Our family dinner is often parents + 1 kid. So we have modified the 3-handed card game Pinochle for dinnertime use with easier rules and more even scoring chances for a 3-deal match among three players. We have played this game for over 10 years now, and my youngest, in her 20's, says she finds the game "simple but infinitely variable".

Here are the (harrumph!) Official Rules of Dinner Pinochle (commentary below):

• Standard Pinochle deck, 48 cards 2 ea. of 9-A.
• Deal to left 16 ea. by 4's to 3 players (3 includes dealer).
• From dealer's left each player bids in turn greater of  250  or last bid + 10, or that player passes.
• All bids divisible by ten.
• If a player passes once, that player cannot bid further.
• If all pass, hand is tossed.
• If 3 deals consecutively are tossed, match is over for dinnertime.
• After hand is played, each one of A 10 K Q taken in tricks is worth 10 points.
• After hand is played, if bid is made, declarer scores tricks up to bid value, above which each A or 10 or K or Q taken in tricks over the bid scores 1 not 10.
• After hand is played, all other players score 10 ea. for each A 10 K or Q taken in tricks.
• If bid is not made, declarer is scored no trick points, instead the margin between the trick points declarer took and the bid is subtracted from the declarer's total score (which is his score before the bid plus any melds scored this hand).
• After the highest bid is passed by remaining bidders, declarer choses trump and all players score their melds by laying them face up on the table and leaving them there until they are played.
• Meld values as follows:
• 4 of a kind, A's (1 ea. suit) 100, K's (1 ea. suit) 80,  Q's (1 ea. suit) 60. 4 J's (1 ea. suit) 40.
• Two 4-of-a-kind melds by one player cannot share any cards.
• QS+JD is Pinochle 40.
• Trump sequence (all of A10KQJ of trump) 150. Marriage (KQ of suit) 20.
• Royal marriage (KQ of trump) 40.
• Royal marriage and trump sequence cannot both be scored by a player when sharing any card.
• "Dix (deese)", the 9 of trump, 10.
• Player left of dealer leads first and highest card (rank descends A-10-K-Q-J-9) in suit led wins unless trumped.
• Next player to left of leader follows suit, if able. If not, player must trump, if able. If not able to trump, player may throw any card. Ditto third player, in turn.
• Winner of trick leads next and play proceeds to left as before until hands are exhausted (16 tricks).
• Taker of last trick scores 10.
• Player with highest total score after 3 hands (or fewer, if 3 deals consecutively are tossed) wins.

Here are differences between Dinner Pinochle for 3 and Standard Pinochle as I understand them:

• In DP there is no widow as in SP to be taken up and exchanged for cards in the hand of the declarer.
•  In DP all players score melds, whereas in SP only declarer scores melds.
• In DP there is no settlement each hand, just a cumulative score with all players have a scoring chance each hand.
• In DP it is not incumbent upon the dealer to bid if no-one else does, as in SP.

The effect of these changes is a dinnertime game a little easier to play than standard pinochle, one in which all players are scoring each hand, and to which some fair resolution comes after three hands, playable in about the time it takes you to eat dinner in between playing hands.

And the absence of the widow hand of Standard Pinochle leaves room in the middle of the table for the dinner casserole.