Euchre Rules and Scoring
Euchre is a fast trick-taking game for four players in two partnerships. Trump Table plays the standard 24-card version (9 through ace in every suit), deals five cards to each seat with a four-card kitty, and uses the Stick the Dealer variant — no jokers, no 32-card deck, no regional extras. The first partnership to 10 points wins the match.
Variant played on this site: standard 24-card partnership Euchre (9–A), five cards per seat, two calling rounds, Stick the Dealer (the dealer must name trump if everyone passes twice), no joker and no other optional variants.
Calling trump
Trump: Trump is the suit that outranks every other suit for one hand; any trump beats any non-trump card.
Calling happens in two rounds. In round one, the dealer turns the top card of the kitty face up; going around the table, each seat may order it up (making its suit trump) or pass. If a seat orders up, the dealer takes the upcard and discards one card.
If all four seats pass, round two begins: each seat may name any suit except the turned-down one. This site plays Stick the Dealer — if everyone passes again, the dealer must choose a suit, so every hand has a trump.
Example: the upcard is the 9♥. You hold Q♥, J♦ and two aces, so you order it up. Hearts become trump, the dealer picks up the 9♥ and discards a spare low card.
Right Bower
Right Bower: The Right Bower is the Jack of the trump suit, and it is the highest card in the game for that hand.
Example: when spades are trump, J♠ is the Right Bower. It beats every other card, including the ace of spades. The full trump ranking is J♠ (Right), the Left Bower, then A, K, Q, 10, 9 of trump.
Left Bower
Left Bower: The Left Bower is the Jack of the other suit of the same colour as trump; it counts as trump, not as its printed suit.
Example: when spades are trump, J♣ becomes the Left Bower. It is legally a spade — the second-highest trump — so if clubs are led you do not have to follow with it, but if spades are led you must play it.
This is the rule that catches most new players: the printed suit of the Left Bower no longer matters until the next hand.
Going alone
Going alone: Going alone means the maker plays the hand without their partner, who sits out, in exchange for a bigger score.
When you order up or call a suit you may declare alone. Your partner lays their cards down and takes no part: only three seats play, so every trick has exactly three cards.
A lone hand that takes three or four tricks still scores 1 point, but sweeping all five tricks alone scores 4 points instead of 2. Failing to take three tricks is a euchre and gives the defenders 2 points, so alone calls need near-certain tricks.
Example: spades are trump and you hold J♠, J♣, A♠, K♠ and A♦. Four tricks are almost guaranteed and the fifth is likely — a textbook alone call.
Scoring
Euchre: A euchre happens when the defenders stop the makers from taking three tricks; it scores 2 points for the defenders.
The partnership that called trump is the makers. They must take at least three of the five tricks or be euchred. Matches are played to 10 points.
| Result | Points | Awarded to |
|---|---|---|
| Makers take 3 or 4 tricks | 1 | Makers |
| Makers take all 5 tricks (march) | 2 | Makers |
| Makers take fewer than 3 tricks (euchre) | 2 | Defenders |
| Lone maker takes 3 or 4 tricks | 1 | Maker's side |
| Lone maker takes all 5 tricks | 4 | Maker's side |
| First side to reach 10 points | — | Wins the match |
Beginner strategy
- Count your trump before calling: three or more trump including a bower is usually a call; two small trump is usually a pass.
- Remember the Left Bower belongs to trump when you count your hand and when you follow suit.
- Lead trump when your side called it and you hold the boss card — it pulls the defenders' trump out.
- Do not overtake a trick your partner is already winning without a clear reason; save your power for tricks you must win.
- On defence, keep your trump for the makers' strong suits and try to force them to spend trump early.
- Go alone only when four tricks are nearly certain; a failed alone hands the opponents 2 points.