As you notice my handle is deadeye61. Deadeye was a nickname given to me by my best friend in high school. He and I were on the varsity rifle team. Sixty-one was the year I learn pinochle. I learn pinochle on a ship by some Marines in 1961 sailing around the Dominican Republic after the assassination of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina. It was my first time on a ship. We were on the water for twenty days before they told us where we were. For me the water was just water and it was all around us, far as I could see. I had no clue what body of water. It was a little stressful, especially on the 3rd day. I came top side that morning, looked around and counted fifty-three military ships of all kinds. I ask myself, where in hell are we going. Now for people that don’t know about being on a ship. The 3rd day is usually when everybody gets they sea legs. Now it's time to figure out what to do with all this spare time, read a book, write a letter or play some cards. I saw some guys playing a card game that I was not familiar with ( Double-Deck Pinochle ), but some parts of it did look familiar to a game that I played well back in my neighborhood. I learn this game from some Afro-Americans in my neighborhood. Bid-Whit was the game. I watched for a few days and then got a partner and just sat down and played. The only things I was really worried about, was how to count my meld, plus how to bid and play well enough to impress the other players. Playing well enough was my most concerned because nobody played this game for free. The standard game was: penny a point, dollar a set. I only made seventy-five dollars a month. So if you didn't play well, nobody would take you as a partner. The word got around quickly on how you played. I caught on to the game quickly, but I made lots of mistakes on the basic plays and the rules. After I was told or taught I was able to reestablish my status with the guys. My partners were really good in showing me how to play, every phase of the game.
Phases of the game: bidding, how to read the meld cards laid out, how to play if you made trump, how to play if you are the partner of the player that made trump, how to play if your team didn't make trump and few other tricks under other circumstances. I come to realize all card game revolve around MATH. Probability - the extent to which something is probable; the likelihood of something happening. Probability is the key to pinochle, plus skill. Skill - the ability to do something well.
I have come to this site in the hope to play some skillful and honest pinochle games. Plus to share my skills with others.
Pogo and Yahoo are hard places to play. Weak players, cheats and egos. Semper Fi, deadeye61
