How to Play Euchre

Euchre is a quick partnership game for four, played with only 24 cards. You and the player across from you try to name trump and win at least three of the five tricks, or stop the other side from doing it. A hand takes a couple of minutes. The rules below take about ten to read, and you can try each one as you go.

Short on time? Sit down at a table and three bots will deal you in. Nothing here is required reading.

The deck and the deal

Euchre uses the 9, 10, jack, queen, king and ace of each suit, 24 cards in all. Four players sit in two partnerships, partners across from each other. The dealer gives each player five cards and turns the next card face up on the three that are left. That card is the turn-up, and its suit is the first offer for trump.

The deal moves one seat to the left after every hand.

Trump, and the two bowers

This is the rule that makes Euchre Euchre, and the one new players get wrong. Once trump is named, two jacks leave their places:

• The right bower is the jack of the trump suit. It is the highest card in the hand.
• The left bower is the other jack of the same color. It is the second-highest card, and for the whole hand it is a trump. With hearts trump, the jack of diamonds is a heart: it follows hearts, it cannot be played to follow diamonds, and a player holding it is not out of trump.

Below the bowers, trump runs ace, king, queen, 10, 9. That makes seven trumps in all, and the suit that lent its jack is left with five cards.

Naming trump: ordering up and calling next

Naming trump happens in two rounds, starting with the player to the dealer's left.

Round one. Each player either passes or says the turn-up's suit should be trump. Telling the dealer to take it is ordering up, and when it is the dealer's own turn it is called picking it up. Either way the dealer adds the turn-up to their hand and discards one card face down. Notice what that means: ordering up your opponent's dealer hands them an extra trump. Ordering up your partner's dealer gives your side one.

Round two. If all four pass, the turn-up is turned face down and its suit is out for this hand. Going around again, each player may pass or name any of the other three suits. Naming the suit of the same color as the turned-down card is called calling next, an old rule of thumb for the seat left of the dealer, because whoever passed it may hold that color's jack.

If all four pass a second time, many home games throw the hand in and deal again. Online and in tournaments the usual rule is stick the dealer: the dealer may not pass and must name a suit. Euchre Room plays stick the dealer, so every deal is played.

The player who names trump, and their partner, are the makers. The other two are the defenders.

Going alone

When you name trump you can also say you are going alone. Your partner lays their cards face down and sits out the hand, and you play all five tricks against both opponents. With three players in each trick, a strong hand gets stronger: your partner cannot trump your ace by mistake.

The catch is in the scoring. Taking three or four tricks alone scores 1 point, the same as with a partner. Only all five, a lone march, pays the big 4.

Playing a trick

The player to the dealer's left leads the first trick, skipping a partner who is sitting out, and whoever wins a trick leads the next. The rules in order:

1. Follow the suit led if you can. The left bower is a trump, so it follows trump and never its printed suit.
2. If you cannot follow, play anything, including a trump.
3. The highest trump wins. If nobody played a trump, the highest card of the suit led wins. A card of any other suit cannot win, however high it is.

Not following suit when you could have is a renege. This table only offers you legal cards, so you cannot renege by accident.

Scoring a hand

Only one side scores on a hand. Count the makers' tricks:

• 3 or 4 tricks: the makers score 1 point.
• All 5 tricks, a march: 2 points.
• All 5 tricks alone: 4 points.
• Fewer than 3 tricks: the makers are euchred, and the defenders score 2 points. There is no extra penalty for a failed loner.

A game is traditionally played to 10 points. Euchre Room keeps a running score for as long as you sit, so you can play one hand or fifty.

A few tips for your first games

• Count the bowers first. Before deciding anything, find both jacks of the turn-up's color. Holding the right or left bower changes a hand more than any ace.
• Order up when you can see three tricks between you and your partner. A bower, two more trumps and an off-suit ace usually does it; two small trumps rarely does.
• As dealer, discard to make yourself short. When you pick up the turn-up, throw away a lone card in a side suit if you can. Being out of that suit lets you trump it, and in our measurements of the bots that one habit was worth more than leading trump.
• Do not trump your partner's winner. If your partner's ace is already taking the trick, throw your lowest card instead.

Common questions

How many cards are used in Euchre?

Twenty-four: 9 through ace in each suit. Five to each player, one turned up, three face down.

Is the left bower a trump or its own suit?

A trump, for the whole hand. It is the second-highest card, and you must play it when trump is led and it is your only trump.

What does euchred mean?

The side that named trump took fewer than three tricks. The other side scores 2.

Can the dealer's partner go alone?

Any player who names trump can go alone, including by ordering up the dealer.

What is stick the dealer?

The dealer may not pass in round two, so a suit is always named and every deal is played. It is the rule at this table.

Can I play with friends?

Yes. Under the cards on the table, press Start a friends table and send the link it gives you. The first friend to open it sits across from you as your partner, and bots fill any empty chairs.

Do I need an account?

No. The table is free and there is nothing to sign up for or install.