How to play Euchre: rules, bowers and scoring

Rules in short: four players in two partnerships, 24 cards (nines through aces), five cards each. One card is turned up and players decide whether that suit becomes trump. The team that names trump must take at least three of the five tricks. The jack of trump is the highest card, and the other jack of the same color is the second highest. The first team to 10 points wins.

Deck Bowers Deal Making trump Going alone Play Scoring Example Strategy House rules FAQ

The deck

Euchre uses 24 cards: the 9, 10, jack, queen, king and ace of each suit. You can take them out of an ordinary deck. In the plain suits (not trump), cards rank from ace high down to 9. On Snug Table every deal has a number and comes from a provably fair shuffle.

The right and left bowers

Once trump is chosen, two jacks become the most powerful cards:

The left bower belongs to the trump suit for the whole hand. With hearts as trump, the jack of diamonds is a heart: it follows heart leads, and it does not count as a diamond. Trump has seven cards and the suit of the same color has only five.

The deal

The dealer gives each player five cards (traditionally in groups of three and two). The four cards left over are the kitty; the top one is turned face up. The deal passes to the left after every hand.

Making trump

First round. Starting with the player to the dealer's left, each player either passes or orders up the turned-up card, which makes its suit trump. If anyone orders it up, the dealer adds the card to their hand and discards one card face down. When the dealer takes it themselves, it is called picking it up.

Second round. If all four pass, the card is turned face down. Going around again, each player may name any other suit as trump, or pass.

Everyone passes twice. The cards are thrown in and the next player deals. Many tables play stick the dealer instead: the dealer may not pass in the second round and must name trump. Both are options on Snug Table.

The player who names trump is the maker, and their team must take at least three tricks.

Going alone

When you name trump you can say you are going alone. Your partner puts their cards down and sits out the hand. Win all five tricks by yourself and your team scores 4 points instead of 2. If your partner is the dealer and you order up alone, the dealer does not pick up the card.

Playing the tricks

The player to the dealer's left leads the first trick (if that player is sitting out, the next player leads). Everyone must follow the suit that was led if they can, remembering that the left bower counts as trump. If you can't follow suit you may play any card, including trump. The highest trump wins the trick; if no trump was played, the highest card of the suit led wins. The winner leads the next trick.

Scoring

The first team to reach 10 points wins. Families often keep score with two 5s from the unused cards, uncovering pips as points come in. On Snug Table you can also play a quicker game to 5.

An example hand

Euchre strategy

• Count on your partner for one trick. A hand with two sure tricks is usually worth calling, because your partner will often take one more.
• Think about where the up card goes. Ordering up gives the card to the dealer. If an opponent deals, you are handing them a trump, often a bower; if your partner deals, you are giving them one.
• Lead trump when you called it. As the maker with the right bower or three trumps, leading trump pulls the opponents' trumps so your aces can win.
• Don't trump your partner's winner. If your partner's ace is already winning the trick, throw a low card.
• As dealer, discard to make a void. Throwing away your only card of a suit lets you trump that suit later.
• Next and reverse next. If the first round passes, a suit of the same color as the turned-down card ("next") is often a good call for the player to the dealer's left: the dealer chose not to pick up that color, so they probably don't hold its jacks.
• Go alone with the top trumps. The right bower, left bower and ace of trump plus an off-suit ace is a classic loner.

On Snug Table, the coach plays out many possible deals before grading your bid, and tells you how often your team makes the trump you called.

Common house rules

• Stick the dealer: the dealer must name trump if everyone passes twice (an option here).
• Game to 5 or 11 instead of 10.
• Defending alone: a defender may also play alone against the makers, scoring 4 for a euchre.
• Farmer's hand: a player dealt only nines and tens may swap three of them for the kitty.
• The joker or "benny" added as the highest trump, in 25-card Euchre.