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EAST COAST PINOCHLE INVASION TOURNAMENT RULES

SCOREKEEPER:

• Verify that the correct players are at the table for the round (game).
• One player is designated to keep score. Verify meld and score for each hand.
• Record, add and total scores on the score sheet and obtain initials of one player from each team at the end of the round (game) to indicate agreement on the finals score.
• Return the score sheet to the scoring table at the end of the round (game).
• Call the Tournament Director (TD) or assistant TD to the table for assistance at ANY TIME.

SHUFFLE:

• It is suggested that all four players cut the deck and high card deals first. The order of the cards from highest to lowest is A, 10, K, Q, J. Players may also by consensus choose who will deal first.
• The cards are to be handled only by the dealer who is required to shuffle them a minimum of 3 times.
• The cards are to be offered for a cut to the player to the dealer’s right. This player may elect not to cut the cards. If the player elects to cut the cards, the cards are only cut once. Cards are lifted by the upper portion of the pack clear of the lower portion, leaving no less than 4 cards. The former lower portion is then replaced on top of the former upper portion.
• Exceptions to this rule will be made for handicapped players.

DEALING & GAME PLAY:

• Any number of cards, not to exceed four, may be dealt at a time to evenly distribute the cards.
• Please count your cards after every deal. If there is a misdeal, all cards are to be collected, reshuffled, cut, and dealt.
• If a card is accidentally exposed during the dealing of the cards, cards are to be dealt again.
• Any exposed card(s) will be kept laying face up on the table and must be played at the first legal opportunity. The partner of the player with the exposed card(s) cannot lead out in that suit unless that is the only suit left in their hand. (If there is an exposed card before or during bidding, the partner may not call that suit trump.)
• If at the end of a hand a player is without cards or is going to be without cards, the remaining cards will go with the last book turned. Call the TD for assistance.
• Tricks must be kept in the order they are collected. The players, by consensus, may pull their partners tricks to enable their partner to choose the next card they wish to play. This is intended to speed up game play. If a player (or players) do not consent to this way of taking tricks, then all players must take their own tricks.
• When the first card of the next trick has been struck, the previous book is closed.
• All cards must be played to the table one at a time. All cards must be played (even if there is a “lock” on the remaining cards).
• All rounds and breaks are timed. The faster you play your game, the more time you will have for socializing, eating, drinking, and smoking. If you are not at the table and ready to play by the start of each round, you will be disqualified from that round and given ZERO points. (There will be a 3-minute grace period.) Opponents will receive a score equal to the highest game of that round.
• Cheating OF ANY KIND will not be tolerated and will result in a disqualification from the rest of the tournament and NO MONEY WILL BE REFUNDED. Cheating includes, but is not limited to, facial gestures (i.e., winking), table tapping, hand signals, gaps in cards (i.e., to designate strong suits), or raising particular cards higher than others (i.e., to designate trump) and TABLE TALKING during bidding, before trump is called, or while hand is being played. (Call the TD for assistance during the game.)

BIDDING:

• There is a 20 minimum rule for meld and tricks. The bidder must have a marriage to name trump.
• Bidding begins to the dealer’s left and continues clockwise.
• The lowest bid is 50 and continues in multiples of 1 until 60, in multiples of 5 after 60.
• The ONLY allowable bids are ‘PASS’ or a bid that includes all the numbers, such as fifty-one, fifty-five. A “by me” or “I’ll save” or “save” type bid results in the offender’s partner not being able to bid. Call the TD for assistance.
• All players must bid in turn. In some cases, bidding out of turn may result in the offender’s partner not being able to bid. Call the TD for assistance.
• The last player making a number bid and all the other (three) players passing will name trump.
• If the team with the bid has no marriage, cards must be shown to the opponents. The bidding team is set (see SETS for scoring) and counts as a hand played. The opponents receive their own meld (if 20+) with no trump called. If it is discovered that the team with the bid has a marriage, the bidding team is set (see SETS for scoring) and counts as a hand played. The opponents receive their own meld (if 20+) and 50 points.

MELDING – ALL MELD MUST BE SHOWN:

• It is the responsibility and legal right of all players to see and count the meld of all players.
• No one will meld prior to trump being declared.
• Regardless of the suit that is verbally named as trump, the first marriage laid on the table is trump.
• No meld will be counted/adjusted after the first card is played.
• Failure to declare aces will result in the opponents receiving the bid, their own meld (if 20+) and points pulled (if 20+). Call the TD for assistance.

SETS:

• When the bidder goes set, the bid is deducted from the bidder’s team score and no meld is awarded.
• The opponents receive their own meld (if 20+) and if the hand has been played, points pulled (if 20+).

RENEGES:

• STOP PLAY AND CALL THE TD TO THE TABLE IMMEDIATELY.
• A player cannot be forced to renege. Therefore, in order to avoid a renege, the player has the privilege of correcting the play before the book is closed.
• If a renege is called and the tricks are not in the correct order, the renege will go against that team.
• A renege occurs when a player fails to follow suit, fails to beat the falling cards, or fails to trump when out of a suit.
• If a renege during play is called and not proven, the person calling the renege has committed a renege.
• The team that has reneged will deduct the bid from their score and no meld is awarded. The opponents will receive their own meld (if 20+) and 50 points.

BOSTON:

• The team pulling all 20 tricks during a deal/hand automatically wins the game (as long as they make their bid) and will receive an additional 100 points. Note: If a Boston is pulled during Mini-Tournaments (i.e., Rounds of 4-hands per round, the team will only receive an additional 100 points to their score for that hand.
• Example:

• If a team has a total score of 320 points after pulling the Boston, the team receives a score of 600 points (500 points for the win + 100 bonus points).
• If a team has a total score over 500 points after pulling the Boston, an additional 100 bonus points is added to their finals score.

BYE GAMES:

• In the event of an odd number of teams, a bye game is awarded to the odd team. They will receive the same number of points as the highest score for that round.

SCORING FOR PROGRESSIVE PLAY

BIDDING:

• If the team with the bid has no marriage, cards must be shown to the opponents and the hand is not played. The opponents receive the bid and their own meld (if 20+) with no trump called. If it is discovered that the team with the bid has a marriage, the hand is not played and the opponents receive the bid, their own meld (if 20+), and 50 points.
• If the team with the bid cannot make board (i.e., team has less than 20 meld), cards must be shown to the opponents and the hand is not played. The opponents receive the bid and their own meld (if 20+). If it is discovered that the team with the bid has 20+ meld, the hand is not played and the opponents receive the bid, their own meld (if 20+) and 50 points.

SETS:

• When the bidder goes set, the opponents receive the bid, their own meld (if 20+) and points pulled (if 20+).

RENEGES:

• The opponents receive the bid, their own meld (if 20+) and 50 points.

COURTESY OF GAME PLAY

• There shall be no communication between partners, which includes card placement/manipulation, except by numerical bidding.
• Cards are not to be flashed. All cards must be played to the table one at a time.
• Cards are not to be slammed or played in an indicating manner.
• A card hitting the board is a play.
• The Tournament Director (TD) has the final say on rules not covered.

In some cases these rules and procedures may seem harsh to the casual player, but remember, you’re in a Tournament now!

THE TD’S DECISION IS FINAL.