Pinochle is a card game that is played with 48 cards and is usually played by two to four players. The term 'MELDS' refers to the combination of cards that can be used to score points in the game. MELDS are made up of three or more cards of the same rank, such as three queens, or a run of three or more cards of the same suit, such as four clubs. Pinochle scores are the total number of points earned by each player during the game.