GRAND PRIX PINOCHLE - 2011 RULES / FORMAT
Note: There will be an OPTIONAL "meet and greet" (mini tournament) on Friday night, October 21st from 7 - 11 PM (four rounds) for any players who might be interested. The entry fee FOR THE WARM UP TOURNEY is $ 20, with 100% return to the Prize Fund!
REGISTRATION FOR THE MAIN EVENT FROM 9:00 - 10:00 AM.
ON / Saturday morning, October 22nd
THE MAIN EVENT WILL CONSIST OF 11 ROUNDS OR GAMES, TOTAL POINTS FORMAT. A ROUND WILL END WHEN EITHER TEAM SCORES 500 POINTS, OR WHEN THE TIME EXPIRES. THE HOST WILL ANNOUNCE WHEN 10 MINUTES ARE LEFT IN THE ROUND.
ROUND 1 STARTS PROMPTLY AT 10:15 AM, FOLLOWED BY ROUND 2.ROUNDS WILL BE ONE HOUR EACH, WITH A 15 MINUTE BREAK AFTER EACH ROUND.
ROUNDS 3, 4, AND 5 WILL BE PLAYED AFTER LUNCH (1.5 hours allowed for meals)
ROUNDS 6, 7, 8 WILL BE PLAYED AFTER DINNER (1.5 hours allowed for meals)
ROUNDS 9, 10, 11 WILL BE PLAYED ON SUNDAY MORNING STARTING AT 9:30 am
(Awards will made after the conclusion of Round 11)
A schedule will be posted by the Tournament Director.
TOURNAMENT FORMAT
The tournament will consist of 11 games of one hour duration each or a Point Limit of 500 - which ever occures FIRST! Tournament standings will be determined by total points at the end of the 11 rounds. A TEAM WILL BE ALLOWED TO "throw out" THEIR LOWEST SCORE OF ONE OF THEIR 11 GAMES WHICH THEY PLAYED. THE TOTAL POINTS OF THEIR BEST 10 GAMES WILL THEN BE ADDED, AND USED AS THE BASIS FOR DETERMINING THE WINNERS.
TABLE ROTATION
A member from each team will draw a card before the start of the tournament. Teams drawing a red blue numbered card will be assigned to the corresponding table (North / South) and will not move for the duration of the tournament. Teams drawing a red numbered card will be assigned to the East / West Table and will rotate to the next higher-numbered table after each round.
If there are an odd number of teams, then the team receiving the bye will receive the average score of the winning teams for that round.
SCOREKEEPERS
One person from each team will keep score. The scorekeeper will verify that the correct players are at the table. Each scorekeeper will enter the round, team numbers and player names in the appropriate places on their score sheet. Each scorekeeper will record, add, and total scores on the score sheet. After each hand, each team’s score sheet will be compared and verbally verified for accuracy by the opponent’s scorekeeper. At the end of the round both score sheets will be selected, signed by the scorekeeper and countersigned by one opponent. Those score sheets will be submitted to the tournament recorder. Note the scorekeepers are solely responsible for the accuracy of the score sheet that is submitted to the tournament recorder. The tournament recorder is not responsible for any errors and will not make any corrections. No changes will be made to any score sheet once it has been submitted to the tournament recorder. Standings will be posted upon tabulation.
CONDUCT
Cheating of any kind will not be tolerated. This includes signaling, tapping, separation of suits etc. Communication between partners will be by full numerical bidding during play of the game. Strive to enjoy the game as much as possible but please ensure that you are being considerate of other players and not distracting them from their game.
Comments and gestures from onlookers are prohibited. When you have completed your game and have turned in your scorecard PLEASE be respectful of those still on the playing floor finishing their games. If any players who have finished their games cause any disruptions, they will immediately be asked to leave the floor.
We recognize that individuals will periodically have problems relating to one another. We expect that such differences will be kept outside the tournament. Harassment, vulgar/and or abusive language and/or actions will NOT be tolerated and will result in immediate expulsion from the tournament for the team. Should this occur ALL entry fees will be forfeited! All games will start at the times noted on the schedule. It is the player's responsibility to be present at the start of each round of play. If a team member (or complete team) is more than 5 minutes late, then a 100 point penalty will be awarded to opposing team. If a team or team member is more than 10 minuets late, then that team will be DQ’D and the opposing team will be rewarded the number of points that are equal to the average of all winning scores for that round. This is a timed tourney.
