder, and are counted as tricks taken or won by the bidder, although he must win a trick from his opponents to validate them.
Discards. The following rules on discarding must be observed:

The bidder cannot bury (discard) any card he has used to form a meld, that is, a melded card for which he has already received credit in points. If he should bury such a card and his attention is called to the fact any time after the first card has been led in the play of the hand (but not after payment for the hand has been made), then that bidder has reneged and he loses the hand. His opponents collect on the same basis as if the bidder had failed to make his bid.
The bidder may change his melds, exchange the buried cards, or change his trump suit at any time before he leads his first card in actual play.
A bidder may, if he elects, bury a trump card (that is, one not used in a meld), but he must announce the fact that it is a trump card games he is burying. It is not mandatory that he reveal the denomination of that card. Failure to announce the burial of a trump card is to be construed as a renege, and loses the hand for the bidder; the penalty is the same as if he failed to make his bid in play.
A bidder is not required to announce the burying of an ace or any other denomination of card.
When starting the play of the hand, if the bidder leads a card and it is found that he has buried too any cards, and his attention is called to that fact, his constitutes a renege. The penalty is the same as if the bidder played the hand and failed to make his bid.

Melding. As he sees fit, a bidder may meld before or after discarding, providing he adheres to the rules for discarding or burying. The bidder, that is, the player who won the auction, is the only player permitted to put down melds. For the rules governing the meld, see basic General Rules for Pinochle.
The Play of the Hand. After a bidder has discarded and picked up his melds, actual play for tricks begins under the following rules:

The bidder may lead any card he selects from among the 15 in his hand, putting it face up on the table to start the trick. After a card has been led, no changes in melds may be made.
Each other player must follow the suit of the card led, if he has a card of such a suit.
If another player does not have a card of the suit led, he must trump.
If he does not have a card of the suit led or a trump, the opposing player may play to the trick any card he chooses.
Only when a trump card is led must a player play a higher –ranking card if he has one.
If a nontrump card is led, the second compelled to trump because he does not have a card of the suit led, then this third player is not compelled to play a trump card of rank higher than the previous player’s.
Winner of a trick leads off to the next trick.

To win a trick, a player must (a) play a higher-ranking card in the suit led than any other player, be it a trump or a nontrump suit; or (b) in trumping a trick, play a higher-ranking trump card than any other player.
When two handed cards of the same value are played and are tied to win the trick, the first card played wins the trick, the first card played wins the trick. Play continues thus until all the cards in the players ’ hands are exhausted, fifteen tricks in all.

counting Valuable Cards in Tricks. To the value of the three cards he has buried, the bidder adds the value of the cards he has won in tricks. He adds this total to the points he has scored in melds. If the resulting grand total equal or surpasses the amount of his bid, he has made his bid and wins the hand, collecting from each player the amount at stake. If the grand total is less than his bid, the bidder has lost the hand and must pay opponent the amount at stake. The bidder’s opponents count their valuable cards in tricks won to certify that the bidder’s count is correct.

Additional Rules
Reneges. Any of the following violations shall be construed as a renege, providing the offender’s card has been covered by a card played by the next succeeding player or (if there is no further play to that trick) the trick has been taken and a card has been led to the following trick. A renege may be corrected if the error is noted before the next proper play in the game has been made. A renege takes place if:

A player able to do so fails to follow the suit led when the laws of the game require him to do so.
A player able to do so fails to trump when required.
A player able to do so fails to play a higher trump card when the laws of the game require him to do so.

Following are the penalties for reneges:

If the bidder reneges, the amount of the penalty against him shall be the same as if he had played the hand and failed to make his bid.
If a nonbidder reneges, the amount of the penalty he must pay the bidder shall be the same as if the bidder played the hand and made his bid.
When any player defending against a bidder reneges, his renege is binding upon any other defending player. The amount of the penalty the other player must pay the bidder shall be exactly as if he himself committed the renege.

Improper Bidding. If a player bids or passes out of turn, or bids an incorrect amount, or bids an incorrect amount, or bids after passing, there is no penalty. He may correct his error. If a player in his proper turn bids an amount equal to, or lower than, the previous player’s bid, he must correct his bid; he must make a bid sufficiently higher to be legal.
The additional poker rules given on regarding misdeals, looking at cards in tricks, leading and playing out of turn, etc., should be followed Auction Pinochle with Widow.

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AMERICAN WHIST
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AMERICAN WHIST
BID WHIST
VINT
BOSTON

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Pinochle many Variations
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Pinochle many Variations
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Auction pinochle
Strategy at Auction
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Auction pinochle without wido Individual play
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