Euchre Glossary
Every Euchre term explained — from the right and left bower to ordering up, going alone, getting euchred, and sticking the dealer.
Euchre is famous for its jargon. Much of it dates from the game's German and American roots (the word “bower” is from Bauer, farmer), and regional table talk has added plenty more. This glossary covers the standard terms you will hear at any table, plus the most common variant rules. For the full rules in context, see the how-to-play guide and the rules page; for how to use these ideas at the table, read the strategy guide.
Play Euchre NowA
- Ace-No-Face
- A hand containing an Ace but no face cards (Jack, Queen, or King). In some groups it counts as a misdeal; also called an "ace-no-face" call. Not part of standard rules.
- Alone
- See Going Alone. A player who declares alone plays the hand without their partner, who lays their cards face-down. Winning all five tricks alone scores 4 points.
- Assist
- What the dealer's partner does by ordering up the up-card in round one: the card goes to the dealer, on your own side, so an assist can be made on a lighter hand than an order-up from an opponent. Not used on its own for anyone else's call.
B
- Bagger
- A player who sandbags: passes a hand that could be called, hoping the opponents call it and get euchred, or that a better suit comes round in round two. Risky, because your partner may call on less or the dealer may pick up a bower.
- Benny
- In British Euchre, a joker added to the deck as the highest trump of all, ranking above the right bower. Also called the best bower. If the benny is turned up, the dealer names the trump suit, in the usual version before looking at their own cards. Not used on CardCouch.
- Bid Euchre
- A family of variants (including pfeffer and hasenpfeffer) in which players bid the number of tricks they will take instead of ordering up the turned card. The highest bidder names trump. See the Euchre variations guide.
- Bower
- Either of the two most powerful cards in a hand: the Jack of the trump suit (right bower) and the Jack of the other suit of the same color (left bower). The word comes from the German "Bauer", meaning farmer or peasant, the old name for the Jack.
C
- Calling Trump
- Naming the trump suit for the hand, either by ordering up the up-card in round one or by naming ("calling" or "making") a suit in round two. The player who calls trump and their partner become the makers.
- Counters
- The cards traditionally used to keep score: each team uses a 5 and a 4 (or two 5s), exposing pips to show points from 1 to 10. Not needed online — CardCouch keeps score for you.
- Cutthroat
- Three-handed Euchre with no fixed partners. The player who names trump plays alone against the other two, who partner for that hand only. A march usually scores 3 (some tables 2); a euchre scores 2 for each defender.
D
- Defenders
- The partnership that did not name trump. Defenders need only win three of the five tricks to euchre the makers and score 2 points.
- Defending Alone
- A house rule that lets one defender send their partner out when the maker goes alone. If the lone defender then euchres the loner, the defenders score 4 instead of 2. Not offered on CardCouch, where a euchre against a loner scores the usual 2.
- Dirty Clubs
- A regional house rule: when the turned-up card is a club, clubs are trump automatically and there is no bidding. In buck Euchre it means every player must stay in; in partnership play the dealer usually picks the club up, though whether they must varies. Some families use the name for the whole buck-Euchre game. Not used on CardCouch.
- Donation
- Ordering up on a weak hand, usually a turned-up bower or ace, to stop the dealer's side from going alone when the opponents are at 6 or 7 and a lone march would win them the game. You expect to be euchred for 2 and call it euchre insurance. Pointless at 8 or 9, where a euchre already wins them the game.
- Discard
- When the dealer picks up the up-card (after it is ordered up or they choose it themselves), they must discard one card face-down to return to five cards. The discard is never revealed.
E
- Euchre
- Besides being the game's name, a euchre is what happens when the makers fail to win at least three tricks. The defenders score 2 points, and the makers are said to have been "euchred". Pronounced YOO-ker; you will also see it written uker, yuker or euker.
- Euchred
- Having named trump and then failed to take three tricks. Being euchred gives the opponents 2 points — the same as if they had marched — so a bad call is expensive.
