Players
Euchre is typically played with 4 participants, in teams of 2 against 2.
(Other variants exits, but they will not be covered here.)
The Deck
24-card deck: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9 (spades, hearts, clubs, diamonds)
Object of the Game
Win at least three (3) tricks. See scoring below.
Card Ranking
This is unique to Euchre. When a player names trump, the Jack of that suit becomes the highest ranking card, called the RIGHT BOWER. The Jack from the same color becomes the 2nd highest card, called the LEFT BOWER. The remaining cards rank in order – A, K, Q, J, 10, 9.
For example, if “Hearts” is named Trump the card ranking becomes: Jack of Hearts (Right Bower), Jack of Diamonds (Left Bower), with all other cards ranking in order – A, K, Q, J, 10, 9.
Deal
The dealer shuffles the cards, offers a cut to the player on their right, then deals starting with the player on the left. 5 cards are dealt to each player, in groups of 3 and 2. After the cards are dealt to the players, there will be 4 cards remaining. They are often referred to as the “kitty”. The top card is turned over, and the bottom 3 cards are NOT exposed.
Making Trump
Now that all players have 5 cards, the first round of bidding starts with the player to the left of the dealer. If that player cannot name the exposed suit trump, bidding continues around the table. If any of the remaining players name the exposed suit trump, the dealer takes that card into his hand, discards another card (not to be exposed), and play begins.
If all 4 players reject that suit as trump, the exposed card is turned down. This starts the second round of bidding. The player to the dealer’s left can now name a trump suit. However, the suit that was turned down CANNOT be named again. If the first player cannot name trump, the bidding goes around the table to the remaining players.
Play
The opening lead is made by the player to the dealer’s left. (The one exception is if their partner goes alone). Each player– IN ORDER– plays a card. Rule #1, you must follow suit. If you do not have the suit that was led, then any card may be played. The next lead is by the winner of the last trick.
Playing Alone
If the player who makes trump believes it will be to their advantage to play without the help of their partner, they can exercise the option of “going alone” by declaring “alone” distinctly at the time of making trump. This is called a “loner” hand. The partner then turns their cards down and does not participate in that round of play.
Euchre
If the team or player going alone do not win at least (3) tricks, they are “euchred.” This is called a Euchre.
Scoring
- Team making trump win 3 or 4 tricks: 1 point
- Team making trump wins all 5 tricks: 2 points
- Lone hand wins 3 or 4 tricks: 1 point
- Lone hand wins all 5 tricks: 4 points
- Team making trump or lone hand euchred: Opponents receive 2 points
Misplays
In many groups, misplays in Euchre result in the opposing team receiving points. Check with your group to see how strictly these rules are enforced.
- A player reneges; i.e., does not follow suit (very common for beginners not recognizing the left bower): Opposing team receive 2 points
- A player plays out of turn: Opposing team receives 2 points
- A player bids out of turn: Opposing team receives 2 points (this rule is rarely enforced)
- A player makes one of the above errors when a player from the opposing team is “going alone:” Opposing team receives 4 points
“Table talk” is considered a form of cheating. You must not share/discuss card information with your partner. This also includes silent signals, gestures, and even long hesitations. Take care to avoid anything that can possibly describe your hand to your partner. During the bidding process, limit your words spoken to “That’s Trump”, “Pick it up”, “Pass”, “Clubs/Diamonds/Hearts/Spades is Trump”.