Euchre

Overview

A trick-taking game for four in partnerships, played with a stripped deck of twenty-four cards. Fast, loud, and built around a single quirk: the bowers.

No governing body publishes rules for this game. This page describes the most common form. House rules vary, so agree them before you start.

1. The deck

Only 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace in each suit — 24 cards.

Partners sit opposite. Deal five cards each in packets of two and three, then turn the next card face up.

2. The bowers — the rule that defines the game

When a suit is trumps, the two jacks of that colour change identity:

• The right bower is the jack of the trump suit. It is the highest card in the game.
• The left bower is the jack of the same colour. It becomes a trump, second highest, and is no longer a member of its printed suit.

So if hearts are trumps, the ranking is:

J♥ (right bower) · J♦ (left bower) · A♥ · K♥ · Q♥ · 10♥ · 9♥

And diamonds now has only six cards, because its jack has defected.

This catches every new player. If hearts are trumps and a diamond is led, the jack of diamonds cannot be played as a diamond — it is a heart.

3. Bidding

Round one. Starting left of the dealer, each player may order up the turned card, making its suit trumps. The dealer then picks it up and discards.

Round two. If all pass, the turned card is set aside and each player may name any other suit as trumps.

If all pass again, the hand is thrown in and redealt — or, under stick the dealer, the dealer is forced to choose.

4. Going alone

The player who calls trumps may go alone, playing without their partner, whose cards are set aside.

5. Play and scoring

Follow suit if you can. Highest trump wins, or highest card of the led suit.

Outcome	Points
Making side takes 3 or 4 tricks	1
Making side takes all 5 — a march	2
Going alone and taking all 5	4
Defenders take 3 or more — a euchre	2 to the defenders

Games are played to 10 points.

Being euchred is the thing to avoid: calling trumps on a weak hand and failing hands two points to the opposition.

Commonly argued

• The left bower is a trump, not its printed suit. The single most misunderstood rule in the game.
• The right bower beats the ace of trumps.
• Getting euchred gives the opposition two points, not one.
• Going alone and sweeping scores four, which is how games are won quickly.
• Stick the dealer is optional. Agree beforehand.