How to play Euchre
Euchre is a quick trick-taking game for four players in two partnerships. Here you and Otto, across the table, play against Mabel on your left and June on your right. Each hand is only five tricks: the side that chooses trumps has to win at least three of them. The first side to 10 points wins.
The cards
Euchre uses 24 cards: the 9, 10, jack, queen, king and ace of each suit. Each player is dealt five. Of the four cards left over, one is turned face up and the other three are not used.
The trump suit has two special cards, the bowers:
- The right bower is the jack of trumps. It is the highest card in the hand.
- The left bower is the other jack of the same colour: with hearts as trumps, the jack of diamonds. It is the second-highest card, and for that hand it counts as a trump, not as a card of its own suit.
So trumps rank right bower, left bower, ace, king, queen, 10, 9. The other suits rank ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9. Once trumps are known, your hand is sorted with the trumps together on the right, strongest last.
Choosing trumps
Starting with the player to the dealer’s left, each player in turn may accept the suit of the turned-up card as trumps or pass.
- Order it up makes that suit trumps. The dealer picks up the turned-up card and throws one card away, face down. When you are the dealer the button reads Pick it up.
- If all four players pass, the card is turned down and there is a second round. Each player in turn may name any other suit as trumps, or pass.
- If the second round comes back to the dealer, the dealer must name a suit. This rule is called “stick the dealer”, and it means a hand is never thrown in.
The side that chose trumps are the makers for that hand. The word beside each name tells you that player’s part in the hand: dealer, pass, called, alone or sits out. The deal moves to the left each hand.
Going alone
If your hand is very strong, switch on Alone before you order up or name a suit. Your partner then puts their cards down and sits the hand out, and you play the two opponents by yourself for a bigger prize. The computer players can go alone too; when Otto does, you sit out. If the player sitting out is the dealer, the turned-up card stays on the table and nobody picks it up.
Playing a trick
- The player to the dealer’s left leads to the first trick. Play goes clockwise.
- You must follow the suit that was led if you can. Remember that the left bower follows trumps, not the suit printed on it.
- If you cannot follow, you may play any card, including a trump.
- The highest trump wins the trick; if no trump was played, the highest card of the suit led wins.
- The winner of a trick leads the next one.
When it is your turn, the cards you may not play are dimmed. With a mouse, click a card to play it or drag it onto the table. On a touch screen the first tap lifts the card and a second tap plays it.
Scoring
| Result of the hand | Points |
|---|---|
| Makers take three or four tricks | 1 to the makers |
| Makers take all five tricks | 2 to the makers |
| A maker playing alone takes all five | 4 to the makers |
| A maker playing alone takes three or four | 1 to the makers |
| Makers take fewer than three (they are “euchred”) | 2 to the other side |
The game ends as soon as a side reaches 10 points.
Tips for winning more often
- To order up you want about three likely tricks between you and your partner. Two good trumps and an ace in another suit is usually enough; your partner can be counted on for about one.
- Think about who gets the turned-up card. Ordering it into your partner’s hand helps your side; ordering it into an opponent’s hand gives them a trump, so you need a stronger hand to do it.
- In the second round, the other suit of the same colour as the turned-down card is often a good choice. The dealer’s side passed on that colour, so they probably do not hold its jacks.
- When your side made trumps, lead your best trump early to draw the others out. When you are defending, lead an ace in another suit instead.
- If your partner is already winning the trick, throw your weakest card and keep your trumps.
- Go alone only with a hand that can win the first three tricks by itself, such as both bowers and another high trump. Four points is worth chasing, but a partner’s one trick is often what stops a euchre.
How good are the computer players?
Mabel, Otto and June all play the same sensible game. They weigh their hand before ordering up, draw trumps when their side made them, lead aces when defending and leave a trick alone when their partner already has it. They see only what you would see in their seat. They do not signal to each other, and Otto does not know your hand.