CardSuite Solitaire and Card Games for Palm OS
Buy Now Free Trial Games Features What's New Contact Us Home

Euchre

CARDS

Only 24 cards are used from a standard deck. The cards ranking from highest to lowest are Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9. Trump cards are higher than any non-trump card. The Jack of the trump suit is called the right bower and is the highest card. The Jack of the same suit colour as the right bower is called the left bower and is the second highest card. The left bower is considered trump. For example, if Clubs are trump then the Jack of Clubs is highest, the Jack of Spades is 2nd highest and the Ace of Clubs is 3rd highest.

PLAYERS

There are 4 players in total. Players sitting across from each other are partners. You work as a team to win more tricks than the other team.

DEAL

Five cards are dealt to each player. After all 5 cards are played the player to the left of the dealer is the new dealer. The deal rotates in a clockwise direction until the game is finished.

MAKING TRUMP

The dealer flips up the top card in the deck of 4 remaining cards. The player to the dealer's left starts the making process and it rotates clockwise back to the dealer. Each player can either order up the flipped up card to be trump or pass to next player. Ordering up means that the dealer can pick up the card and discard any other card in their hand. If all other players pass the dealer has the choice to pickup the card as trump or turn it down. If the card is turned down the next player can pass or make trump any suit besides the one turned down. This will continue in a clockwise direction until a player makes trump. If the dealer passes the cards are thrown in and deal is passed to the next player. When making trump a player can choose to go alone if they don't need their partner's assistance.

PLAY

The player to the left of the dealer leads with any card. Play continues in a clockwise direction until each player has laid a card. Players must follow the suit that was lead. If they do not have any cards in that suit they can lay a trump card or discard any other card. The player who lays the highest card wins the trick and leads the next trick.

SCORING

  • The first team to reach 10 points wins the game.
  • If a player goes alone and wins all 5 tricks the team receives 4 points.
  • If the team makes trump and wins all 5 tricks they receive 2 points.
  • If the team makes trump and wins 3-4 tricks they receive 1 point.
  • If the team makes trump and wins 0-2 tricks they are Euchred by the opposition who receives 2 points.

    OPTIONS

    Alone when you order up partner - If you order up trump while your partner is dealing you are forced to go alone. This takes away some of the dealing team's advantage. It's a very popular rule in Canada and Britain.

    Stick the Dealer - The dealer is forced to make trump on the second round if every other player passes. It prevents the deal from being wasted and opens up the game to more Euchres.

    No First Blood - Players cannot lead a trump on the first trick. This prevents a player from clearing out trumps right away.