How to Play Euchre
A complete guide to euchre rules, card rankings, and scoring — perfect for new players or anyone who needs a quick refresher.
Overview
Euchre is a fast-paced trick-taking card game played with four players in two teams of two. Partners sit across from each other. The goal is simple: win the majority of tricks in each hand. A typical euchre game goes to 10 points, but in a tournament setting, you'll play a set number of hands per round.
The round page showing your table, partner, and opponents
The Deck
Euchre uses a 24-card deck: the 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace of each suit (hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades). Remove everything below a 9 from a standard 52-card deck.
Some variations include jokers, but the standard EuchreTourney format uses the 24-card deck.
Dealing
The dealer gives each player 5 cards, dealt in groups of 2 and 3 (or 3 and 2). The remaining 4 cards go face-down in the center, with the top card turned face-up. This face-up card is the first candidate for trump.
The deal rotates clockwise after each hand.
Trump Selection
Trump selection happens in two rounds:
- Round 1: Starting left of the dealer, each player can tell the dealer to “pick it up” (making the face-up card's suit trump) or “pass.” If someone orders it up, the dealer picks up the face-up card and discards one card from their hand.
- Round 2: If everyone passes in round 1, the face-up card is turned down. Players can now call any of the three remaining suits as trump, or pass again. If the dealer is reached and no one has called, the dealer must name a suit (“stick the dealer” rule).
The player (or team) that selects trump is the “makers” and must win at least 3 of 5 tricks to score.
Card Rankings
This is where euchre gets interesting. The Jack of the trump suit (called the Right Bower) is the highest card in the game. The Jack of the same-color suit (the Left Bower) is the second highest — and it counts as a trump card.
Trump suit ranking (highest to lowest)
| Rank | Card | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Right Bower (Jack of trump) | Highest card in the game |
| 2 | Left Bower (Jack of same color) | Counts as trump, not its printed suit |
| 3 | Ace of trump | |
| 4 | King of trump | |
| 5 | Queen of trump | |
| 6 | 10 of trump | |
| 7 | 9 of trump | Lowest trump |
Non-trump suit ranking
For non-trump suits, the standard ranking applies: Ace (high), King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9 (low). Remember: the Jack of the same-color suit is not part of its printed suit — it's been “promoted” to the trump suit.
Playing Tricks
The player to the dealer's left leads the first trick. Play proceeds clockwise. Each player plays one card per trick.
- Follow suit: You must play a card of the suit that was led, if you have one. Remember, the Left Bower belongs to the trump suit, not its printed suit.
- Can't follow suit: You may play any card — including trump (called “trumping in”).
- Winning a trick: The highest trump wins. If no trump was played, the highest card of the led suit wins.
The winner of each trick leads the next one. After 5 tricks, the hand is scored.
Scoring
Scoring depends on who called trump (the makers) and how many tricks they won:
| Result | Points |
|---|---|
| Makers win 3 or 4 tricks | 1 point |
| Makers win all 5 tricks (march) | 2 points |
| Makers win fewer than 3 tricks (euchred!) | Defenders get 2 points |
| Loner — maker plays alone and wins all 5 | 4 points |
| Loner — maker plays alone and wins 3 or 4 | 1 point |
Live standings update after each round
Going Alone (Loner)
When calling trump, a player may declare they're “going alone.” Their partner sits out the hand. If the loner wins all 5 tricks, their team scores 4 points. It's a high-risk, high-reward play.
Common Terminology
- Bower — the two jacks that are the highest trump cards (Right and Left)
- Right Bower — Jack of the trump suit (highest card)
- Left Bower — Jack of the same-color suit (second highest, counts as trump)
- Makers — the team that called trump
- Defenders — the opposing team
- March — winning all 5 tricks (2 points)
- Euchre — when the makers fail to take 3 tricks (defenders score 2)
- Loner / Going alone — one player plays without their partner
- Stick the dealer — the dealer must name trump if everyone else passes
- Trump in — playing a trump card when you can't follow the led suit