Euchre Cheat Sheet
The whole game on one page: which card beats which, what each result scores, how the bidding goes, and the habits that win. Print it for the table or keep it open while you play.
Trump order, highest first
| Trump | 1. Right bower | 2. Left bower | 3 to 7 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ♥ Hearts | J♥ | J♦ | A♥ K♥ Q♥ 10♥ 9♥ |
| ♦ Diamonds | J♦ | J♥ | A♦ K♦ Q♦ 10♦ 9♦ |
| ♠ Spades | J♠ | J♣ | A♠ K♠ Q♠ 10♠ 9♠ |
| ♣ Clubs | J♣ | J♠ | A♣ K♣ Q♣ 10♣ 9♣ |
Suits that are not trump rank A, K, Q, J, 10, 9. The left bower is a trump card for the whole hand, so its printed suit has no Jack and only five cards. Any trump beats any card of another suit.
Scoring
| Makers take 3 or 4 tricks | 1 point |
|---|---|
| Makers take all 5 tricks (a march) | 2 points |
| A lone maker takes all 5 tricks | 4 points |
| A lone maker takes 3 or 4 tricks | 1 point |
| Makers take fewer than 3 (euchred) | 2 points to the defenders |
| Game | First team to 10 points |
How a hand goes
- The deal
- 24 cards (9, 10, J, Q, K, A of each suit). Four players in two partnerships, five cards each. The next card is turned face up; the other three stay in the kitty.
- Bidding, round 1
- Starting left of the dealer, each player may order up the turned card's suit as trump or pass. If it is ordered up, the dealer takes that card and discards one.
- Bidding, round 2
- If all four pass, the card is turned down and each player in turn may name any other suit. With stick the dealer, the dealer must choose if it comes back round.
- Going alone
- Whoever makes trump may play without their partner, who lays their cards down for that hand. The reward is 4 points for all five tricks.
- The play
- The player left of the dealer leads. You must follow the suit led if you can; the left bower belongs to the trump suit, not the suit printed on it. Highest trump wins the trick, otherwise the highest card of the suit led. The winner leads next.
Rules of thumb
- Order up with three trump, or two trump and an off-suit Ace. Count the turned card if your side gets it.
- Be bolder when your partner deals (they get the turned card) and more careful when an opponent does.
- In round 2, the suit of the same colour as the turned-down card ("next") is often strong for the team that did not deal.
- As the maker with two or more trump, lead your highest trump to pull the others out.
- As a defender, do not lead trump. Lead an off-suit Ace, or a low card from your shortest suit.
- Never trump your partner's winning card, and do not waste a bower on a trick your partner already has.
- Go alone with both bowers and another high trump, or the right bower, two more trump and an outside Ace, especially at 6 points or more.
- At 9 points, call anything reasonable: you need one point, and being euchred costs only two.
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Go deeper
Each line of this sheet has a full guide behind it: card ranking, scoring, the complete rules, when to order up, when to go alone, what to lead, the glossary and the variations (three-handed, two-handed, bid euchre). New to the game? Start with how to play Euchre.
Frequently asked questions
What is the order of cards in Euchre?
In the trump suit, from the top: the right bower (Jack of trump), the left bower (the other Jack of the same colour), then Ace, King, Queen, 10 and 9 of trump. In the other suits the order is Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, except that the left bower's own suit has no Jack for that hand.
How many points do you get for a loner in Euchre?
Four points if the lone player takes all five tricks. Taking three or four tricks alone scores just 1 point, the same as with a partner, and being euchred while alone still gives the defenders 2.
What does stick the dealer mean?
If every player passes in both bidding rounds, the dealer is not allowed to pass as well and must name a trump suit. It removes re-deals and is the rule used on CardCouch.
Is there a Euchre cheat sheet I can print?
Yes, this page. Press Print and the trump order, scoring table, the order of play and the rules of thumb come out on a single sheet, without the site's menus or colours.