What Does Euchred Mean?
You are euchred when your side names trump and then wins fewer than three of the five tricks. Your side scores nothing for the hand and the defenders score 2 points, as much as they would get for taking all five tricks with a trump of their own. Some players call it being “set.”
Play Euchre NowEuchred points in every situation
| Situation | Who scores | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Makers take 0, 1 or 2 tricks | Defenders | 2 |
| Lone maker takes 0, 1 or 2 tricks | Defenders | 2 (4 at some tables) |
| A lone defender euchres a lone maker (house rule) | Defenders | 4 |
| Three-handed Euchre, maker euchred | Each defender | 2 |
The first row is the one that matters in the standard game, and it is how CardCouch scores: 2 points to the defenders, whether or not the maker was alone. The makers' side of the table (1 for three or four tricks, 2 for a march, 4 for a lone march) is on the Euchre scoring page, and the three-player game is explained in three-handed Euchre.
What a euchre really costs
A euchre is worse than the 2 on the scoresheet suggests. Had the call worked you would have scored 1; instead the other side scores 2. That is a three-point swing in a game to 10. Two euchres hand your opponents nearly half a game without their ever naming trump.
It is also why Euchre is not a game of always bidding. The makers can only ever gain 1 or 2 points on an ordinary hand, and they risk 2 every time. Defending well, and taking the three tricks that set the makers, is worth exactly as much as a march.
Why players get euchred
- Counting on too much from partner. One trick from your partner is a fair hope. Two is a wish.
- Ordering up into an opponent's deal. The turned-up card goes to the dealer. If the dealer is an opponent, your call gives them a trump and a free discard.
- Trump without tricks. Three small trumps and no Aces often makes only two tricks once the bowers are out against you.
- Forced calls. With stick the dealer the dealer must name a suit after everyone passes, and with the dirty clubs house rule a turned-up club is forced on the dealer. A forced hand is, by definition, one that nobody wanted to call.
- Losing control of the hand. Makers who never lead trump let the defenders win small trumps separately by ruffing.
How to avoid being euchred
- Count tricks, not trumps. Before you call, find two tricks you expect to win yourself: a bower, a second high trump, an off-suit Ace. Then allow your partner one. If you cannot get to three, pass. The ordering-up guide goes through it seat by seat.
- Respect position. The same hand is a call when your partner deals and a pass when an opponent does.
- Lead trump when you made it and hold the high ones. Pulling the defenders' trumps turns your off-suit Aces into winners. See what to lead.
- Do not trump your partner's winner. A trick your side has already won does not need a second high card spent on it.
- In round two, think about next. The suit of the same color as the turned-down card is the call least likely to run into the dealer's bowers; see calling next.
When a euchre is an acceptable price
A player who is never euchred is passing too many hands, and every pass gives the other side a chance to name a trump that suits them. Reasonable calls will sometimes meet both bowers in one opposing hand. That is the cost of playing, not a mistake.
Experienced players occasionally take a euchre on purpose. If an opponent looks certain to go alone and a 4-point lone march would end or nearly end the game, ordering up a weak hand and losing 2 is the cheaper result. It is a late-game tactic, and only when the score makes 4 points decisive. The other side of that situation is covered in defending a loner.
Euchres on CardCouch
In CardCouch's Euchre you and a computer partner play two computer opponents to 10 points, with stick the dealer on. When a side that named trump takes fewer than three tricks, the status line announces “Euchred!” with the number of tricks the makers took, and the other side is given 2 points, alone or not. Playing a few games on the hardest of the three difficulty levels is a quick way to find out which of your calls are too thin.
Away from the card table the word has travelled: in everyday English to be euchred is to be outwitted, and in Australia and New Zealand it also means worn out.
Frequently asked questions
What does euchred mean?
Your side is euchred when it names trump and then wins fewer than three of the five tricks. The makers score nothing for the hand and the defenders score 2 points. Some players say the makers were set.
How many points do you get for euchring the other team?
Two points, the same as a march. It does not matter whether the makers took two tricks, one or none: a euchre is always 2 in the standard rules.
What happens if you get euchred while going alone?
In the standard rules the defenders score the usual 2 points; the lone player risks no more than a partnership does. Some house rules award 4 for euchring a loner, so check at a new table. On CardCouch it is 2.
Can the defenders be euchred?
No. Only the side that named trump can be euchred. If the defenders take two tricks or fewer, the makers simply score: 1 point for three or four tricks, 2 for all five, or 4 for all five alone.
Does it matter who ordered up the card?
Yes. The makers are the side of the player who ordered up or named trump, not the side of the dealer who picked the card up. If you order a card into an opponent's hand and then take only two tricks, your side is euchred.
Keep learning
Practice calling without the risk
Four-player Euchre against the computer. Free, no sign-up.
Play Euchre Free