How to Play Euchre
Description
A fast five-trick game for two partnerships where the Jack of trumps — not the Ace — is the highest card on the table. Four players, a short deck, and a bid that cuts both ways.
Objective
Team up with the player across from you and be first to reach 10 points.
Setup
Four players in fixed partnerships, using a 24-card deck — just 9 through Ace in each suit.
Deal five cards to each player. Four cards remain as the kitty — turn the top kitty card face up as a proposed trump suit.
Rules
Going around the table, players either accept that suit as trump or pass. If everyone passes, a second round lets anyone name a different suit instead.
Whoever accepts trump (with their partner) becomes the makers; the other side becomes the defenders.
The Jack of the trump suit becomes the single highest card in the game — the right bower. The Jack of the other same-colored suit becomes the second-highest — the left bower, counted as trump for the rest of the hand.
Follow suit if you can; if you can't, play anything, including trump. Highest trump wins the trick, or highest card of the suit led if no trump was played.
Winning
The makers need at least three of the five tricks to score — winning three or four earns one point, winning all five (a march) earns two.
Fall short of three tricks and the makers are "euchred" — the defenders score two points instead.
First side to 10 points wins the match.