NEW GAME

Check Pinochle combines pinochle's luck-of-the-draw fun with the thoughtfulness, but not the ultimate science, of bridge (see col. 1). A typical deal: North

- K Q << K 9 -f K A Q K J J 9 9 4 J 10 West 4 A East V Q J 10 10 - A K Q J 9 + -Q J -i A A 10 10 10 9 South -A K Q J 10 9 9 -A + << 9 K Q J

Points & Checks. Bidding is based on the number of points that a player can meld. Melds in Check include: four cards of a kind in different suits (four aces, 100); a flush (ace to ten in one suit), 150; a "marriage" (KQ of a suit), 20; a "pinochle" (Spade Q and Diamond J), 40. Bidding starts at 200 points, is raised in units of ten or more. A hand must be bid unless the player has no "marriage." A game ends when one team scores 1,000 points-- but the team to win is the one with the most "checks." Checks are given for 1) melds (four aces count two checks); 2) making a contract (a bid of 200 points, two checks); 3) defeating the opponent's contract (double the checks the declarers would have won) ; 4) reaching 1,000 points first (15 checks).

Bidding in the typical hand (above) :

North East South West 210 260 400 410 420 430 450 460 Pass Pass 470 480 Pass Pass 500 Pass Pass Pass

"Conventions" in this bidding:1) North's 210 opening showed that he had at least 100 in melds, but no powerful suit; 2) East's 260 signaled that he held four aces; 3) South's jump to 400 showed his flush and other strength; 4) West's raise to 410 indicated the strength of his own flush and partner's ace protection.

The Play showed three main differences from bridge: 1) South, claiming the contract at 500, declared spades trump (in Check, the trump is not announced until the contract is claimed); 2) South, leading the Spade ace won East's singleton Spade ace (in Check, the first ace wins the second; the first king, the second king, etc.), 3) honor cards taken in tricks counted in point score (in Check, aces and tens count ten, kings and queens, 5.; jacks, no count).

On the hand, North-South won 510 points, 21 checks; East-West 270 points, 4 checks.

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