How to play Euchre
Euchre is a quick, friendly card game for four players in two teams. You play with Ben, who sits across the table, against Anne and Carol, who sit on your left and right. All three are computer players. Each hand, one team chooses the trump suit and then has to win at least three of the five tricks. The first team to reach 10 points wins.
The cards and the deal
Euchre uses only 24 cards: the 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace of each suit. Everyone gets five cards, and the next card is turned face up in the middle of the table. To choose who deals first, cards are dealt face up one at a time, and the first player to get a black Jack deals. After that, the deal moves one seat to the left each hand.
Choosing trumps
- Starting with the player on the dealer's left, each player in turn can order up the turned card, making its suit trumps, or pass. If someone orders it up, the dealer adds that card to their hand and throws one card away. The dealer can pick it up on their own turn too.
- If all four pass, the card is turned face down. Then each player in turn can name any other suit as trumps, or pass again.
- If everyone passes twice, the cards are thrown in and the next player deals. In Settings you can choose the popular house rule “stick the dealer” instead, where the dealer must choose trumps.
- The team that chose trumps is called the makers. Their opponents are the defenders.
The bowers
The two highest trumps are Jacks. The Jack of the trump suit is the right bower, the highest card in the game. The other Jack of the same color is the left bower, the second highest, and for the rest of the hand it counts as a trump, not as its own suit. After them come the Ace, King, Queen, 10 and 9 of trumps. So when hearts are trumps, the order is: Jack of hearts, Jack of diamonds, then the Ace, King, Queen, 10 and 9 of hearts. Your hand sorts the left bower in with your trumps, so it's easy to see.
Playing the tricks
- The player on the dealer's left leads any card. Going round to the left, everyone plays one card, and you must follow suit if you can. Remember that the left bower belongs to the trump suit.
- If you can't follow suit, you can play any card, including a trump.
- The highest trump wins the trick. If no trumps were played, the highest card of the suit led wins. The winner leads the next trick.
Going alone
When you choose trumps with a very strong hand, you can tick Go alone. Your partner puts their cards down and sits the hand out, and you play your five cards against both opponents. It's a risk, but winning all five tricks alone scores 4 points instead of 2.
Keeping score
- If the makers win three or four tricks, they score 1 point.
- If they win all five, called a march, they score 2 points, or 4 points if one of them went alone.
- If they win fewer than three, they've been euchred, and the defenders score 2 points.
The scores at the top of the game show “We” (you and Ben) and “They” (Anne and Carol). After every hand you'll see who chose trumps, how many tricks they won and the points. The first team to reach 10 wins.
Tips
- Count your trumps before you call. A good calling hand usually has three trumps, including a bower or the Ace, and an Ace in another suit. The Hint button counts them for you.
- Think about who gets the turned card. When Ben is the dealer, ordering it up puts another trump in your team's hands. When Anne or Carol deals, it helps them instead.
- If you called trumps, lead them. Drawing out the other team's trumps early keeps your Aces safe later.
- Don't beat your partner. If Ben is already winning a trick, play a low card and save your good ones.
- When defending, lead your Aces while the other players can still follow suit.
Questions
Do the computer players cheat?
No. Each one knows only its own cards, the turned card and the cards that have been played, and follows exactly the same rules as you. Your partner Ben plays to help your team, and in our own tests the two teams win about equally often.
Is any money involved?
No. Euchre here is played just for fun: there's no betting, no prizes and no real money, and nothing to buy.
What does the Hint button do?
When it's your turn to choose trumps, it says whether to call or pass and which cards make the difference, such as your bowers and Aces. During play it suggests a card and explains why, for example that Ben is already winning the trick or that you should lead trumps. In our tests, a team choosing trumps the way the hints do won at least three tricks about 88 times in 100.
How long does a game take?
A game to 10 usually takes about 11 hands, around 10 to 15 minutes at a relaxed pace. Your game saves itself after every card, so you can stop at any time and carry on later on the same device.
Can I take back a card or a call?
Yes. Undo takes back your last card, call or discard during the current hand. It's a good way to learn what works.
Where does Euchre come from?
Euchre is thought to come from a game played in Alsace, on the border of France and Germany, and it arrived in America in the 1800s. It became so popular that the joker was invented for it: players added an extra card that ranked above both bowers. Today Euchre is a favorite in the American Midwest and in Ontario, Canada.
What is the game number?
Every game has a number, and the same number always deals the same cards in every hand. Share the link to play the same game as a friend, or try today's game, which is the same for everyone.