Overview
Euchre is a popular card game based on an older card game that has many subtle variations or ways to play, but basically, it’s a game where you and your partner attempt to score tricks without losing them to other players. It’s a simple game that manages to make itself somewhat confusing to explain to new players.
Game type: cards, vs, teams
Number of players: 2 teams of 2
Suggested age: teen+
Game Pieces
Standard A-K 54 card deck.
Notepad/pen for score
Pregame Setup
Players need to take out the 2 through 8 cards from each suit and remove them from the game, this leaves the remaining cards 24 (9-K and A of each suit) cards to form the deck.
Note: you can also use, 28 cards (8’s added) and 32 cards (7’s and 8’s added), as well as add a single joker.
Each player takes 1 card from the top of the deck, lowest card is dealer unless there is a tie, then draw new cards for the tie breaker(s). Highest cards are matched in a team against the lowest cards. Team members are seated across from each other if possible, and always alternate turns.
Dealer shuffles the cards, the player to the right may cut but must not cut less than 4 cards, and then the dealer deals 5 cards face down in any matching sequence for each player that ends with the correct number of cards to each player. (Ex: 1 card to each player, then 2, then 2 again. Or 3 to each player, then 2, or 3 and 1 and 1). Teams cannot know each others cards.
Remaining cards are placed face down in the center of the play area with the top card turned face up. This starts the first phase of the game called “Making the Trump”
Playing the Game
“Making the Trump” is when a player accepts the top card as the trump suit. The player to the left of the dealer gets first pick, if they pass, then the next player may pick, and continues around until the dealer is reached. The dealer may decide to pick up the top card or pass, if the dealer passes, then the top card is flipped back over and the player to the left of the dealer may declare a suit that does not match the suit that was face up or pass again, and continues around until it reaches the dealer again, at which point the dealer may declare a trump suit or pass a final time.
If all players pass both turns then this is considered a mismatch and the round is ended. Cards are collected, dealer is passed to the next person, the cards are shuffled, cards are dealt and a new round begins.
If a player that is not on dealers team picks the trump suit, then that player declares it by saying “order it up” during their turn. If the player is on the same team, then that player may declare the same thing by saying “I assist”.
If any player, including the dealer, accepts the top card as the trump suit then the dealer takes the top
card and adds it to their hand while discarding another card from their hand to maintain a hand size of 5.
The team that calls the trump suit must win 3 or more of the 5 possible tricks in the game round or else their opponents win by “euchre”. The player that declares the trump suit may decide to play alone (removing their partners cards from play). This is considered risky but can be worth extra points.
Scoring/Points
Picked trump suit and you win 3 or 4 tricks, then your team gains 1 point.
Picked trump suit and you win all 5 tricks with your partner, then your team gains 2 points
Pick trump suit and you played alone and won all 5 tricks, then your team gains 4 points. Your team only gets the normal 1 point if you don’t win all 5.
If your team is defending against the trump suit and you win 3 or more tricks, then your team gains 2 points.
After the trump suit is selected, then the first player to the left of the dealer plays first. They may play any card they wish, including a trump card. Other players must “follow suit” and play any single card matching suit from the last play in their hand. If they have no matching suit, they may instead discard any card from their hand (to the trick in play) or play a trump card to try to win the trick. Highest card in the turn that wasn’t discarded wins the trick. The player that won the last trick must start the next trick by playing any remaining card in their hand.
Trump suit beat all other suits, but also makes the jack of the trump suit the highest card in the game (unless a joker is used) as well as makes the jack of the same color but other suit the second (or third) highest card. Highest jack is called the “right bower” and the second highest jack is called the “left bower”.
When all 5 tricks are won then the round is over and teams adjust their score. Cards are collected, dealer is moved to the left, and a new turn is played (as well as picking a new trump) after shuffling the cards.
Winning the Game
The first team to reach 10 points wins the game. Score can be kept with the 5’s from the deck. Each team gets 2 5’s. Turn one 5 face up and cover it with a face-down 5, then move the face-down card around to reveal 0 to 5 pips on the face of the bottom card, then turn the face down card over to show that the first set of 5 is complete, and repeat the process for the next 5 points until you win at 10 points.
Or use a notepad or any other thing you have handy that can tally up to 10.
