Rules for Euchre

Euchre is a popular trick-taking card game that originated from the Alsatian game Juckerspiel. The game came to America with German immigrants in the 19th century and was once considered the USA's national card game. It remains widely played in the Midwest, Canada, and Great Britain.

Euchre is a team game for 4 players (2 teams of 2 players each) using a reduced deck of 24 cards. The goal is to win at least 3 of 5 tricks each round and be the first team to reach 10 points!

Euchre is played with 24 cards - only 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace of each suit (♣️♦️♥️♠️). Remove all cards from 2 to 8 from a standard deck.

The four players form two teams, with partners sitting opposite each other at the table. Who deals first is determined by drawing cards - lowest card deals first.

Cards are dealt clockwise, and each player receives 5 cards. The dealer may deal either 3-2 or 2-3 cards per round but must stick to the same pattern throughout the deal. The 4 remaining cards are placed face down, and the top card is turned face up.

In Euchre, the trump suit has a special ranking that differs from the other suits:

• Right Bower: The Jack of the trump suit - highest card
• Left Bower: The Jack of the same color as trump (red or black) - second highest
• Rest of trump: Ace, King, Queen, 10, 9

In the other suits, cards rank normally: Ace (highest), King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9. Note that the suit with the same color as trump is missing its Jack (it has become the Left Bower).

Example: If ♥️ is trump, ♥️ Jack is the highest card, ♦️ Jack is second highest, then ♥️ Ace, ♥️ King, etc.

After dealing, a bidding round begins to determine the trump suit:

First round: Starting with the player to the dealer's left. Each player can either "order up" the turned card (accept its suit as trump) or pass. If someone orders it up, the dealer takes the turned card and discards another card. The team that chose trump is called the "makers" and must win at least 3 tricks.

Second round: If everyone passes in the first round, there's another round where players can choose a different suit as trump (not the suit of the turned card). In many variants, the dealer must choose trump if everyone else passes ("Stick the dealer" rule).

The player who chooses trump can decide to "go alone". Their partner then lays down their cards and doesn't participate in the round. This provides an opportunity for extra points:

• Alone and takes 3-4 tricks: 1 point
• Alone and takes all 5 tricks: 4 points

Playing alone is risky and requires a very strong hand, but can yield big rewards!

The player to the dealer's left (or to the left of someone playing alone) leads the first card. Play proceeds clockwise.

Rules for trick-taking:

• You must follow the suit that was led if you can
• If you don't have the suit, you may play any card
• The highest card of the led suit wins the trick, unless someone has trumped
• The highest trump card always wins
• The winner of the trick leads the next card

Important: The Left Bower (the Jack of the same color as trump) counts as trump for all purposes!

Points are awarded based on who chose trump (the makers) and how many tricks they take:

• Makers take 3-4 tricks: 1 point
• Makers take all 5 tricks ("march"): 2 points
• Makers take fewer than 3 tricks ("euchred"): Opponents get 2 points
• Playing alone and takes 3-4 tricks: 1 point
• Playing alone and takes all 5 tricks: 4 points

First team to 10 points wins the game!

An elegant way to keep score is with cards not used in the game (2-8):

• Use a 3 and a 4 as markers
• For 1 point: Place the 4 face down on the 3, with one pip showing
• For 2 points: Place the 3 face down on the 4, with two pips showing
• For 3 points: Place the 3 face up on the 4
• For 4 points: Place the 4 face up on the 3
• Continue similarly up to 10 points

There are many variations of Euchre:

• With Joker: Some play with a Joker as the "best bower" - highest trump card
• 32-card version: Includes 7s and 8s for more uncertainty
• Railroad Euchre: Played to 10 points with special rules for faster play
• Bid Euchre: Players bid on the number of tricks they can take
• Buck Euchre: Each player for themselves, not team play
• Three players: A variant where the maker plays against the other two

Here are some useful tips for succeeding at Euchre:

• As dealer, remember you get the turned card if it's chosen as trump
• Generally, you should have at least 2-3 trump cards to choose trump
• Go alone only with very strong hands (both bowers and an ace is a good start)
• If you chose trump, often lead with your highest trump to draw out opponents' trumps
• Keep track of which cards have been played - especially the bowers
• As defenders, try to "euchre" the makers through smart play
• Communicate with your partner through the cards you play
• Be aware of the score situation - the risk may be worth it near 10 points