F
- Farmer's Hand
- A hand containing three or more 9s and 10s (some tables require all five). Under a house rule of the same name the player may declare it before bidding and exchange three of them for the three face-down kitty cards under the up-card, or, at other tables, call for a redeal. Not part of standard rules and not used on CardCouch.
- Following Suit
- Playing a card of the suit led when you hold one, which is mandatory. Remember the left bower counts as a trump, not its printed suit — if trump is led, you must play the left bower if it is your only trump.
G
- Going Alone
- Declaring that you will play the hand without your partner, who sets their cards aside. Only the player who called trump may go alone. Taking all five tricks alone scores 4 points; taking three or four scores 1; being euchred still gives the opponents 2.
- Going Under
- A house rule for a hopeless hand, usually three or more 9s and 10s: before bidding, the player puts three of those cards face-down under the kitty and takes the three face-down kitty cards under the up-card in exchange. Also called the farmer's hand rule. Some groups allow a redeal instead; many do not allow it at all.
- Green
- Slang for the two suits of the opposite color to trump, or, during round-two bidding, to the turned-down up-card. If a red card is turned down, clubs and spades are green, and "calling green" is another name for reverse next. A green ace is the safest off-suit ace to lead. See also Next and Reverse Next.
K
- Kitty
- The four undealt cards left after each player receives five. The top card of the kitty is turned face-up as the up-card. Also called the widow or the blind. Apart from the up-card, the kitty is never used.
L
- Lead
- The first card played to a trick. The player to the dealer's left leads the first trick of the hand (or the next player clockwise if that player's partner is going alone). The winner of each trick leads the next.
- Left Bower
- The Jack of the suit that shares a color with trump. For the whole hand it becomes the second-highest trump, outranking even the trump Ace. If hearts are trump, the Jack of Diamonds is the left bower and is no longer a diamond.
- Loner
- A hand played alone — see Going Alone. Also refers to the hand itself ("I've got a loner").
M
- Makers
- The partnership that named trump. The makers must win at least three of the five tricks or be euchred.
- March
- Winning all five tricks in a hand. A march by a partnership scores 2 points; a march by a player going alone scores 4. Also called a sweep.
- Misdeal
- A deal that must be thrown in and redealt — for example, when a card is exposed, a player receives the wrong number of cards, or a house rule such as farmer's hand is invoked. The same dealer usually deals again.
N
- Next
- Calling "next" means naming, in the second round of bidding, the other suit of the same color as the turned-down up-card; the turned-down suit's Jack becomes its left bower. Typically called by first seat: the dealer turned that card down, so the bowers of that color are less likely to be in the dealer's hand and more likely with first seat's partner.
O
- Off-Suit
- Any suit other than trump. Off-suit cards rank A, K, Q, J, 10, 9 as normal, and any trump beats any off-suit card. An off-suit Ace is a strong side card but can still be trumped.
- Ordering Up
- In the first round of bidding, telling the dealer to pick up the up-card, making its suit trump. An opponent of the dealer "orders it up"; the dealer's partner "assists"; the dealer simply "picks it up".
P
- Pass
- Declining to name trump on your turn. If all four players pass in round one, the up-card is turned down and a second round begins in which any other suit may be named.
- Pick Up
- What the dealer does by accepting the up-card in round one ("I'll pick it up" or "take it up"). The dealer adds the card to their hand and discards one. An opponent orders up and the dealer's partner assists; only the dealer picks up.
R
- Renege
- Failing to follow suit when you could have — also called a revoke. It is illegal. The commonest penalty is 2 points to the other side; whether the hand stops or is played out, and whether a loner changes the amount, varies by table. The commonest cause is forgetting that the left bower is a trump. It cannot happen on CardCouch, which only offers legal plays.
- Reverse Next
- Naming, in round two, a suit of the opposite color to the turned-down card; also called calling green. The natural call for the dealer's partner: the dealer turned the card down, so the same-color bowers are more likely with the opponents, while the dealer may well hold the other color.
