HEY SPORTS FANS, we're back....................
Another Wednesday in the books, another snowstorm on the way.... WHAT THE @&%!
12 to 18 inches starting later tonight into and through late Friday morning. Oh well, the bright side, I laid in plenty of firewood, food and beverages (fill in beverage of your choice, we probably have it somewhere in the house) and we got class number three in the books. Tonight's blog will be a little verbose as we delve into bidding and some pinochle basics. So pour a drink, cozy up to the monitor and follow along...!
Got a "Hershisher" thrown at us tonight (Orel Hershisher, pitcher Texas Rangers threw a monster curve ball). Played Four Handed Pinochle, YIKES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, basics. Three handed, three people or two people and a dummy or kitty hand (refer to blog two) bidding starts at 15 and you play to 100. Four handed, four people, no dummy or kitty, bidding starts at 20 and you still play to 100.
Bidding: you count what's in your hand (meld - look this up on pinochle.com too long to explain here) and possible tricks (winning hands or rounds you'll take) in order to determine your bid. Example: I have four different aces (worth 10 points total) two marriages (King and Queen of the same suit worth two points each marriage, unless they are trump (trump, dominate suit, called by the bid winner, kills every other suit) marriages then worth four points each). So let's say I have four aces and two non-trump marriages, I have fourteen points in my hand so in three handed I'd have no trouble bidding 15 to start since I only have to take one trick to make my bid. If you don't make your bid you lose the bid number off your total score (this sucks) and you could go negative score. Look, I know I'm jumping around here, but if you read every blog I promise you, you'll be able to play basic pinochle. There are two kinds of bidding, Auction bidding, going around starting at fifteen until someone wins the bid (which could take awhile) or our favorite, Twice around. Starting with the dealer everyone bids once, unless everyone passes and then the dealer is stuck with the bid, or if someone bids high (let's say three handed with three people. Person to the left of the dealer bids fifteen, next person bids sixteen, dealer bids seventeen, it goes around again and if no one bids higher, seventeen wins). Get it? Come on, this isn't rocket science...... Well, four handed is the same starting at twenty.
Well................ we played and for the first time I was separated from my best friend. She was on another team. I was lost, I was lonely, I was naked (not really, you'd have seen a news report about a room full of people projectile vomiting) but anyway we were apart, sniff....
And..................I WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes believe it or not, my partner and I won four handed resoundly over our adversaries. Yep, I won, Huzzah huzzay, let the doves loose! My partner and I were able to work together to take tricks and win the match over our challengers who consistently had better hands. Why you ask? We both knew how to count and keep track of what was played. So back to an earlier tip. PLAY, PLAY, PLAY, the only way to get better.
So pinochle and snacks fans, we'll be playing through the next two days of snow and honing our skills. I/we sincerely hope we meet you in a dark alley one night, you holding your pinochle deck, looking for an easy mark and we are doing the "Crane Technique" ready to kick that deck out of your hands and win the match..... AHHHHHHHH hahahahahahahhahahahha.........cough, cough...
See you next Wednesday! Same Bat time, same Bat channel.....
PROUD MOMENT: Our son's 800 free relay team (swimming for you neophytes) set a new college record tonight!
TIP THREE: wait for your partner or your opponent to play, don't rush. You could throw away a card and lose a later trick that could cost you the game.
RECIPE THREE: Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Take a package of pita bread and slice them into 1/4 inch ribbons. Melt 1 and 1/2 sticks butter in a sauce pan, mix in Parmesan cheese (at least one cup) and dried oregano (at least 1/2 cup) and mix well. Mix cheese into butter in small batches to prevent clumping. Stir in oregano. Mix cheese, oregano and butter mixture with pita ribbons in a large bowl and spread on a cookie sheet covered with non-stick aluminum foil. Place in oven and check every three to five minutes. They will go from light brown (done) to charcoal in a flash due to the large amount of butter. Cool, place into a serving bowl and enjoy with an ice cold beer!
NEXT WEEK: Class four, more tips, more snow, and a beefy, sexy snack...!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Second class, tip(s), snow (arghhhh) and a snack
Well gang, we're back!
