Euchre Bowers: Right and Left Explained
The bowers are the two Jacks that become the highest trumps in euchre. The name probably comes from the German Bauer, meaning farmer or peasant, the old name for the Jack. Understanding them is the single most important thing for a new player.
Which Jacks are the bowers?
| Trump suit | Right Bower | Left Bower |
|---|---|---|
| Hearts | J♥ | J♦ |
| Diamonds | J♦ | J♥ |
| Spades | J♠ | J♣ |
| Clubs | J♣ | J♠ |
- The Right Bower is the Jack of the trump suit and the highest card in the deck.
- The Left Bower is the Jack of the other suit of the same colour and the second highest card.
So the trump suit has seven cards, the suit of the same colour has only five, and the other two suits have six each.
The Left Bower is a trump, full stop
This is where most beginners go wrong. Once trump is set, the Left Bower stops being a card of its printed suit:
- Following suit: if diamonds are led and hearts are trump, the J♦ is not a diamond. If it's the only "diamond" you hold, you don't have to play it, and you may not play it to follow diamonds while holding a real diamond.
- Trump led: if hearts (trump) are led and the J♦ is your only trump, you must play it.
- Leading it: leading the J♦ when hearts are trump is a trump lead. Everyone must follow with hearts (or the J♥).
kawu follows these rules automatically. Cards you can't play are dimmed and marked "must follow suit", and the bowers in your hand are labelled R and L.
Common mistakes
- Counting the Left Bower as a weak Jack. It beats the trump Ace.
- Forgetting it when counting trumps. When deciding whether to order up, count the Left Bower as a trump: a hand with J♦, A♥ and K♥ holds three hearts if hearts are trump.
- Revoking by accident. In a real game, failing to follow suit when you could is a renege and usually costs 2 points. On kawu the computer won't let you renege.
Bowers and bidding
Holding both bowers almost guarantees two tricks, which is why many players will order up or call with both bowers and any third trump. One bower plus an off-suit Ace is a typical minimum call when your partner is the dealer. See the euchre strategy page for more.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Left Bower if spades are trump?
The Jack of clubs. The Left Bower is always the Jack of the other suit of the same colour: spades and clubs are black, hearts and diamonds are red.
Does the Left Bower count as its own suit?
No. For the whole hand it is a trump card. You can't use it to follow its printed suit, and you must play it when trump is led and it's your only trump.
Which is higher, the Left Bower or the Ace of trump?
The Left Bower. Only the Right Bower (the Jack of trump) is higher.
Last updated 2026-10-17