Description

Snozzle is a 4-player card game that utilizes a Pinochle deck, bidding, trump suits, taking tricks, and teams (two people per team, the person across the table from you is your teammate). The goal of the game is to be the team that reaches 52 points. In the even that both teams reach 52 tricks during the same hand, the team that won the bid during the final hand is the winner.

Using a Pinochle deck (with no Jokers), the dealer deals 3 cards face down to each person, clockwise starting with the player to the left, until all cards have been dealt. Each player then picks up their hand and sorts the cards by suit and value. Jacks in the Trump Suit (known as "Right" Jacks) are the highest value, Jacks in the same color but different suit as Trump (known as "Left" Jacks, or "Bowers") are second highest value cards, and opposite colored Jacks (no special name) are valued as normal. In all other suits, the Ace is the highest value with 9 being the lowest.

Each person bids only once, starting with the player to the left of the dealer, as an estimate of how many tricks they think they can take as a team (do not declare a suit, only a number). If the person bidding is the first person of the team, they may bid a "signal bid" to help their teammate bid higher (see below for signal bids). You may only bid if you bid higher than the person who bid before you. Otherwise you must say "pass." After all 4 players have bid or passed, the highest bidder wins the power to pick the suit of trump (which affects the value of Jacks and of the trump suit). The bidder then starts by playing a card. If "no trump" is chosen, aces are the highest value of card, but the person to the right of the winning bidder starts. Unlike other games, such as Bridge, all suits are considered equal, except for that of trump, and the "left" Jacks.

As the first card is played, each player must follow suit if able (note: "Left" Jacks become the suit of trump and no longer qualify as being of their original suit. These Jacks are called "Bowers"). After each player has played a card, the highest card in the suit wins the trick. If you are unable to follow suit, you may play trump, which automatically becomes the winning suit. A higher trump card can win, but all players must follow the suit that was lead.

After the trick is taken, the player who took the trick may lead the next trick with the card of his/her choice. If you win the number of tricks you bid (or more), you team is awarded a point for each trick taken. The team that did not win the bid also receives a point for each trick taken. If the team that won the bid does not take enough tricks equal to or greater than the number bid, they are "set." They receive a negative score equal to their bid. The other team is scored as normal.

Signal Bids:
1-4 (I have X number of aces in my hand. If you have more than 4 aces, you should either bid 4 to signal aces or bid 6+ to win the bid and possibly choose "no trump" as the suit of power.)
5 (I have at least 1 black and at least 1 red jack in my hand. This shows trump power/support to your partner if they are to win the bid and choose the suit of trump.)
6-12 (I can take X number of tricks, but can only do so in my suit of choice. This is a bid that attempts to win the bid rather than signal your teammate. However, a bid of 6 shows your partner that you may have some Jacks, but they are of one color and you don't have much supporting power)

A winning bid is usually a 7 or 8 or an occasional 9 or 10 bid. 6 bids rarely win, and 11/12 bid hands are difficult to come by, though entirely possible.

Historical note: I have never found the name or rules for this game to be published in any book or website, and I have only ever found players of this game in the state of Minnesota, usually by elderly people in rural areas. It may be of Scandinavian or German heritage.