Sport: 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.