We survived Mother Nature's onslaught of snow (ample snow, 22 + inches between Wed and Thurs) and the requisite shoveling afterwards. During a break in the pinochle action at the family room coffee table we took a nice walk in the falling snow and admired the country side, adorned in it's new winter coat of beautiful white snow, reveling in the silence that only a good snow storm brings about. But our pleasure was soon cut down like Sonny Corleone in the Godfather as we realized that the "shortcut" we took through the field by the house was NOT such a good idea. We played more hands starting Wednesday and through to the weekend (Sunday) that we lost count of how long we actually played, but it was worthwhile. As with anything, the more you play the better you get, working on counting meld, cards played, cards remaining, etc.... http://www.pagat.com/marriage/pinmain.html
So here it is, Wednesday night and we just got back from class. Starting with a quick review from last week (actually two weeks ago) our instructor delved into counting meld and estimating tricks in your hand prior to bidding, Then how to decide what suit to declare trump (believe it or not, it's not always your strongest suit or the suit in which you hold the most cards.) The review session was worth it as it helped build confidence (well as least my confidence) in the ability to recall meld points, runs, marriages and meld pinochle (the Jack of diamonds and the Queen of spades together.) For some reason the pinochle combination always escapes my memory, kind of like trash night or what time we're supposed to be at the in-laws for dinner. ANYWAY............ I was impressed with myself (which doesn't take much these days) and with my lovely wife as we called out point values, marriages, runs, et al WITHOUT the aid of a cheat sheet as our instructor laid out sample hands. I/we were also able to spot marriages and runs pretty quickly and were even able to estimate possible tricks in a hand prior to bidding. So, what's my point? Practice makes perfect. Play, play, play, it's the only way to learn.
We broke into groups of three (except for the "showoffs" playing Double Deck, harumph...) and played "Three handed pinochle". Our third was a fun member of the class that matched my skill level, so with my wife being a little more skilled, it was still a pretty even table. In three handed, bidding starts at 15 and you play to 100. Sparing you all the details, I was able, despite being dealt several hands of crap to take the lead by making my bids (even when I got stuck with the bid), (more on that in a later blog) and generally feeling pretty good about myself. That is until my wife had 28 meld points in her hand, won the bid with 16 and pretty much crushed our third player and I into submission. On the following hand all she needed (after winning the bid again) was to take one trick to hit 100 and win the game. My new found confidence was smashed like the '61 Ferrari GT 250 in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I was reduced to being Ferris' hapless friend Cameron, knowing there was nothing I could do to reverse the carnage that had taken place. But all in all it was a fun evening and we all managed to learn something. So if your still here, here is this week's tip and recipe.....
TIP 2: Play three handed at home with a "dummy" hand and leave that hand face down, playing only the top card each time. Meld and bid, declare trump between you and your opposite player without looking at the hand. It becomes a random card generator that will challenge your skill and force you to count and remember cards played.
RECIPE 2: Mini Quiches. You cannot use a standard quiche recipe for this, it doesn't work. Coat the cups in a mini muffin pan with Pam spray. Using the recipe on a box of Bisquik, follow the instructions for the "Impossible Cheeseburger pie". With the following exceptions. Number one no ground beef and number two, no sauteed onions. Finely dice your onions, shred your Swiss cheese and crumble your cooked bacon. place a small amount of onions, cheese and bacon in the bottom of each muffin cup and pour about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of the liquid mixture in to each cup (don't over fill, they will over flow and make a real mess). Cook according to package directions checking every 3 to 5 minutes after the first 10 minutes of cooking time has elapsed. They will go from perfectly done to burnt to a crisp in a flash if your not careful. Remove from oven after the tops are a nice light brown and let cool for 10 or so minutes before removing from cups. For some variety, replace the bacon and Swiss with fresh steamed shrimp (cut into bite sized pieces) and shredded smoked Gouda or fresh steamed lobster tail (cut into bite sized pieces) and chopped Brie. Served with a crisp, cold Chardonnay these are fantastic!
NEXT WEEK: Class number three and yummy Pita snacks!
We survived Mother Nature's onslaught of snow (ample snow, 22 + inches between Wed and Thurs) and the requisite shoveling afterwards. During a break in the pinochle action at the family room coffee table we took a nice walk in the falling snow and admired the country side, adorned in it's new winter coat of beautiful white snow, reveling in the silence that only a good snow storm brings about. But our pleasure was soon cut down like Sonny Corleone in the Godfather as we realized that the "shortcut" we took through the field by the house was NOT such a good idea. We played more hands starting Wednesday and through to the weekend (Sunday) that we lost count of how long we actually played, but it was worthwhile. As with anything, the more you play the better you get, working on counting meld, cards played, cards remaining, etc.... http://www.pagat.com/marriage/pinmain.html
So here it is, Wednesday night and we just got back from class. Starting with a quick review from last week (actually two weeks ago) our instructor delved into counting meld and estimating tricks in your hand prior to bidding, Then how to decide what suit to declare trump (believe it or not, it's not always your strongest suit or the suit in which you hold the most cards.) The review session was worth it as it helped build confidence (well as least my confidence) in the ability to recall meld points, runs, marriages and meld pinochle (the Jack of diamonds and the Queen of spades together.) For some reason the pinochle combination always escapes my memory, kind of like trash night or what time we're supposed to be at the in-laws for dinner. ANYWAY............ I was impressed with myself (which doesn't take much these days) and with my lovely wife as we called out point values, marriages, runs, et al WITHOUT the aid of a cheat sheet as our instructor laid out sample hands. I/we were also able to spot marriages and runs pretty quickly and were even able to estimate possible tricks in a hand prior to bidding. So, what's my point? Practice makes perfect. Play, play, play, it's the only way to learn.