No one under the age of 18 will be allowed in the tournament room without the Tournament Director’s approval. ALL DECISIONS OF THE TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR ARE FINAL.
If there is any problem arising during the tourney, the TD will have the discretion to remove a team from that table for the round; therefore, forfeiting points for the round and awarding the opposing team 500 points for the round.
OR depending on the severity of the problem, a team may be removed from the tournament.
IF a team is removed from the tournament, ALL fees paid to enter that tourney will be FORFEITED.
PLAYERS AND CARDS
There are four players; partners sit across from each other.
The deck consists of 80 cards, containing A 10 K Q J in each of the four suits, and with four identical copies of each card. This deck can be formed by mixing together two normal Pinochle decks, having thrown out the nines, or from four regular 52 card decks from which you throw out all the numerals 2 to 9.
BASICS (FOR REVIEW)
After the deal, there is an auction in which players bid the number of points their team will try to win. Whoever bids highest has the privilege of choosing trumps and leading to the first trick. The object of the high bidder's team is to win at least as many points as the amount they bid. Points can be scored in two ways:
By declaring and showing (melding) combinations of cards held in a players hand;
By winning aces, tens and kings in tricks. Eight hands are played per round, and it is quite possible for a Team to score more than 500 points for a given match.
THE DEAL
Deal and play are clockwise. All the cards are dealt to the players, so that everyone has 20. Dealing practice varies; common methods are 4 cards at a time, 5 cards at a time, or 2 cards to each player, and the remainder 3 at a time. No dealing by 1’s.
It is the responsibility of EACH PLAYER to ensure that they have been dealt twenty (20) cards before play begins. If at the end of a hand a player is without a card the remaining cards will go with the last book turned. (This book will count as last book)
RANK AND VALUE OF CARDS
In each suit the cards rank, from highest to lowest, Ace, Ten, King, Queen, Jack. At the end of the play, each side counts the points they have taken in tricks. Each Ace, Ten and King is worth one point, and the team who win the last trick get an extra 2 points. Hence there are a total of 50 points available for tricks.
THE MELD
Points can be scored for certain combinations of cards in hand of one player. These combinations are called meld; they are displayed to the other players before the start of the trick play. Any meld can be:
Single : Just one of each card
Double : Two identical copies of each card
Triple: Three of each card
Quadruple : All four of each card There are three types of meld. Any particular card can only belong to one meld of each type. The point scores for meld are given in the following table:
Type I - Runs and Marriages
Run - Ace, Ten, King, Queen, Jack of trumps
(15 / 150 / 225 / 300 )
Royal Marriage - King and Queen of trumps
(4 / 8 / 12 / 16 )
Marriage - Kings and Queen of the same suit, not trump
(2 / 4 / 6 / 8 )
Note 1: A run in a suit other than trump is not worth anything more than the marriage score for the king and queen.
Type II – Pinochles
Pinochle - Jack of diamonds & Queen of spades
(4 / 30 / 90 / 240 )
Type III - Around
Aces around - An Ace in each suit
(10 / 100 / 150 / 200 )
Kings around - A King in each suit
(8 / 80 / 120 / 160 )
Queens around - A Queen in each suit
(6 / 60 / 90 / 120 )
Jacks around - A Jack in each suit
(4 / 40 / 60 / 80 )
Note 2: A set of tens is not worth anything in meld.
THE BIDDING
The person to the left of the dealer bids first. The opening bid must be at least 50, but may be higher. You may bid by ones until you reach 60; bids above 60 must be multiples of 5 (65, 70, 75 etc.). Turn to bid proceeds clockwise. Each bid must be higher than the previous one, but a player who does not wish to bid can pass. If the first three players all pass, the dealer is forced to bid 50. Once you pass you cannot re-enter the bidding on a later turn. The bidding continues for as many rounds as necessary until three players have passed. Whoever wins the bid (bids highest) has the right to call trump and lead. All bids must be in whole numbers (50, 51, 60, 65, etc.), or “pass” - no 1 (for 51) or by me for “pass” or “save” These bids will freeze the other partner from bidding. Bidding out of turn will result in the offending team being frozen from the bidding. The bid goes back to the legal bid. If the first three bidders all pass the bid is considered "dropped" on the dealer for 50 points. THERE WILL BE NO MISDEALS.
