How to play euchre
Euchre is a fast trick-taking card game for four players in two teams. Partners sit across from each other. A hand has only five tricks, so a game to 10 points takes about 15 to 20 minutes. This page explains the American rules used in our euchre game.
The cards
Euchre uses 24 cards: the 9, 10, jack, queen, king and ace of each suit. Take them out of a normal deck and keep a 6 and a 4 aside to keep score.
The six hearts in a euchre deck.
The deal
The dealer gives every player 5 cards, in a round of 3 and a round of 2 (or 2 then 3). The next card is turned face up: the up card. The other three cards stay face down and are not used. The deal moves one seat to the left after every hand.
Making trump: round one
Starting with the player to the dealer’s left, each player may accept the up card’s suit as trump or pass.
- An opponent of the dealer says “I order it up.”
- The dealer’s partner says “I assist.”
- The dealer can pick it up.
When someone accepts, the dealer takes the up card into their hand and throws one card away face down. The team that chose trump are the makers; the other team are the defenders.
Making trump: round two
If all four pass, the up card is turned down. Now each player, again starting left of the dealer, may name any other suit as trump, or pass. If everybody passes again, the cards are thrown in and the next player deals. With stick the dealer, the dealer must name a suit instead.
The bowers
In the trump suit the jacks are the top cards. The jack of trump is the right bower. The jack of the other suit of the same color is the left bower, and it counts as a trump for this hand.
Hearts are trump: the 7 trumps from highest to lowest. The J♦ is the left bower and counts as a heart.
Read more on the bowers page, with the order for every trump suit.
Going alone
The player who makes trump can say “alone”. Their partner puts their cards down and sits out the hand. A lone player who wins all five tricks scores 4 points instead of 2.
Playing the tricks
- The player to the dealer’s left leads first (the next player along if that seat sits out).
- Everyone must follow suit if they can. Remember the left bower belongs to the trump suit, not its own suit.
- If you can’t follow suit, you may play a trump or any other card.
- The highest trump wins the trick. With no trump in it, the highest card of the suit led wins.
- The winner leads the next trick.
Scoring
| What happened | Points |
|---|---|
| Makers take 3 or 4 tricks | 1 to the makers |
| Makers take all 5 (a march) | 2 to the makers |
| Lone maker takes 3 or 4 | 1 |
| Lone maker takes all 5 | 4 |
| Makers take 2 or fewer (euchred) | 2 to the defenders |
The first team to 10 points wins. See scoring for examples.
Questions
How many cards are in a euchre deck?
24: the 9, 10, jack, queen, king and ace of each suit. British euchre adds a joker for 25.
Is the left bower a trump?
Yes. The jack of the same color as trump counts as a trump for the whole hand. You must play it when trump is led and you have no other trump.
Who leads first in euchre?
The player to the dealer’s left. If that player’s partner is going alone, the next active player leads.
What happens if everyone passes twice?
The cards are thrown in and the deal passes to the left. With stick the dealer, the dealer must name trump instead.
Ready? Play euchre or print the quick guide.