Euchre is a fun and fast-paced card game that is enjoyed by many people all over the world. If you've never played euchre before, it can be intimidating to learn the rules and strategies.
On this page, we'll take you through the basics of how to play euchre, including the rules of the game, how to deal and score, and some tips for winning.
By the end of this article, you'll be ready to play euchre with your friends and family.
Four Player Euchre Tutorial
What is Euchre?
Euchre is a trick-taking card game that is usually played with four players in two teams. Players of the same team will sit across from each other.
The game is played with a deck of 24 cards, consisting of the 9s, 10s, jacks, queens, kings, and aces of each suit. The objective of the game is to be the first team to reach 10 points.
Deal The Cards
To start the game, the dealer shuffles the deck and deals five cards to each player. The cards are dealt in sets of three or two cards at a time. The dealer then places the remaining four cards face down on the table to form the kitty.
Choose the Trump Suit
The top card of the kitty is turned face up, and the suit of that card is the first option as the trump suit for the round. The dealer then gives each player the opportunity to "order up" the trump suit, starting with the player to their left.
If the flipped up suit is chosen as trump, the dealer gets to switch a card in thier hand with the flipped up card.
If every player passes on the first card’s suit as trump, the card is flipped down. That suit can no longer be trump for the round, and no card switch takes place for the dealer.
The choice for trump returns to the player left of the dealer to choose any other suit as trump or pass. The choice continues clockwise until a trump suit is determined. The dealer must choose a trump suit if no other player decides one.
Rank of the Cards
The cards are ranked with aces being the highest and nines being the lowest until a trump suit is established. When the trump suit is established, the jack of trump becomes the highest ranking card. The off suit jack of the same suit color, known as the jick, becomes the second highest ranking card. A trump suited card outranks all other suited cards.
Play the Hand
The player to the left of the dealer leads the first trick by playing a card from their hand. The other players then play a card of the same suit, if possible. If a player does not have a card of the same suit, they can play any card.
The highest card of the suit led wins the trick, unless a trump card is played. In that case, the highest trump card wins the trick. The player that wins the trick will lead the next trick.
Scoring the Round
The team that determined the trump suit is known as the attackers. The other team is known as the defenders.
If the attackers win three or four tricks, they are awarded one point. If the attackers win all five tricks, they are awarded two points.
If the defenders win three or more tricks, they are awarded two points.
Playing alone
The player that determines the trump suit has the option to play without his/her partner. The game play is similar to the above description except with only three players playing. If the attacker wins all five tricks, his/her team is awarded four points. Otherwise, all other scoring is the same as above.
Common House Rules
Sticking the Dealer: If all players pass on determining a trumps suit, the dealer must choose a trump suit for the round.
Farmers Hand: If a player is dealt with a rank of only 10s or 9s, the player can announce “Farmer Hand.” The round is then re-dealt.
Tips for Winning at Euchre
Pay attention to the cards that have been played, and try to anticipate what cards your opponents may have left.
Don't be afraid to pass on a potential trump suit if your hand is not strong enough to support it.
Euchre is a game where taking risks can pay off. Don't be afraid to lead with your highest card or play a trump card early in the game if you think it will help you win the trick.
As with any card game, it's important to keep track of the cards that have been played. This can help you make more informed decisions about which cards to play and which suits are likely to be trumped.
Remember, winning at euchre requires a combination of skill, strategy, and luck. With practice you can improve your chances of coming out on top in this classic card game.
Five Player Euchre Tutorial
5 Player Euchre
5 player Euchre has a similar game play to 4 player Euchre with the following changes.
Deck of Cards
28 card deck (8s up to the aces in each suit)
Card Rank
The cards are ranked with aces being the highest and eights being the lowest until a trump suit is established.
When the trump suit is established, the jack of trump becomes the highest ranking card. The off suit jack of the same suit color, known as the jick, becomes the second highest ranking card. A trump suited card outranks all other suited cards.
Partner Pick
The player that determines the trump will pick their partner by stating a playing card. The player with the selected playing card becomes the partner but doesn’t make it known. The other players only find out who the partner is when the selected playing card is played during the round.
Scoring
The bid winner and selected partner are known as the attackers. The other three players are known as the defenders. If the attackers win three or four tricks, they are awarded one point. If the attackers win all five tricks, they are awarded two points. If the defenders win three or more tricks, they are awarded two points.
Playing alone
The player who determines trump has the option not to pick a partner and play the hand alone. The player who determines trump is forced to play alone if the playing card selected for determining a partner is buried in the remaining deck.