CALLING TRUMP AND MELDING
The bidder now chooses the trump suit and announces what it is. It must be a suit in which the bidder holds at least a marriage. If the bidder does not have a marriage, the bidder is “set” the hand is not played; in this case the NON bidding side will get a total of 50 points, or the amount of the bid. (PLEASE SEE PROGRESSIVE SCORING IN LATER SECTION ;-) Neither side counts anything for meld. (The bidding hand must be shown to opponents. Once trump is called all of the players lay their meld face up on the table. A combination must be entirely within one player's hand to count. Note also that you can count the same card in melds of different types (for example a queen of spades could be part of a marriage, a pinochle and a set of queens), but not in more than one meld of the same type (so a king and two queens does not count as two marriages). Partners add together the scores for their meld and this is written down on the score sheet (if 20 or more). Aces around are to be laid down and declared even if the team cannot make board. No points will be awarded for Aces in this instance. FIRST marriage laid by the player winning the bid is declared trump regardless of any other marriages laid down. Trump is to be remembered. All meld should remain on the table until all players have had a chance to see and count the meld. No meld will be counted after the first card is played. (Declaring aces after the first card is played is considered a renege).
THE PLAY
The person who won the bid begins the play by leading to the first trick, and the others play in turn, clockwise. A trick consists of one card from each player and if it contains no trumps it is won by the highest card played of the suit led. If any trumps are played to the trick, then the highest trump wins, irrespective of any other cards in the trick. If there are two or more identical cards in a trick, the first of these cards which was played beats the others. The winner of a trick leads to the next.
When leading to a trick any card may be played. Each subsequent player must follow suit if they can and must "crawl", sometimes called "Climbing" - (this means that each player must play a card which is higher in rank than the winning card that has been played to the trick so far). A player who cannot crawl (i.e. does not have a high enough card of the suit led to beat the highest so far played to the trick) must follow suit in any case, with a card that will not win the trick.
Any player who does not have any cards of the suit that was led must trump. If someone has already trumped then later players who can follow suit may play any card of the suit led (no card of the led suit can beat a trump). If a trick has been trumped, subsequent players who do not have the led suit must crawl in trump, that is beat the highest trump so far played. A player who cannot follow suit and cannot beat the highest trump so far played must still play a trump, even though this trump will not be high enough to win the trick. A player who has no card of the suit led and no trumps may play any card.
RENEGE: (nee, "Revoke")
(Call a Tournament Director to the table). If a player fails to follow suit or fails to “crawl” (play a higher card) or fails to declare aces it is a renege. It is also a Renege, if a player fails to cut when out of a suit. (Throwing off when he/she still has trump). (Penalty) If a renege is called and upheld the NON reneging team gets the amount of the bid, THEIR MELD (IF OVER 20) AND THEIR POINTS FROM TRICKS (IF OVER 20). If the renege is not upheld the team not calling, The renege receives the penalty. A player cannot be forced to renege; therefore, in order to avoid a renege a player has the right of correcting the play before a book is closed. (This is the ONLY time a card may be corrected). Once the book is closed (turned over) however, the play may not be corrected. All players have the right to ask to see a book BEFORE it is closed. The card that was missed played remains face up on the table and must be played at the first opportunity. If a card or cards are inadvertently dropped on the table face up (it, they) remain on the table and must be played at the first opportunity.
PLEASE NOTE: CALLING A RENEGE IS THE ACT OF A SINGLE PERSON, NOT THE TEAM THERE IS TO BE NO DISCUSSION BETWEEN TEAM MEMBERS WHETHER OR NOT TO CALL THE RENEGE OR WHAT PROVES THE RENEGE. Any discussion between team members regarding the renege is considered "Table Talk” and will result in the opponents receiving a warning for conduct. If you have questions about what a renege is, or how to call it during tournament play, please call a referee or tournament director to your table!
