Euchre is a 4-player partnership trick-taking game played with 24 cards (9, 10, J, Q, K, A of each suit), five cards per player and five tricks per hand. Trump is chosen in two bidding phases: first by ordering up the turned kitty card, then — if all pass — by naming any other suit. The trump jack (right bower) is the highest card in the game and the same-colored jack (left bower) is second, counting as a trump. The team that names trump ("the makers") must win at least 3 of the 5 tricks; making 3-4 scores 1 point, all 5 scores 2 (4 on a lone hand), and taking fewer than 3 euchres the makers for 2 points to the defenders. First team to 10 points wins.
Play now — it's freeEuchre uses a stripped deck: only the 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace of each suit — 24 cards in all. The four players sit in fixed partnerships, partners opposite each other (seats 0 and 2 versus 1 and 3).
Each player is dealt 5 cards, clockwise, and the remaining 4 cards form the kitty. The top kitty card is turned face up — the up-card — and drives the first bidding phase.
Bidding starts with the player to the dealer's left and goes clockwise. In the first phase each player either passes or orders the up-card up: its suit becomes trump and the dealer takes the card into their hand, discarding one card face down into the kitty.
If all four players pass, the up-card is turned face down and a second phase begins: starting again to the dealer's left, each player may pass or name any suit except the turned-down suit as trump. The first player to name a suit wins the bid. If all four pass again, the hand is thrown in and the next player deals.
Any player may order up — including the dealer's partner (the North American rule used on this site). The player who wins the bid is the caller; their team becomes the makers and the other team the defenders.
The jack of the trump suit is the right bower — the single highest card in the game. The jack of the same color as trump is the left bower, the second-highest card, and for every rule it belongs to the trump suit: if hearts are trump, the jack of diamonds is a heart. You must follow it as a heart, and it beats every heart but the right bower.
Full trump ranking: right bower > left bower > Ace > King > Queen > 10 > 9. In the side suits cards rank A > K > Q > J > 10 > 9 (each suit missing its jack if it is the left bower).
After trump is made, the caller may announce they are playing alone: their partner sets their cards face down and takes no part in the hand, so each trick has three cards.
Winning all five tricks alone scores 4 points instead of 2 — the biggest single hand in Euchre. If the loner takes only 3-4 tricks the team still scores the usual 1 point.
The player to the dealer's left leads the first trick (the player to the loner's left, if someone goes alone). The winner of each trick leads the next. You must follow the suit led if you can — remembering that the left bower belongs to the trump suit. If you are void, you may play any card, including a trump.
The highest trump played wins the trick; if no trump was played, the highest card of the suit led wins.
When the fifth trick is played, the makers' tricks are tallied:
| Outcome | Points |
|---|---|
| Makers take 3 or 4 tricks | +1 to the makers |
| Makers take all 5 tricks (a march) | +2 to the makers |
| Makers take all 5 going alone (lone march) | +4 to the makers |
| Makers take fewer than 3 tricks (euchred) | +2 to the defenders |
The deal then passes to the left and scores accumulate hand by hand. The first team to 10 points wins the game (short house rules of 5 or 7 are also available on this site).
Count on your bowers: the right bower plus the left bower plus the ace of trump is the famous "Dutchman's point" trio — with all three you are heavy favorite to make your bid.
Order up with 3 certain tricks, not 2: a marginal call invites being euchred for 2 points.
Lead trump when long in it — draining the opponents' trumps protects your aces.
As defender, lead aces of side suits early (before they can be trumped) and save your trump to catch the opponents' winners.
Going alone needs a near-laydown hand: the right bower plus two more sure tricks is usually the minimum.
24 — the 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace of each suit. Five cards go to each of the four players and 4 form the kitty.
The jack of the trump suit — the highest card in the game. The jack of the same color as trump is the left bower, the second-highest card.
Yes. If hearts are trump, the jack of diamonds is treated as a heart for following suit and for winning the trick.
The up-card is turned down and each player may name any other suit as trump. If all four pass again, the hand is thrown in and the next player deals.
When any player orders the up-card up, the dealer takes it into their hand (6 cards) and discards one face down into the kitty.
The makers need at least 3 of the 5 tricks. Taking 3-4 scores 1 point, all 5 scores 2, all 5 alone scores 4, and fewer than 3 gives the defenders 2 points.
The first team to 10 points wins (this site also offers 5- and 7-point house rules).
Yes — you can play Euchre online free at euchre.yeeqia.com directly in your browser, no download or sign-up required to try a table.
Yes — the site is mobile-first and runs in any modern Android or iOS browser, with a full English interface.