Euchre Basics

Euchre is a trick-taking game usually played by four players with a 24-card deck. Many different variations of the game are played throughout the English-speaking world. The version explained in this guide is how euchre is usually played in North America.

Euchre most likely derived from an earlier game called jucker, which was played in the Alsace region of France. Euchre quickly became trendy and reached the height of its popularity during the 19th century. In fact, though the joker is no longer used in euchre in North America (it still is in England), the inclusion of jokers in standard packs of cards originated in the 1850s as a response to euchre’s popularity at the time.

It’s still common to find devoted players and euchre clubs in the Northeast and Midwest of the United States, as well as parts of Canada, England, and Australia. Euchre enthusiasts are known for their strong devotion to the game’s traditions, unique jargon, and various superstitions.

Euchre is typically played with four players divided into two partnerships, but variations can accommodate five or six players as well. In the standard four-player version of euchre, partners sit across from each other around the playing space.

Each team’s objective in euchre is to be the first team to reach 10 points over the course of several rounds. In each round, one team attempts to make by declaring that they will win three or more of the five tricks played. The team that’s attempting to make gets to determine the trump suit for that round. If the team successfully wins at least three tricks, it scores that round. If it fails to do so, then the team has been euchred, and the defending team scores points.

Euchre uses a deck of 24 cards, containing the 9, 10, jack (J), queen (Q), king (K), and ace (A) of each of the four suits from a standard deck. The lower value cards not used in game play are traditionally used to keep score (see Scoring in Euchre).

Once trump is declared, the jack of the trump suit becomes the highest card in that suit and the most powerful card in the game for that round. It is called the right bower. The jack from the other suit of the same color, which is called the left bower, becomes the second highest card in the trump suit. For instance, if clubs is called as trump, the order from highest to lowest in the trump suit will be:

The order of the other black suit, spades, will be as normal except that it will lack the jack of spades (which is the left bower).

The order of the other two suits remain as usual: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9.