- Right Bower
- The Jack of the trump suit — the highest card in the game for that hand. Nothing beats it. Holding the right bower is the single strongest reason to call trump.
S
- Screw the Dealer
- Another name for stick the dealer.
- Set
- Another word for euchred: the makers failed to take three tricks and the defenders score 2. "We set them" means "we euchred them."
- Stick the Dealer
- A common variant rule (also called screw the dealer): if the three other players pass twice and the dealer once, the dealer is forced to name a trump suit rather than throwing the hand in. It keeps the game moving and makes passing the second round a real decision. CardCouch always plays with it on.
- Steal the Deal
- A light-hearted house rule: if the player due to deal is slow to gather the cards, anyone may grab the deck and deal, and that deal stands. It exists only to keep the game moving.
- Sweep
- Another name for a march — winning all five tricks in a hand.
T
- Table Talk
- Any hint to your partner about your hand beyond the legal calls ("order it up", "pass", "alone"). Table talk is against the rules; in friendly games it is frowned on, in serious play it is penalized.
- Three-Handed Euchre
- See Cutthroat.
- Trick
- One round of play in which each active player contributes one card. The highest trump wins; if no trump is played, the highest card of the suit led wins. Five tricks are played per hand.
- Trump
- The suit named for the hand that outranks all others. Any trump beats any off-suit card, and within trump the order is right bower, left bower, A, K, Q, 10, 9.
- Turning It Down
- When the dealer, as the last to bid in round one, declines to pick up the up-card. The card is turned face-down and its suit may not be named in round two.
U
- Uker
- A phonetic spelling of Euchre (also yuker, euker, uka). Same game. The word is pronounced YOO-ker, and the odd spelling is why so many people search for it by ear.
- Under the Gun
- First seat, the player to the dealer's left, who bids first and leads first. Second seat is the dealer's partner, third seat the dealer's right, and the dealer is fourth. Third seat is the strictest place to order up, first seat next.
- Up-Card
- The card turned face-up from the kitty after the deal. Its suit is the proposed trump in the first round of bidding; if it is ordered up, the dealer adds it to their hand. Also called the turn-up or turned card.
V
- Void
- Having no cards of a particular suit. Being void in an off-suit is valuable because when that suit is led you may play a trump and win the trick.
Quick reference: trump ranking
With hearts as trump, high to low: J♥ (right bower), J♦ (left bower), A♥, K♥, Q♥, 10♥, 9♥. Every other suit ranks A, K, Q, J, 10, 9 — except that the left bower's suit (diamonds here) has only five cards for the hand, because its Jack is now a heart.
Frequently asked questions
What are the right bower and left bower in Euchre?
The right bower is the Jack of the trump suit and is the highest card in the hand. The left bower is the Jack of the other suit of the same color; it counts as a trump for the whole hand and ranks second, just below the right bower.
What does 'euchred' mean?
A partnership is euchred when it names trump but fails to win at least three of the five tricks. The opposing partnership scores 2 points.
What is a march in Euchre?
A march (or sweep) is winning all five tricks in a hand. It scores 2 points for a partnership, or 4 points for a player who is going alone.
What does 'stick the dealer' mean?
Stick the dealer is a variant rule where, if every player passes in both rounds of bidding, the dealer must name a trump suit instead of throwing in the hand.
What is a farmer's hand?
A farmer's hand is a hand containing three or more 9s and 10s (some tables say all five). Under some house rules the holder may exchange three of those cards for the three face-down kitty cards under the up-card, or ask for a redeal. It is not part of the standard rules and is not used on CardCouch.
What does going under mean in Euchre?
Going under is the house rule that lets a player with a farmer's hand (three or more 9s and 10s) put three of those cards face-down under the kitty and take the three face-down kitty cards under the up-card instead, before bidding starts. Some groups allow a redeal instead, and many do not use the rule at all.
Is it euchre or uker?
Euchre is the standard spelling; it is pronounced YOO-ker, which is why uker, yuker, euker and uka all turn up. They are all the same game.