We broke into groups of three (except for the "showoffs" playing Double Deck, harumph...) and played "Three handed pinochle". Our third was a fun member of the class that matched my skill level, so with my wife being a little more skilled, it was still a pretty even table. In three handed, bidding starts at 15 and you play to 100. Sparing you all the details, I was able, despite being dealt several hands of crap to take the lead by making my bids (even when I got stuck with the bid), (more on that in a later blog) and generally feeling pretty good about myself. That is until my wife had 28 meld points in her hand, won the bid with 16 and pretty much crushed our third player and I into submission. On the following hand all she needed (after winning the bid again) was to take one trick to hit 100 and win the game. My new found confidence was smashed like the '61 Ferrari GT 250 in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I was reduced to being Ferris' hapless friend Cameron, knowing there was nothing I could do to reverse the carnage that had taken place. But all in all it was a fun evening and we all managed to learn something. So if your still here, here is this week's tip and recipe.....
TIP 2: Play three handed at home with a "dummy" hand and leave that hand face down, playing only the top card each time. Meld and bid, declare trump between you and your opposite player without looking at the hand. It becomes a random card generator that will challenge your skill and force you to count and remember cards played.
RECIPE 2: Mini Quiches. You cannot use a standard quiche recipe for this, it doesn't work. Coat the cups in a mini muffin pan with Pam spray. Using the recipe on a box of Bisquik, follow the instructions for the "Impossible Cheeseburger pie". With the following exceptions. Number one no ground beef and number two, no sauteed onions. Finely dice your onions, shred your Swiss cheese and crumble your cooked bacon. place a small amount of onions, cheese and bacon in the bottom of each muffin cup and pour about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of the liquid mixture in to each cup (don't over fill, they will over flow and make a real mess). Cook according to package directions checking every 3 to 5 minutes after the first 10 minutes of cooking time has elapsed. They will go from perfectly done to burnt to a crisp in a flash if your not careful. Remove from oven after the tops are a nice light brown and let cool for 10 or so minutes before removing from cups. For some variety, replace the bacon and Swiss with fresh steamed shrimp (cut into bite sized pieces) and shredded smoked Gouda or fresh steamed lobster tail (cut into bite sized pieces) and chopped Brie. Served with a crisp, cold Chardonnay these are fantastic!
NEXT WEEK: Class number three and yummy Pita snacks!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Our introduction
Sit tight as I muddle through this intro to our blog, "bird walking" like crazy.
As we enjoyed a cozy fire in our family room on this snowy day, (16 inches so far on top of the 12 that fell last Friday) my beautiful wife suggested, "Hey let's start a blog about our learning to play pinochle!" I smirked at her and replied that there are probably a thousand blogs about pinochle and who would want to read ours. She said, "You could add cooking tips or suggest homemade snacks that people could eat while playing cards!" This suggestion caught my attention as I love to cook. I love to create new tidbits to munch on, as crackers and cheese and pizza bagel bites can grow quite tiresome. So after doing some searching and finding no blog like this one, I sat down with a cup of tea and created this blog. I/we hope you enjoy reading our musings and trying my/our recipes!
Being fairly new "empty nesters" my wife looked for something to fill our down time. Looking through a learning annex publication she found Pinochle classes being given in the evening at the local high school. Advertising classes for "beginners to the most advanced players", lasting about 8 or so weeks we signed up with much eagerness. I have never played the game before, my wife played as a teenager but had not played for years. Our children, one graduated from college and already embarked on her career, the other a junior in a college 10 hours away had filled our evenings, weekends and just about every other free (or not free) moment with sports, practices, piano lessons, homework, etc, etc.... Not that I am complaining (well maybe a bit) we have been blessed with two of the greatest children in the world. But now they're gone and we are sometimes at a loss for something to do with our ample free time. (see I told you I would bird walk).
