The Indianapolis Pinochle and Bid Euchre Club

We play single deck pinochle every other Tuesday. We welcome new players and will coach you to get started or reacquainted with the game. Pinochle has some overlap with euchre but one thing that makes it unique is that the high bidder and his/her partner exchange 3 cards. There are some different strategies for doing that and it's a favorite part of the game for many players.

McAlister's is a great place to eat and play: good food, friendly staff, and a very nice room to ourselves. We've got the party room which is to the right of the counter where you order food. Entrance to restaurant is from the outside; no need to go inside the mall. Event start time listed as 5:30 start time but many folks come earlier to eat.

We do ask each attendee to toss a dollar in a hat for expenses - yes, we literally have a hat!

We welcome new players and are happy to coach you. We usually have at least one table of each game so you can play either game or both.

Pinochle
Pinochle offers a bit more challenge than euchre but most people pick it up quickly. One thing that makes it unique is that the high bidder and his/her partner exchange 3 cards. There are some different strategies for doing that and it's a favorite part of the game for many players. We play 8 hands or to 150 points.

Bid Euchre
Bidding
Each player has just one opportunity to bid, starting with the player to the left of the dealer, going around the table clockwise, and ending with the dealer. A bid is a number of tricks (one or more), which the bidding side contracts to win if they are allowed to choose trumps, and a proposed trump suit or 'high or low no trump' - for example '4 spades' or '5 no trump, high'. At your turn you must either pass or bid a larger number of tricks than the previous bid if any. If no one bids before the dealer, the dealer must bid. Any player can ‘shoot the moon’ (play without their partner). Their partner passes them 2 cards and they must discard 2 cards before play starts. If they take all the tricks, they score 25 points. If they lose one or more tricks they score minus 25 points.
Play
The highest bidder is declarer and the trump suit is the suit named in the bid. The high bidder leads the first trick. The rules of play are as in Euchre - you must follow suit, and if void of the suit led you may trump or discard at will. The left bower(s) count for all purposes as belonging to the trump suit. The first played of two equal cards beats the second.
Scoring
If the bidding side wins at least as many tricks as they bid, each side scores one point for each trick they won. If the bidding side fails to make as many tricks as they bid they are set, and lose the number of points equal to the number of tricks they bid. The other side scores one point for each trick they won. It is possible for a team's overall score to be negative.

Games consist of 8 hands with each player dealing twice. High score at the end of each game wins.

Winners stay at the table and losers move to the next table.
See you there!

DETAILS

Please buy food, drinks, or dessert to support the restaurant. We also ask that you pitch in $1.00 to help cover meet-up fees and supplies. If this is a problem, please discuss it with the event organizer.
Also note, there will be a container to tip our server. We ask that you also put $1.00 or more in there so we will continue to get good service and will be welcomed back.

Please update your RSVP to "Not Going" if you sign up and can't make it. This frees up a spot for someone else and also lets us know if you are coming.

It's important that you order food to support the restaurant and tip the servers well enough that we’re welcomed back without having to pay a significant fee to reserve a meeting room. We also ask that you pitch in $1.00 to help cover meet-up fees and supplies. If this is a problem, please discuss it with the event organizer. We wave this fee for first time attendees.

Bid Euchre

Bidding
Each player has just one opportunity to bid, starting with the player to the left of the dealer, going around the table clockwise, and ending with the dealer. A bid is a number of tricks (one or more), which the bidding side contracts to win if they are allowed to choose trumps, and a proposed trump suit or 'high or low no trump' - for example '4 spades' or '5 no trump, high'. At your turn you must either pass or bid a larger number of tricks than the previous bid if any. If no one bids before the dealer, the dealer must bid. Any player can ‘shoot the moon’ (play without their partner). Their partner passes them 2 cards and they must discard 2 cards before play starts. They can see the cards before they discard the 2 cards. If they take all the tricks, they score 25 points. If they lose one or more tricks they score minus 25 points.

Play
The highest bidder is declarer and the trump suit is the suit named in the bid. The high bidder leads the first trick. The rules of play are as in Euchre - you must follow suit, and if void of the suit led you may trump or discard at will. The left bower(s) count for all purposes as belonging to the trump suit. The first played of two equal cards beats the second.

Scoring
If the bidding side wins at least as many tricks as they bid, each side scores one point for each trick they won. If the bidding side fails to make as many tricks as they bid they are set, and lose the number of points equal to the number of tricks they bid. The other side scores one point for each trick they won. It is possible for a team's overall score to be negative.

Game Length
Games consist of 8 hands with each player dealing twice. High score at the end of each game wins.

Winners stay at the table and losers move to the next table.

See you there!

We welcome new players and are happy to coach you. We usually have at least one table of each game so you can play either game or both.

Pinochle
Pinochle offers a bit more challenge than euchre but most people pick it up quickly. One thing that makes it unique is that the high bidder and his/her partner exchange 3 cards. There are some different strategies for doing that and it's a favorite part of the game for many players. We play 8 hands or to 150 points.

Bid Euchre
Bidding
Each player has just one opportunity to bid, starting with the player to the left of the dealer, going around the table clockwise, and ending with the dealer. A bid is a number of tricks (one or more), which the bidding side contracts to win if they are allowed to choose trumps, and a proposed trump suit or 'high or low no trump' - for example '4 spades' or '5 no trump, high'. At your turn you must either pass or bid a larger number of tricks than the previous bid if any. If no one bids before the dealer, the dealer must bid. Any player can ‘shoot the moon’ (play without their partner). Their partner passes them 2 cards and they must discard 2 cards before play starts. If they take all the tricks, they score 25 points. If they lose one or more tricks they score minus 25 points.
Play
The highest bidder is declarer and the trump suit is the suit named in the bid. The high bidder leads the first trick. The rules of play are as in Euchre - you must follow suit, and if void of the suit led you may trump or discard at will. The left bower(s) count for all purposes as belonging to the trump suit. The first played of two equal cards beats the second.
Scoring
If the bidding side wins at least as many tricks as they bid, each side scores one point for each trick they won. If the bidding side fails to make as many tricks as they bid they are set, and lose the number of points equal to the number of tricks they bid. The other side scores one point for each trick they won. It is possible for a team's overall score to be negative.

Games consist of 8 hands with each player dealing twice. High score at the end of each game wins.

Winners stay at the table and losers move to the next table.
See you there!

DETAILS

Please buy food, drinks, or dessert to support the restaurant. We also ask that you pitch in $1.00 to help cover meet-up fees and supplies. If this is a problem, please discuss it with the event organizer.
Also note, there will be a container to tip our server. We ask that you also put $1.00 or more in there so we will continue to get good service and will be welcomed back.

Please update your RSVP to "Not Going" if you sign up and can't make it. This frees up a spot for someone else and also lets us know if you are coming.