Euchre is a quick four-player trick-taking game for two partnerships, built around trump and the powerful jacks called bowers. Our free browser version is coming soon.
Euchre History: Where the Game Came From
Euchre is most likely descended from Jucker, an Alsatian card game of the 1700s. A game called eucre is mentioned in 1810, and the earliest surviving rules, from 1844, describe a 32-card pack.
By the late 1800s Euchre was widely played in the United States, and some writers called it the national card game. The joker was added to the pack in the 1850s as the highest trump. Today it remains popular in the American Midwest, Ontario and upstate New York, and a British form survives in Cornwall and Devon.
How to Play Euchre: Basic Rules
This section covers the common North American game for four players in two teams, with partners sitting opposite each other. The deck has 24 cards: 9, 10, J, Q, K and A in each suit. Each player gets five cards, and the next card is turned face up. Three cards are left unused.
- Know the card order. In the trump suit the jack is highest, called the right bower. The other jack of the same color is next, called the left bower, and it counts as a trump card. After them come A, K, Q, 10, 9.
- Choose trump, first round. Starting left of the dealer, each player may order up the face-up card, which makes its suit trump, or pass. The dealer then picks it up and discards one card.
- Choose trump, second round. If everyone passes, the card is turned down. Starting left of the dealer again, players may name any other suit as trump, or pass. If all four pass, the hand is thrown in. Some groups play stick the dealer instead, forcing the dealer to name a suit.
- Go alone if you dare. After trump is set, a player may announce going alone. Their partner sits out, and the lone player aims for bigger scores.
- Play five tricks. The player left of the dealer leads, or left of a lone player. You must follow the suit led if you can. The highest trump wins the trick, otherwise the highest card of the led suit wins, and the winner leads next.
- Score the hand. The team that chose trump is the makers. If they win three or four tricks they score 1 point, and all five tricks scores 2. If they win fewer than three they are euchred, and the other team scores 2. A lone maker who takes all five tricks scores 4.
- Win the game. Most North American games are played to 10 points, and the first team to reach that total wins. The British game is usually played to 11.
Euchre Variants and Regional Differences
The British game uses a 25-card pack, adding a joker (or the two of spades) as an extra top trump called the Benny. In some places a defender may also go alone for 4 points. Winning targets differ too, from 10 to 11 and beyond.
Three-handed, bid-based and larger Cornish versions exist as well. We plan to start with the standard four-player game.
Euchre Strategy: Tips to Win More Hands
Most hands are decided when trump is chosen.
- Count trump before ordering up. Three trump including a bower is usually a safe call.
- Value the left bower. It is the second-highest card, so both bowers make a strong hand.
- Be bolder as dealer. You pick up the face-up card, gaining an extra trump, so a thinner hand can order it up.
- Be careful ordering up the dealer's card. The opposing dealer picks it up and gains a strong trump.
- Lead trump when you made it. This draws out opponents' trump and protects your side aces.
- Keep an off-suit ace. It is a reliable early trick.
- Go alone with a near-certain sweep. Both bowers plus the ace of trump can win four points, but failure gives opponents two.
- Watch the score. At 8 or 9 points, a bold call can be worth it, since a safe single point may not end the game.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cards are in a Euchre deck?
North American Euchre uses a 24-card deck made of the 9, 10, jack, queen, king and ace of each suit. Each player is dealt five cards. British Euchre uses a 25-card pack with a joker.
What are the right and left bowers 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 other jack of the same color, and it is the second highest card. The left bower counts as trump for following suit.
What does going alone mean in Euchre?
Going alone means a player chooses to play the hand without their partner, who puts their cards down and sits out. A lone maker who wins all five tricks scores 4 points instead of the usual 2.
How do you score Euchre?
The team that chose trump scores 1 point for winning three or four tricks, and 2 points for winning all five. If they win fewer than three tricks they are euchred and the other team scores 2. A lone maker taking all five tricks scores 4 points.
What is stick the dealer?
Stick the dealer is a popular house rule where the dealer must name a trump suit if everyone else passes in the second round. It prevents thrown-in hands, so every deal gets played. Not every group uses it, so we plan to make it an option.
Will online Euchre be free to play?
Yes, that is the plan. We intend to offer a free browser Euchre game with no sign-up, where you can play with friends and also face computer opponents. The page is a placeholder for now, and we will announce the launch here when it is ready.