We attended our first class last week, eager and nervous as hell (well me anyway) and let me tell you, it was fun! Our instructors, a married couple, probably in their early (they look retired and happy, I'm being a gentleman and not speculating age) were very cordial and had the appearance of knowing exactly what they were doing with that ominous looking deck of cards on the table. They looked like a well-to-do couple you would see in a Rockwell print of couples playing cards at someone's home in the sixties. You know, the green felt topped table, cocktails served in tall glasses with the little wicker cozy around the base. Little silver bowls of assorted nuts and ashtrays adorn each table. Men wearing white shirts and ties, women wearing smart dresses and faux pearls. But I digress.... The ages in our group ranged from what we guessed to be mid 40's to mid 70's and ability ranged from the complete novice (me) to those wanting to polish their skills at "Double Deck" (what the hell is that?). An hour and one-half later we emerged with some new information, some new skills and eagerly awaiting our next class, which Mother Nature has canceled with her too deep blanket of snow.
So, you have the background, tune in for regular updates as we go to class, play at home, give some tips we've learned and work on our card skills. Along the way, we'll add new recipes or update classic recipes to enjoy with friends and family or just by yourselves as you play cards.
TIP ONE: Keep a "cheat sheet" next to you as you learn meld, runs and points (look these up on the internet under Pinochle rules). It helps cut down on frustration as you learn and makes playing more fun.
RECIPE ONE:
Finely crumble 10 of your favorite cookies in a plastic bag. Nutter Butters, Oreos or Thin Mints work great. Add one 8 oz. package of softened cream cheese and mix thoroughly. Roll mixture into 1" balls and chill in fridge for about 1/2 an hour. Remove from fridge and coat in chocolate chips melted in a double boiler. Chill again and enjoy.
NEXT WEEK: Class number two and mini-quiches at home on the weekend as we practice.
As we enjoyed a cozy fire in our family room on this snowy day, (16 inches so far on top of the 12 that fell last Friday) my beautiful wife suggested, "Hey let's start a blog about our learning to play pinochle!" I smirked at her and replied that there are probably a thousand blogs about pinochle and who would want to read ours. She said, "You could add cooking tips or suggest homemade snacks that people could eat while playing cards!" This suggestion caught my attention as I love to cook. I love to create new tidbits to munch on, as crackers and cheese and pizza bagel bites can grow quite tiresome. So after doing some searching and finding no blog like this one, I sat down with a cup of tea and created this blog. I/we hope you enjoy reading our musings and trying my/our recipes!
Being fairly new "empty nesters" my wife looked for something to fill our down time. Looking through a learning annex publication she found Pinochle classes being given in the evening at the local high school. Advertising classes for "beginners to the most advanced players", lasting about 8 or so weeks we signed up with much eagerness. I have never played the game before, my wife played as a teenager but had not played for years. Our children, one graduated from college and already embarked on her career, the other a junior in a college 10 hours away had filled our evenings, weekends and just about every other free (or not free) moment with sports, practices, piano lessons, homework, etc, etc.... Not that I am complaining (well maybe a bit) we have been blessed with two of the greatest children in the world. But now they're gone and we are sometimes at a loss for something to do with our ample free time. (see I told you I would bird walk).
We attended our first class last week, eager and nervous as hell (well me anyway) and let me tell you, it was fun! Our instructors, a married couple, probably in their early (they look retired and happy, I'm being a gentleman and not speculating age) were very cordial and had the appearance of knowing exactly what they were doing with that ominous looking deck of cards on the table. They looked like a well-to-do couple you would see in a Rockwell print of couples playing cards at someone's home in the sixties. You know, the green felt topped table, cocktails served in tall glasses with the little wicker cozy around the base. Little silver bowls of assorted nuts and ashtrays adorn each table. Men wearing white shirts and ties, women wearing smart dresses and faux pearls. But I digress.... The ages in our group ranged from what we guessed to be mid 40's to mid 70's and ability ranged from the complete novice (me) to those wanting to polish their skills at "Double Deck" (what the hell is that?). An hour and one-half later we emerged with some new information, some new skills and eagerly awaiting our next class, which Mother Nature has canceled with her too deep blanket of snow.
So, you have the background, tune in for regular updates as we go to class, play at home, give some tips we've learned and work on our card skills. Along the way, we'll add new recipes or update classic recipes to enjoy with friends and family or just by yourselves as you play cards.
TIP ONE: Keep a "cheat sheet" next to you as you learn meld, runs and points (look these up on the internet under Pinochle rules). It helps cut down on frustration as you learn and makes playing more fun.
RECIPE ONE:
Finely crumble 10 of your favorite cookies in a plastic bag. Nutter Butters, Oreos or Thin Mints work great. Add one 8 oz. package of softened cream cheese and mix thoroughly. Roll mixture into 1" balls and chill in fridge for about 1/2 an hour. Remove from fridge and coat in chocolate chips melted in a double boiler. Chill again and enjoy.
NEXT WEEK: Class number two and mini-quiches at home on the weekend as we practice.
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