After a player has won a trick and before drawing from the stock, he may meld any of the above combinations. To meld he places the cards face upwards on the table in front of him, where they remain until he decides to play them to a trick, or until the stock is exhausted.

Melding is subject to the three rules that follow:

Only one meld may be made at a turn.

For each meld, at least one card must be taken from the poker hand and placed on the table.

A card already melded may be melded again so long as it is in a different class, or in a higher-scoring meld of the same class. That is to say, if hearts are trumps a player may meld ♥ K, Q and score for the royal marriage, and later he may add ♥ a, 10, J and score for the sequence and later declare the royal marriage.

If dealer turns up a dis as the trump card he scores 10 points. Thereafter a player holding a dis may count it merely by showing it when winning a trick. He may count the dis and make another meld at the same time. After winning a trick, the holder of a dis may exchange it for the trump card.

The player who wins the twelfth trick may meld if he is able to. He then draws the last face-downwards card of the stock and must show it to his opponent. The loser of the trick takes the card exposed on the table.

The last 12 tricks are now played off. During this period of play a player must follow suit if he can to the card led; if he cannot he must trump the trick if he holds a trump. If a trump is led the second player must win the trick if he can.

Melds are scored when they are declared. The score for cards won in tricks are added after the hand has been played out; a total of seven, eight, or nine points is counted as ten.

Every deal may constitute a game, or the players may prefer that the poker winner will be he who first reaches an agreed figure.

At Pinocle skill and experience count for much. An ability to remember which cards have been played contributes much towards success.

When it comes to playing off the last 12 cards, the experienced player will never be in any doubt about which cards his opponent holds.

Thus, when playing to the last trick before the stock is exhausted, a player should be able to weight up the merits of winning the trick and melding, preventing his opponent from melding, or losing the trick and so obtaining the exposed trump card to add to his trump length in the final play off.