CALLING A RENEGE:
When a player wishes to call a renege. He/she is to let the other players at the table know that they are calling a renege. At that time the players are to immediately stop play and wait for the player to call a tournament director over to verify the renege.
When the tournament director is at the table the player is to tell the TD:
What type of renege it is.
What two cards are in the book to prove the renege. The TD will then look through the books to verify or deny the renege.
It is the responsibility of each team to collect books in a manner that allows the tournament director to determine if a renege has occurred. It is suggested that every other book be turned at right angles to each other with one player from each team collecting their books. If the books are not collected in a manner to allow the TD to make a determination the renege will be up held and the offending team or teams will receive a warning for conduct.
Do not call a renege on yourself.
“BOSTON"
If a team pulls all 20 tricks in a hand it is a Boston. (Call a Tournament Director to the table PRIOR TO PLAYING THE LAST CARD to verify the Boston).
The Team pulling a Boston will be awarded 250 bonus points for the Boston.
Example: Before the hand the team has a total score of 320.
They have 60 meld when they pull the Boston
Their new score would be 320 + 60 (meld) +50 (tricks pulled) =430 +250 bonus. Total score would be 680. A Tournament director must verify the Boston to receive the bonus points
SCORING
One player from each team will keep score; scorers should confer scores after each hand. When all the cards have been played, each team counts the points in the tricks they have won. If the bidding side took in meld and tricks (at least 20) and at least as many points as they bid, then they are considered to have made their bid and can add their meld and tricks pulled to their cumulative score. If the non bidding team pulls 20 tricks, then that is added to their cumulative score along with their meld (providing the meld is equal to or greater then 20).
If the bidding partnership does not "make" the bid (i.e., their meld and trick points do not equal or surpass their bid), they have been "set". In this case, they score nothing for their meld and tricks, and instead the amount of their bid is added to the opposing teams score.. The non-bidding partners get to keep their meld and trick points. (If they had 20 meld points and pulled 20 tricks).
Meld can only be scored by a side whose meld is worth at least 20 points.
Before laying down their meld each player announces its value, and if the total for a team is less than 20, they cannot lay down or score any meld for that hand. Furthermore, a team that does not take at least 20 points in the play cannot score anything for the hand - their meld is disregarded.
If the bidding side fails to reach 20 in meld they automatically lose the bid without playing, but the bidder must still name a trump suit and in this case the opposing team score their meld provided that it is worth at least 20, and the amount of the bid without the requirement to take at least 20 in tricks.
If the bidding team takes less than 20 points in tricks, the bid automatically fails (however much meld they had) and their bid is added to opponents score. If it is evident before play begins that the bidding side cannot make their bid, either because the bidder does not have a marriage and so cannot make trumps, or because having made trumps, the bidding side has less than 20 meld . The non bidding side adds the value of the bid to their score. The cards are not played and the opponents score their meld (if it is at least 20) in addition to the value of the bid. If trumps have been made, the cards are played and the opponents score as usual according to the tricks they win.
At the end of a game, players will sign each others score sheet and both score sheets will be turned in to the Tournament Recorder.
PROGRESSIVE SCORING
We will use progressive scoring as outlined below:
At no time will a team have to subtract from their score. Penalties for sets, renege etc, will have points added to the team’s score not committing the set renege etc.
Example 1: Bid is dumped on the dealer and dealer has no marriage, then opposing team is awarded 50 points.
Example 2: Bid is dumped on the dealer and dealer has a marriage but team does not have 20 meld, then opposing teams gets 50 points plus their meld if over 20.
Example 3: A team fails to pull 20 ( or sufficient number to make bid ) then opposing team gets the amount of the bid plus their meld (if over 20) plus the amount of tricks pulled (if over 20).
Rememer, the Round ends when Team scores 500 Points, or time expires, which ever occurs First!
THIS AN ADULT EVENT! PLAY HARD, PLAY FAIR, HAVE FUN & GOOD LUCK!
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