How to play Euchre

Euchre is a fast game for four players in two partnerships. You sit across from your partner, June, and play against Hank and Dale. Each hand, one side picks the trump suit and then has to take at least three of the five tricks. Hands go quickly, and the first side to reach 10 points wins.

The deck and the deal

• Only 24 cards are used: nine, ten, jack, queen, king and ace of each suit.
• Everyone gets five cards. The dealer turns the next card face up; the other three stay face down.
• The deal moves one seat to the left after every hand.

Picking trump

• First round: starting left of the dealer, each player may order up the turned card, which makes its suit trump. The dealer then adds that card to their hand and puts one card away. Or say pass.
• Second round: if everyone passed, the card is turned down. Each player may now name any other suit as trump, or pass. The dealer cannot pass a second time and must choose.
• The player who picks trump may go alone: their partner sits out the hand.

The bowers

• The jack of the trump suit, the right bower, is the highest card.
• The other jack of the same color, the left bower, is next. It counts as a trump for the whole hand, not as its own suit.
• Then come the ace, king, queen, ten and nine of trump. Any trump beats any card of another suit.

Playing the tricks

• The player to the left of the dealer leads first. You must follow suit if you can; if not, you may play any card.
• The highest trump wins the trick. With no trump in it, the highest card of the suit that was led wins.
• The winner of each trick leads the next one.

Scoring

• The side that picked trump takes 3 or 4 tricks: 1 point.
• All 5 tricks (a march): 2 points. All 5 when playing alone: 4 points.
• Fewer than 3 tricks: the side is euchred and the other side scores 2 points.
• The first side to 10 wins. In Settings you can play a quick game to 5.

Tips

1. Count your trumps. Two or three trumps with a bower, or with an ace on the side, is usually enough to pick trump.
2. Think about the dealer. Ordering up gives the turned card to the dealer. That helps when the dealer is your partner and hurts when it is an opponent.
3. Lead trump when your side called it. It pulls trumps out of the other hands, so your aces can win later.
4. Let your partner win. If June is already taking the trick, play your lowest card.
5. Short suits are good. Once you are out of a suit, a small trump can take a trick full of high cards.

Today's deal

The Daily Deal is four hands, so everyone deals once, with the same cards and the same computer players for everyone. See how far ahead your side finishes compared with everyone else today. Your first try of the day is the one that counts.

Questions

Can I undo a card? No. Like at a real table, a card on the table stays there. On a phone, the first tap lifts the card and the second tap plays it, so you can check before you commit.

Why must the dealer choose in the second round? It keeps the game moving: no hand is thrown in and dealt again. Many tables play this way.

How strong are the computer players? Easy plays like a beginner. Normal counts trumps and plays like a careful player. Sharp also imagines where the unseen cards could be before it picks trump or plays a card.

Can I play with my family? Playing with friends over a link, each on their own phone, is coming soon. For now June is a computer partner.

Do I need an account? No. Your game is saved in this browser, so you can close the page and come back.