The basic rule for hand evaluation is to count 20 pts. for each piece of trump (15 if 4 piece trump suit) in your hand and add to that number 20 pts. for each ace not in your trump suit; simple but effective.

The majority of hands will play to this number. Most of the time, you will make more than this number. However, there will be times you will make less. The accuracy of this system increases as the point increase. When your hand evaluates to a low number, you will most likely make more. When your hand evaluates to a high number, you will most likely make close to what you evaluated using this method.

This is a beta version and may contain errors. There is no help file so here are a few instructions.

Download the program at the link below and save it in a folder on your computer. It is a compressed file in Zip format so you will have to un-zip it. Double clicking on the file name should do that. Extract the compressed files into the same folder. Double Click Setup.exe file to start the installation. Follow the instructions to install.

Run the program from Start | Program Files | Pinochle Hand Evaluator folder. The program has the same name.

Clicking the Shuffle button deals new hands. If you check the Run To box, lower left and enter a number less than 200; the computer will shuffle hands until the meld is at least that number.

Placing the mouse over a hand evaluates that hand

Double clicking on a card of a suit names that suit Trump and re-evaluates the hand.

After naming trump, click the play button to play the hand. You have to play a card from each hand. Simply click the card you want to play of each hand in succession. I hope this program is of some use.

Steve

If not, you will have to download and install the entire complete install file. After doing this once, any updates will require only the EXE file.