How to Play Euchre

Overview & Objective

Euchre is a fast four-player game played in two partnerships, with partners sitting across from each other. Each hand is just five tricks, so games move quickly. One suit becomes trump for the hand, and the side that chooses trump tries to win the majority of tricks. The first partnership to 10 points wins.

The Deck & Deal

• Deck: 24 cards — 9, 10, J, Q, K, A in every suit.
• Players: 4, in 2 fixed partnerships.
• Deal: 5 cards to each player.
• The up-card: The next card is turned face-up. Its suit is the candidate for trump in the first bidding round.

Trump & the Bowers

Trump beats every other suit. The two most important cards are the bowers:

• Right bower — the Jack of the trump suit. The highest card in the game.
• Left bower — the Jack of the other suit of the same color. It becomes a trump card and is the second-highest card.

So if hearts are trump, the trump ranking from the top is: J♥ (right bower), J♦ (left bower), then A, K, Q, 10, 9 of hearts. Remember the left bower is no longer a diamond for the rest of the hand. The card ranking chart lists the order for all four trump suits.

Choosing Trump (Bidding)

1. Round 1: Starting to the dealer's left, each player may accept the up-card's suit as trump, or pass. An opponent of the dealer orders it up, the dealer's partner assists, and the dealer picks it up. Whichever it is, the dealer adds the up-card to their hand and discards one card face down.
2. Round 2: If all four pass, the up-card is turned down. Now each player, again starting left of the dealer, may name any other suit as trump, or pass. If everyone passes again, many tables throw the hand in and the deal moves on. On CardCouch the dealer must name trump instead (stick the dealer, always on), so when you deal and the bidding comes back to you, the Pass button reads "Must name trump".
3. Whichever side names trump becomes the makers and must win at least 3 tricks.

Going Alone

When you name trump you may declare that you are going alone. Your partner sets their cards down and sits out the hand. If you then sweep all 5 tricks by yourself you score 4 points — the single biggest score in Euchre.

Playing the Tricks

1. The player to the dealer's left leads the first trick.
2. You must follow the led suit if you can (remember the left bower counts as trump, not its printed suit).
3. If you can't follow, play anything, including a trump.
4. The highest trump wins the trick; if no trump was played, the highest card of the led suit wins.
5. The winner leads the next trick. There are 5 tricks in all.

Scoring

• Makers take 3 or 4 tricks: 1 point.
• Makers take all 5 (a march): 2 points.
• Going alone and taking all 5: 4 points.
• Going alone and taking 3 or 4: 1 point.
• Makers euchred (fewer than 3 tricks): opponents score 2 points. A euchred loner still costs 2.

First partnership to 10 points wins the game.

Frequently Asked Questions

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