UPDATE: I want to make it clear that I do not play single deck pinochle. The app reviewed is a single deck app. Please bear this in mind when reading my critiques of the game’s capabilities and offerings. But I stand by the other parts of my review.
A lot of people find my blog because of the pages I have up on Pinochle (see the tabs at the top on my main page). So recently I was asked to review a Pinochle App on the iPad. I’m afraid this isn’t going to be a good review. For starters, this app doesn’t allow for the pinochle variation I actually know and play, the double deck, no nines variant. There is no way to turn off certain things, like passing of cards, a rule that is optional even in single deck games. And the artwork is right out of MS Paint, although, admittedly, artwork has little impact on gameplay. On top of that, the AI seems broken, always opting to pass. Or maybe because that’s because I tried to adjust the settings to be those for double deck. The app is called Pinochle Pro, but the icon is of an old man holding a card, so it may not be obvious what the game is. And for $3, there are better options, or at least cheaper options (including ad supported free options that actually do double deck) available in the App Store.
That said, no app will ever be better than teaching your friends and family and playing the real deal.
