How to Play Euchre
Euchre is a fast trick-taking card game for four players in two partnerships, popular in the US Midwest, Ontario and the Atlantic provinces. It uses a short deck of 24 cards, and its most famous feature is the two bowers: the Jacks that become the highest trumps. On kawu you sit South, your computer partner sits North, and you play against West and East.
The deck and the partners
- 24 cards: 9, 10, J, Q, K and A of each suit.
- Two teams: partners sit opposite each other. You and North play against West and East.
- Goal: win at least three of the five tricks in a hand after your team has chosen trump, and be the first team to 10 points.
The deal
The dealer gives five cards to each player. The remaining four form the kitty; its top card is turned face up as the upcard. The deal passes one seat to the left (clockwise) after every hand.
Card ranks and the bowers
Once trump is chosen, the trump suit ranks:
- Right Bower: the Jack of trump
- Left Bower: the Jack of the other suit of the same colour
- Ace, King, Queen, 10, 9 of trump
The Left Bower is a trump for the whole hand. It is not a card of its printed suit any more: if diamonds are led and hearts are trump, the J♦ doesn't follow diamonds; if hearts are led, the J♦ must be played if it's your only heart. More on this on the bowers page.
In the other suits the order is A, K, Q, J, 10, 9. The suit of the same colour as trump has only five cards (its Jack has become the Left Bower).
Making trump
Round 1: order it up or pass
Starting with the player to the dealer's left, each player either passes or orders it up. Ordering up makes the upcard's suit trump. The dealer accepts by saying "pick it up".
When the upcard is ordered up, the dealer adds it to their hand and discards one card face down, so everyone still holds five.
Round 2: name a suit or pass
If all four pass, the upcard is turned face down. Starting again left of the dealer, each player may name any other suit as trump, or pass. The turned-down suit can't be named.
Stick the dealer
If everyone passes again, kawu uses stick the dealer: the dealer must name a suit (not the turned-down one). With this option turned off, the cards are thrown in and the next player deals.
Going alone
The player who makes trump may go alone. Their partner puts their cards down and sits out the hand, and the lone player takes on both opponents for more points. See going alone.
Playing the tricks
- The player to the dealer's left leads the first trick. If that player is sitting out because their partner went alone, the next player leads.
- Everyone must follow suit if they can, remembering that the Left Bower belongs to trump. If you can't follow, you may play any card, including a trump.
- The highest trump wins the trick. If no trump was played, the highest card of the suit led wins.
- The winner of each trick leads the next one.
Scoring
The team that chose trump are the makers; the other team are the defenders.
| Result | Points |
|---|---|
| Makers take 3 or 4 tricks | 1 to the makers |
| Makers take all 5 tricks (a "march") | 2 to the makers |
| Lone player takes 3 or 4 tricks | 1 |
| Lone player takes all 5 tricks | 4 |
| Makers take fewer than 3 tricks (euchred) | 2 to the defenders |
The first team to 10 points wins the game. Players traditionally keep score with two low cards each (a 5 and a 6 is enough to show 0–10). kawu keeps score for you in the corner of the table.
Common variants
- Redeal instead of stick the dealer: an option in kawu's settings.
- Canadian loner: when a player orders the dealer's upcard and goes alone, the player to the loner's left must lead.
- Defending alone: one defender may also play alone for 4 points if they euchre the makers.
- Bid euchre, three-handed euchre and six-handed euchre change the bidding or the partnerships. We plan to add some of these as variants later.
- Farmer's hand and "no ace, no face, no trump" redeals let a player with a terrible hand ask for a new deal.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards are in a euchre deck?
24: the 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace of each suit. Some groups add the 8s and 7s or a joker, but 24 cards is standard.
Which card is highest in euchre?
The Jack of the trump suit (the Right Bower), then the Jack of the other suit of the same colour (the Left Bower), then the trump Ace, King, Queen, 10 and 9.
What does "stick the dealer" mean?
If all four players pass twice, the dealer must name a trump suit rather than throw the hand in. kawu uses this rule by default; you can switch to redealing in the settings.
How many points for going alone?
4 points if the lone player takes all five tricks, 1 point for three or four tricks, and the opponents score 2 if the loner is euchred.
What happens if you get euchred?
If the team that named trump takes fewer than three tricks, they are euchred and the other team scores 2 points.
Can you call the same suit that was turned down?
No. In the second round of bidding, the suit of the turned-down upcard can't be named.
Last updated 2026-10-17