Round one — the up-card
- From the dealer's left, each player may order up the up-card's suit, or pass.
- The dealer's partner orders it up by saying “assist.”
- The dealer may take it up themselves.
Round flow
Deal to first lead
- Deal 5 each, turn one up. The dealer gives everyone five cards (in 2s and 3s), then turns the top card of the four left over face up — the up-card. Its suit is the first candidate for trump.
- Round one — order it up? Starting at the dealer's left (eldest hand), each player may order up the up-card's suit as trump, or pass. The dealer's partner orders it up by saying “assist”; the dealer may simply take it up.
- Take it up & discard. When the up-card is ordered up (or the dealer takes it), the dealer adds it to hand and buries one card face down — back to five. That team are the makers.
- Round two — name a new suit. If all four pass, the up-card is turned down. Now, again from the left, each player may name any other suit as trump (not the turned-down one) or pass. If everyone passes again, the hand is dead and the deal moves left.
- Going alone? The maker may declare a loner and play the hand without their partner — see below.
- Play 5 tricks. The eldest hand leads. You must follow suit if you can, otherwise trump in or throw off. Highest trump wins the trick, else the highest card of the suit led; the winner leads next.
- Score & deal left. Score the hand (below), then the deal passes to the left. First side to 10 wins the game.
The trump suit
The two Bowers
When a suit becomes trump, two Jacks jump to the top. The Right Bower is the Jack of the trump suit and beats every other card. The Left Bower is the other Jack of the same color (♥/♦ red, ♣/♠ black); it ranks second and plays as trump, leaving its printed suit behind. Below them, trump runs Ace, King, Queen, Ten, Nine. Here is the order with hearts as trump:
Right Bower — highest card in the deck
Left Bower — the other red Jack, now trump
then the rest of trump
Black trump works the same way. If spades are trump, the Right Bower is the J♠ and the Left Bower is the J♣ (the other black Jack). The rule is always: trump Jack first, same-color Jack second.
Off-trump suits
The other three suits
Every non-trump suit ranks Ace high down to Nine — except the suit that lost its Jack to the Left Bower, which has no Jack at all. Still using hearts as trump, the other three suits look like this:
♦ Diamonds (lost its Jack)
J♦ is the Left Bower — it's trump now.
♣ Clubs
♠ Spades
Following suit: you must play the suit led if you hold it. Watch the Left Bower — if its printed suit is led it does not count as that suit (it's trump), so a hand holding only the Left Bower of the led suit is treated as void in it.
Making trump
Two rounds of bidding
Take it up & discard
When the up-card is ordered up (or taken up), the dealer puts it in hand and buries one card face down, staying at five. Whoever fixed the trump are the makers.
Round two — name a suit
If all four pass, the up-card is turned down and its suit is dead. Again from the left, each player may name any other suit as trump, or pass. If everyone passes again, the hand is thrown in and the deal moves left — unless you play Stick the Dealer.
The maker's burden
Whoever fixes the trump promises to take three of the five tricks. Fall short and the makers are euchred — the defending team scores 2.
Loners
Going alone
Declare before the lead
A maker may announce “I'll play it alone.” Their partner sets their hand aside, and the lone player takes on both opponents single-handed.
The lead exception
The eldest hand still leads — unless that player is the lone player's partner. Then the lead moves to the next player, so the loner isn't led into by their own (sitting) partner.
The payoff
A loner who sweeps all five tricks scores 4 instead of 2. Take 3 or 4 and it's the usual 1; get euchred and the defenders take 2 (or 4, with the defending-alone variant).
Scoring
Where points go
1take 3 or 4 tricks
2march (all 5)
4lone march
| Result of the hand | Makers | Defenders |
|---|---|---|
| Makers take 3 or 4 tricks | +1 | — |
| Makers take all 5 — a march | +2 | — |
| Lone maker takes all 5 | +4 | — |
| Lone maker takes 3 or 4 | +1 | — |
| Makers euchred (take 0–2) | — | +2 |
Game to 10. Add each hand's points and pass the deal left; first side to 10 wins. Many tables play to 7 or to 5 instead — agree the target before you start. (Old scorekeeping uses two spare cards, a 5 and a 4, to show the running total.)
House add-ons
Variants
Stick the Dealer
If everyone passes both rounds, the dealer can't throw the hand in — they must name a trump and play it. It removes dead hands and puts pressure on the deal. Very common.
Defending alone
Against a lone maker, a defender may also go alone (their partner sits too). If the defenders euchre the lone maker, it's a 4-point swing instead of 2.
Farmer's hand (misdeal)
A player dealt nothing but low cards — typically three 9s and two 10s, with no Ace, face card, or bower — may declare a farmer's hand and call for a re-deal before bidding begins.
Game length
This page plays to 10. Euchre is also commonly played to 7 or to 5 (the older Hoyle target). Pick one before the first deal and keep it for the session.
Edge cases
Quick rulings
Can I play the Left Bower as its printed suit?
No. While that color is trump, the Left Bower is a trump card. If its printed suit is led, the Left Bower does not count as that suit — you follow trump with it, not the led suit.
Trump is led — must I play the Left Bower?
Yes, if it's your only way to follow. A trump lead must be followed with trump when you can, and the Left Bower is trump.
Ordered up — does the dealer keep the up-card?
The dealer takes the up-card into hand and discards one card face down, staying at five. The discard is out of play for the hand.
Who leads to the first trick?
The eldest hand — the player to the dealer's left. The exception is a loner: if the eldest hand is the lone player's partner, the lead passes to the next player.
Everyone passed both rounds — now what?
The hand is dead: throw the cards in and the deal passes left. (Unless you're playing Stick the Dealer, where the dealer must name a trump.)
I didn't follow suit when I could — what happens?
That's a revoke. Fix it before the trick is turned and quitted; an established revoke costs your side tricks or points by table agreement.