What is Euchre?
Euchre is the fast little giant of the American Midwest and Ontario — 24 cards, five tricks, minutes per hand, and a lifetime of table talk about that one time your partner ordered it up on nothing. Its trick is the bowers: when a suit becomes trump, its Jack becomes the highest card in the game, and the other Jack of the same colour sneaks in as second-highest. Play free against solid bots or with friends in a private room.
How a hand works
- Four players in two partnerships, using only the 9 through Ace of each suit. Everyone gets five cards, and one card is turned face-up.
- In turn, players may "order up" the up-card's suit as trump — or, in the second round, name a different suit.
- Whoever calls trump becomes the makers; their Jack is the right bower, the same-colour Jack the left.
- Five tricks are played; the makers need three to score.
- Hands repeat until a team reaches 10 points.
Scoring at a glance
1makers take three or four tricks
2makers take all five — a march
2to the defenders when the makers fall short — that's being euchred
4for winning all five tricks going alone, partner's hand face-down
Learn more
Common questions
- What on earth is a bower?
- The Jack of trump (right bower) and the Jack of the same colour (left bower) — the two best cards in the hand. Forgetting the left bower is how beginners get euchred.
- What does "euchred" mean?
- The makers called trump and didn't take three tricks — the defenders pocket 2 points and the bragging rights.
- Is going alone worth it?
- All five tricks alone scores 4 instead of 2; three or four tricks still scores the normal 1. With both bowers and an ace, be brave.