Euchre
Players and Object
Euchre is a plain-trick game for 4 players in fixed partnerships, partners sitting opposite.

5 cards are dealt to each player and the object is to win at least three of the five tricks - with an extra bonus for winning all five.

Rank of Cards
A pack of 24 cards is used consisting of A K Q J 10 9 in each of the four suits: hearts , diamonds , clubs and spades .

All suits, except for the trump suit, have 6 or 5 cards ranking normally : A K Q (J) 10 9.

The trump suit has 7 cards ranking from highest to lowest as follows (assuming for this example that hearts is selected as the trump suit) :

Jack (Right Bower)
Jack (Left Bower)
A
King
Queen
10
9

Note that the Left Bower J counts as belonging to the trump suit, because it has the same color as the trump card. For example if hearts are trumps, the Jack of diamonds is a heart not a diamond. It can be played to a heart lead and if it is led, hearts must be followed.

The Deal
First black jack selects the first dealer. The turn to deal then rotates clockwise throughout the game.

The dealer shuffles and deals out 5 cards to each player. The dealer then turns the next card in the pack face up. This up-card is used as a basis for selecting the trump suit. The remaining four cards are left face-down and are not used.

Making trump
Each player in turn, beginning with the player to the dealer's left, has the option of accepting the up-card's suit as the trump suit or passing. If the card's is accepted the dealer picks up that card, and discards another from the cards in his hand. The up-card's suit then becomes the trump suit.

Note that the dealer's partner can only make the turned up suit trumps by playing alone, in which case the dealer's cards are placed face-down on the table and takes no part in the play.

If all four players pass, the up-card is turned face-down, and there is a second round in which players have the option to make any suit trump, other than the suit of the up-card. Again the player to dealer's left speaks first and may either pass again or name a suit. If the first player passes the second may name a suit or pass, and so on. If all four players pass a second time the cards are thrown in and the next player deals.

Note that the trump making process ends as soon as someone accepts or makes trump (rather than passing). That player's side are the makers and the other side are the defenders.

Going Alone
After trump has been made, but before the first lead, any player may announce that they are playing alone. The partner of a lone player puts her cards face-down and takes no part in the play.

Either a member of the makers side or a defender may play alone. It is even possible that a maker and a defender choose to play alone, in which case there will be only two active players.

The Play
If all four players are in the game, the play begins with the player to the dealer's left leading to the first trick. If one player is playing alone, the person to that player's left leads first. If two players are playing alone, the defender leads.

Any card may be led, and each player in clockwise order must follow suit by playing a card of the same suit as the card led if possible. A player who cannot follow suit may play any card.

Remember that, for purposes of following suit, the Left Bower is considered to belong to the trump suit and not to any other suit.

The trick is won by whoever played the highest card of the suit led, unless a trump was played in which case the highest trump wins. The winner of each trick leads to the next one.

Scoring
If all four players are playing then the scores are as follows:

If the makers win 3 or 4 tricks they score 1 point.
If the makers win all 5 tricks they score 2 points.
If the makers take fewer than three tricks they are said to be euchred, and the defenders score 2 points.
If a member of the makers' team is playing alone and wins all 5 tricks, the team scores 4 points instead of 2.
If a member of the defenders' team is playing alone and succeeds in winning at least 3 tricks, thereby euchring the makers, the defenders score 4 points instead of 2.

The game is normally played to 10 points - that is, the team who first reach 10 or more points over several deals win the game. It is usual for each team to keep score using two spare 5s from the pack (as these cards are not used in the game). The cards are arranged on the table so that the number of pips showing shows the team's current score.

Quick notes:
We play without a joker, so that there are just 24 cards in the deck, and the right bower is the highest trump.

The target score is 10 points.

The score is indicated by using two low cards overlapped - we use two fives.

The cards are not required to be cut before dealing, and the cards may be dealt one at a time, or in twos and threes.

To choose the first dealer the cards are dealt around until a black Jack appears.

We do not play "Stick the Dealer" (also known as "Screw the dealer"). That is, the dealer may pass on the second round, after the first three players pass. In this case, no one scores, and the next person in line becomes the new dealer.

Any player, with the exception of the dealer's partner, is allowed to order up the up-card and play with a partner.
If the dealer's partner orders the card up, he/she must play alone; therefore the dealer's cards are laid face-down and the dealer does not play the hand.
The up-card can only be ordered up if the player has at least one card of the same suit in their hand, the off-suit Jack does not count as being of the same suit in the ordering up process.

We do not allow a defender to play alone - only the maker is allowed to play alone. However, a defender may play alone against a lone maker.

A "Super-Euchre" occurs when the making team takes zero tricks. The defending team then scores 4 points.

No Railroading. That is, if your partner is going to play alone, you may not pass your partner a card (your best card) face down. In railroading, your partner must choose whether to discard a card from hand and take the card offered in exchange, or to discard the offered card before looking at this card being offered.

		Every 2nd&4th Tuesdays at Scallywags,11 St Clair Ave W (Yonge & St. Clair) Every 1st&3rd Tuesdays at MangiaCake,160 McCaul Street (North of Dundas W) info@euchretoronto.com Euchre Tuesdays, Toronto  • Tel: 416-258-6268 Toronto     Canada