Quick Reference
How to Play Euchre — Rules & Cheat Sheet
Euchre is a trick-taking card game for 4 players (2 teams) using a 24-card deck. This reference covers every rule you need — from the deal and trump selection to scoring and strategy — formatted for quick lookup at the table or easy printing.
The Basics
The Deck
24 cards — only these ranks:
Cards 2–8 are removed from a standard deck. All four suits are used.
Players & Teams
- • Partners sit across from each other
- • 5 cards dealt to each player
- • 4 cards left face-down (the kitty)
- • Top kitty card is turned face-up
Objective
- • Win tricks each hand to score points
- • The calling team needs 3 of 5 tricks to score
- • Fail and your opponents get 2 points (Euchred!)
The Deal
Deal clockwise, starting with the player to the left of the dealer. Each player receives 5 cards, given out in two passes.
Standard — 3–2 Pattern
Pass 1
Pass 2
3 cards first, then 2 cards each
House Rule — 4–1 Pattern
Pass 1
Pass 2
54 cards first, then 1 card each
- →The dealer gives themselves the last card in the final pass.
- →Turn 1 card face-up from the remaining kitty — this is the upcard, and its suit is the candidate for trump.
- →The remaining 3 kitty cards stay face-down until (possibly) the dealer picks up the upcard.
Trump & The Bowers
When a suit is named trump, its cards beat all other suits. The two Jacks become the most powerful cards — called the Bowers. See the Trump Suit lesson for a deeper explanation.
Right Bower
The Jack of the trump suit — the highest card in the game.
e.g., Hearts trump → J♥ is the Right Bower
Left Bower
The Jack of the same-color suit — second highest trump.
e.g., Hearts trump → J♦ is the Left Bower (counts as trump!)
Trump Card Ranking — Highest to Lowest (example: Hearts trump)
Same-color pairs: Hearts ♥ & Diamonds ♦ | Spades ♠ & Clubs ♣
Calling Trump
After the deal, the top kitty card is turned face-up. Players bid in two rounds to decide the trump suit. Learn the full Calling Trump lesson for more detail.
Round 1 — The Turned Card
- →Starting left of dealer, each player says "Order up" or "Pass"
- →"Order up" makes the turned card's suit trump. The dealer picks up that card and discards one.
- →If all four players pass, move to Round 2.
Round 2 — Name a Suit
- →Each player may name any suit (except the turned card's suit) as trump, or pass.
- →The dealer cannot pass — they must name a suit ("Stick the Dealer").
- →Any player may declare "Going Alone" — partner sits out, but win all 5 = 4 pts.
Playing a Hand
- 1.Player left of the dealer leads the first trick.
- 2.You must follow suit if you have a card of that suit. Trump is its own suit — the Left Bower counts as trump, not its original suit.
- 3.If you can't follow suit, you may play any card (including trump).
- 4.The highest trump played wins the trick.
- 5.If no trump is played, the highest card of the led suit wins.
- 6.The trick winner leads the next trick. 5 tricks are played per hand.
Euchre Scoring
| Result | Points |
|---|---|
| Callers win 3–4 tricks | 1 pt |
| Callers win all 5 (March) | 2 pts |
| Euchred! (opponents take 3+) | 2 pts (opp) |
| Going Alone — win 3–4 | 1 pt |
| Going Alone — win all 5 | 4 pts |
Strategy Tips
- ✓Lead trump if you called it and have 3+. Pulling out opponents' trump early is powerful.
- ✓Don't order up alone unless you have 3+ trump. Two bowers + an ace is often enough to go alone.
- ✓Let your partner win tricks they're clearly taking. Don't waste a big card when your partner has it covered.
- ✓Count trump as they're played. Once all trump are gone, your Aces and Kings are winners.
- ✓Second seat plays low, fourth seat plays to win. Classic card play positional strategy.
Key Terms
- Bower:
- A trump Jack — Right (highest) or Left (second highest)
- Euchre:
- When the calling team fails to win 3 tricks; opponents score 2
- Kitty:
- The 4 face-down cards remaining after the deal
- March:
- Winning all 5 tricks in a hand (scores 2 pts)
- Order Up:
- Tell the dealer to pick up the turned card, naming its suit trump
- Going Alone:
- Playing without your partner — win all 5 for 4 pts
- Upcard:
- The turned kitty card that determines the candidate trump suit
- Stick the Dealer:
- Rule that forces the dealer to name trump if all others pass
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cards are in a Euchre deck?
A Euchre deck contains 24 cards. Only the 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace of each of the four suits are used. Cards 2 through 8 are removed from a standard 52-card deck.
What is the Right Bower in Euchre?
The Right Bower is the Jack of the trump suit. It is the highest-ranking card in the game when that suit is trump, beating all other cards including the Ace of trump.
What is the Left Bower in Euchre?
The Left Bower is the Jack of the same-color suit as trump. For example, if Hearts is trump, the Jack of Diamonds becomes the Left Bower — the second-highest trump card. It is treated as a trump card, not a Diamond, for the entire hand.
How do you call trump in Euchre?
After the deal, one kitty card is turned face-up. In Round 1, players in turn may 'order up' that card's suit as trump (dealer picks it up) or pass. If all four pass, Round 2 begins: each player may name any other suit as trump or pass, but the dealer cannot pass and must name a suit.
How is Euchre scored?
The team that called trump scores 1 point for winning 3 or 4 tricks, and 2 points for winning all 5 (a march). If the calling team wins fewer than 3 tricks, the opponents score 2 points — this is called being euchred. A player going alone who wins all 5 tricks scores 4 points. The first team to 10 points wins.
What does 'going alone' mean in Euchre?
Going alone means a player chooses to play without their partner — the partner sits out the hand. If the lone player wins all 5 tricks, their team scores 4 points instead of 2. If they win 3–4 tricks, they score 1 point normally. If they are euchred, the opponents still score 2 points.
What does 'euchred' mean?
Being euchred means the team that called trump failed to win at least 3 tricks. When this happens, the opposing team scores 2 points as a penalty.
How many cards does each player get in Euchre?
Each player receives 5 cards, dealt in two passes (either 3 then 2, or 4 then 1, depending on house rules). Four cards remain face-down as the kitty, with the top card turned face-up before bidding.