Calling Next in Euchre
"Next" is the suit of the same color as the turned-down up-card: a heart turned down makes diamonds next. Calling it in round two works best for the non-dealing team, because the dealer's side has just passed on that color and so probably holds neither of the Jacks that become the bowers in next.
Play Euchre NowRule of thumb
Opponents of the dealer call next; the dealer's side crosses the color. In first seat, a bower and an Ace, or any two trumps in next with a side trick, is enough to call. On the dealer's side, look to the other color and call it on real strength.
Which suit is next
When all four players pass in round one, the dealer turns the up-card face down and a second round begins in which any other suit may be named. That leaves three choices: one suit of the same color (next) and two of the opposite color (reverse next, or "crossing").
| Turned down | Next | Bowers in next | Reverse next |
|---|---|---|---|
| ♥ Hearts | Diamonds ♦ | J♦ and J♥ | Clubs ♣ or Spades ♠ |
| ♦ Diamonds | Hearts ♥ | J♥ and J♦ | Clubs ♣ or Spades ♠ |
| ♠ Spades | Clubs ♣ | J♣ and J♠ | Hearts ♥ or Diamonds ♦ |
| ♣ Clubs | Spades ♠ | J♠ and J♣ | Hearts ♥ or Diamonds ♦ |
The third column is the whole point. The two Jacks that are bowers in next are exactly the two Jacks that would have been bowers in the suit that was just refused. If the bowers are new to you, the guide to the right and left bower explains why a Jack changes suit.
Why next favors the non-dealing team
Think about what a pass in round one says. The dealer was offered a free trump and the chance to discard a weak card, which is the easiest call in the game. A dealer holding the Jack of the up-card suit, or the other Jack of that color, nearly always takes that offer. The dealer's partner could have assisted knowing the up-card would land in a friendly hand, and a bower is the usual reason to do so. Both said no.
So when a heart is turned down, the J♥ and J♦ are probably not sitting with the dealer's side. They are with you, with your partner, or face down in the kitty. Name diamonds and the two highest trumps are either yours or out of play far more often than they are against you. Your partner also passed on hearts, of course, but from the weakest position: ordering up would have armed the dealer, so a partner can easily pass while holding a red Jack.
First seat has two more reasons to act. You bid first in round two, so passing hands the choice to the dealer's partner, who will pick a suit that fits their side. And you lead the first trick, so a bower in next can go to work at once. The leading guide covers when to open with trump.
When a Jack is turned down
This is the strongest case of all. A turned-down Jack would have been the left bower in next, and it is now buried in the kitty for the whole hand. Next has only six trumps instead of seven, the right bower cannot be beaten, and the trump Ace can lose only to that one card. A dealer who refuses a Jack is also telling you a good deal about how little support they hold in that color.
Reverse next: the dealer's side crosses
Turn the same reasoning around. If your partner dealt and turned down a red card, your partner is short of red strength, so any strength they do have is more likely to be black. Next would be the worst suit for your side: you would be naming the color your partner has just told you they cannot help with.
That is why the dealer's partner, and the dealer when stuck, tend to cross the color. Unlike next, reverse next is not a licence to call light. The turned-down card says nothing about where the black Jacks are, so use the ordinary standard from the ordering-up guide: three trumps, or two with a bower, and an off-suit Ace. CardCouch plays stick the dealer, so a dealer who is forced to name something should simply name their best suit, and that is more often a cross suit than next.
Worked examples
Example 1: A light next call from first seat
East dealt and turned down the K♠. You bid first in round two holding J♣, 10♣, A♥, K♦, 9♦.
Clubs is next. You hold the right bower, a second trump and an off-suit Ace. In round one this would be a thin hand, but East and West have both passed on spades, so the J♠, your left bower, is unlikely to be against you. Call clubs, lead the J♣, and cash the A♥ when you can. You need one trick from North.
Example 2: The Jack is turned down
East turns down the J♥. You are first to speak with A♦, K♦, 9♦, A♠, 10♣.
No bower, but count what can beat you in diamonds. The J♥, which would be the left bower, is dead in the kitty. Only the J♦ outranks your Ace, and a dealer holding the J♦ would have picked up the J♥ to own both bowers. Three trumps headed by what is probably the best one in play, plus an off-suit Ace: call diamonds.
Example 3: Dealer's partner crosses
North, your partner, dealt and turned down the 9♥. East passes in round two. You hold J♠, Q♠, A♣, K♥, 10♦.
Diamonds is next, and it is the wrong color for your side: North has just refused a red trump. You hold the right bower of spades, a second spade and the A♣. Cross to spades. If North has anything at all, it is likelier to be black, and the J♣ in North's hand would be your left bower.
Example 4: Next with nothing in it
East turns down the Q♦. You are first to bid with A♠, K♠, 10♠, Q♣, 9♥.
Hearts is next, and you hold one small heart. Do not call it on principle. Your real suit is spades: three trumps without a bower and no side Ace, a borderline cross call. Name spades if the score pushes you to act, or pass and let the bidding run toward a dealer who will be stuck. Hearts is not an option either way.
The limits of next
- It is an inference, not a fact. A player can pass holding a lone Jack and four useless cards. The bowers are less likely to be with the dealer's side, not impossible.
- The kitty hides three more cards. A missing bower may be buried rather than in your partner's hand, so do not count on your partner for it.
- It only lowers the bar a little. You still need trumps in the suit. Two trumps and a side trick is a light call; one small trump is not a call.
- The score still matters. A euchre gives the opponents 2 points. When those 2 would end the game, call on strength only.
The idea holds up against the computer too. The computer players on CardCouch bid on the strength of their own cards, a Jack that would be a bower weighs heavily in that, and the dealer counts the up-card as a bonus. A computer dealer that turns the card down is therefore unlikely to be sitting on a Jack of that color.
Frequently asked questions
What is next in Euchre?
Next is the suit of the same color as the up-card that was turned down. If a heart was turned down, next is diamonds; if a spade was turned down, next is clubs. Calling next means naming that suit as trump in the second round of bidding.
Why is calling next a good idea?
The two Jacks of the turned-down color are the two bowers in next. The dealer and the dealer's partner both passed on that color in round one, which they would rarely do holding one of those Jacks. So the bowers of next are more likely to be with the non-dealing team, or out of play in the kitty, than with the dealer's side.
Who should call next?
The non-dealing team, and above all the player to the dealer's left, who bids first in round two and also leads the first trick. The inference is about the dealer's side being weak in that color, so it helps their opponents, not them.
What is reverse next in Euchre?
Reverse next, also called crossing the color, is naming a suit of the opposite color to the turned-down card. It suits the dealer's side: if the dealer did not want a red suit even with an extra trump on offer, whatever strength the dealer has is more likely to be black. Call it on real strength in the suit.
How strong a hand do you need to call next?
From first seat, less than for a normal call: two trumps, or a bower and an off-suit Ace, is a reasonable next call. You still need something. Next is a reason to call a little lighter in a suit you hold, never a reason to name a suit you do not have.