Euchre

Players and Setup

FOUR players, two teams of two, sit with partners across from each other.
DECK is made by removing 2-8 of each suite, leaving a twenty-four-card deck of 9s, 10s, Jacks, Queens, Kings, and Aces of all four suits.

Rules

A six and a four of a suit can be used by each team for scoring by placing the four face down on a face up six and revealing one shape of the suit at a time until all six show. For the seventh point, place the four card face up under the six and reveal one shape of the suit for each point scored. The first team to TEN POINTS WINS!

Card Values

The Right and Left Bowers are the highest cards followed by the Ace, King, Queen, Ten, and then Nine as the lowest. The Jack of the trump suit (suit bid) is the “Right Bower” and is the highest card. The other Jack of the same color is the “Left Bower” and is the second highest card. Both bowers are part of the trump suit. For example, if Hearts is the trump suit: the Jack of Hearts is the right bower (most powerful) and the Jack of Diamonds is the left bower (second most powerful). In this example, the third most powerful card would be the Ace of Hearts.

Dealing

DEAL five cards to each player. The remaining four cards are placed face down in the middle of the table. The top card is turned face up; this card initially sets the trump suit.

Bidding

FIRST BID ROUND: Players bid, starting to the left of the dealer and continuing clockwise, on whether or not to use the face-up card’s suit as trump. Players have the following choices:

The player to the left of the dealer may pass or say “I order it up” and the dealer will take that card and replace it with a face down card from his own hand. This will end the bidding round, no other player may bid. The card picked up by the dealer remains trump for that deal.
If the first three players pass, the dealer may pass or say “I accept.” If he accepts, he takes the face-up card, replacing it with a card from his own hand (face down). The suit of the face-up card becomes trump.
If all four players pass, the card is turned face down and that suit will not be trump. A second round of bidding will take place to determine trump. SECOND BID ROUND: In the second bidding round, the opportunity to name trump begins with the first player to the left of the dealer and continues around to the dealer. When a player bids a suit for trump, bidding is done. If no player bids, the dealer must chose trump. In choosing trump, the player is bidding that their team will be able to win at least three tricks during the play round..

GOING ALONE

If you think you have an outstanding hand, you might want to “go alone.” This means that your partner sits out, placing his cards on the table face down, and you play this deal without a partner.

TRICK ROUNDS

The player to the left of the dealer leads first by playing any card from his hand.
Players must play the suit of the card led if possible. If a player does not have card in the suit led, they may play any card. Remember that trump is higher than any card of another suit AND both bowers are part of the trump suit.
The highest card played in the led suit wins the trick, unless one or more trumps were played, in which case the highest trump card wins the trick.
The player who wins the trick leads in the next play round. There are five play rounds as there is five cards in a hand.

Scoring

If all four players take part in a hand, the team winning the bid scores 1 point for taking three tricks or 2 points for taking all five.. If they fail to get three tricks, the opposite team scores 2 points. If the bidder goes alone and wins all five tricks, the team scores 4 points. If only 3 tricks are won, the team scores 1 point. If he/she wins less than 3 tricks, the opposing team has set the hand and gets 2 points.

First team to ten points wins!

Conclusion

Card parties are a fun way to get to know people. Learning the game is a good ice breaker and once it is learned, it is easy to converse while playing.

If you enjoy trick taking games like Euchre, you may want to check out FIVE CROWNS or THE CREW of ask Mullens to teach you Up and Down.