Overview
Euchre is a four-player partnership card game built around short, five-trick hands. Your team chooses a trump suit and tries to win at least three tricks. The twist is that two Jacks, called bowers, outrank the trump Ace.
This guide describes the 24-card version in the Cardems app. You can learn the rules here and play in the app; this page does not yet contain a playable browser table.
Objective
Reach 10 points before the other partnership. The team that calls trump is the makers; the other team defends. Makers must win three or more of the five tricks to score.
Setup
- Keep the 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace of each suit: 24 cards total.
- Partners sit opposite each other. Deal five cards to each player.
- Turn one of the four remaining cards face up; the other three form the kitty.
- Starting left of the dealer, each player may accept the upcard's suit as trump or pass.
- If accepted, the dealer picks up the upcard and discards one card. If all pass, a second round allows any other suit. Without the optional stick the dealer rule, another four passes cause a new deal.
How to Play
The player left of the dealer leads. Follow the led suit when possible, counting the left bower as a trump card. If you cannot follow suit, play any card. The highest trump wins; without trump, the highest card of the led suit wins. The winner leads the next trick.
The caller may go alone: their partner sits out that hand. Winning all five tricks alone earns four points, but winning only three or four still earns one.
Important Rules
Which Jack is the left bower?
The right bower is the Jack of trump. The left bower is the other Jack of the same color, and it belongs to the trump suit for following suit as well as winning tricks.
Scoring and Winning
| Makers' tricks | Points awarded |
|---|---|
| 0, 1 or 2 | Defenders score 2: the makers are euchred |
| 3 or 4 | Makers score 1 |
| All 5 with a partner | Makers score 2 |
| All 5 going alone | Makers score 4 |
Points accumulate across hands until a team reaches 10. Going alone does not increase the defenders' two-point award if they euchre the caller.
Strategy
- Count effective trumps, including both bowers, before calling a suit.
- When your partner is winning a trick, save a stronger card for later if you can.
- An off-suit Ace is useful, but a short opposing hand can trump it.
- Consider going alone when you can control every trick, rather than merely make three.
Compare the bidding and trump systems in Whist and Spades, or browse trick-taking games.
FAQ
How many cards are used in Euchre?
Cardems uses 24 cards: 9 through Ace in each suit. Four players receive five cards each, leaving one upcard and three cards in the kitty.
Is the left bower a trump card?
Yes. The Jack of the other suit of the same color becomes trump. If hearts are trump, the Jack of diamonds counts as a heart for following suit.
What does getting euchred mean?
The team that called trump won fewer than three tricks. The defenders receive two points.
How many points do you get for going alone?
Taking all five tricks alone scores four points. Three or four tricks score one; fewer than three give the defenders two points.
Can I play Euchre on this website?
This page is a rules and strategy guide. Euchre is available in the Cardems app; a playable browser version is not included here yet.
How is Euchre different from Whist?
Euchre uses 24 cards, five-card hands and two special trump Jacks. Cardems Whist uses 52 cards, 13-card hands and a turned trump with no bidding.
