CoolhandThe games · Coolhand Cards
Euchre
The partnership game of the American Midwest and Ontario. Twenty-four cards, five tricks a hand, and the two jacks of the trump color sit above the ace.
- Players
- 4
- Family
- Bidding Games
- App
- Coolhand Cards · iOS and Android, soon
How it goes
Partners sit opposite. Twenty-four cards, nine to ace, five each, and the next card turned up. Starting left of whoever dealt, each player either orders it up, making its suit trump, or passes. If it's ordered up, whoever dealt picks it up and throws one card away. If nobody orders it up, each player in turn may name another suit, and if nobody does the hand is thrown in. Whoever makes trump may go alone, with their partner sitting out. The top trump is the jack of that suit, then the other jack of the same color, which is a trump too, then ace down to nine. Follow suit if you can. The highest trump wins the trick, else the highest card of the suit led. Three or four tricks score one point, all five two, and all five played alone four. Taking fewer is a euchre: two points to the other side. The first side to ten wins.
A good hand
Three trumps with a jack among them, or both jacks, is a hand that can make trump. Count the other jack of the trump color as a trump before you pass. Ordering it up on your partner's deal strengthens your side, and on the other side's deal it hands them a trump. Whoever made trump may go alone. Their partner lays the hand down and sits out, and the lead passes over them. Do it only when all five tricks are in your hand, because a lone hand scores four only for all five.
The usual mistake
Forgetting that the other jack of the trump color is a trump, not a card of its printed suit. When trump is led and it's your only trump, you must play it, so a hand that looked empty of trumps may not be. Ordering up on the other side's deal with two middling trumps, which gives them a trump and you a euchre. Trumping a trick your partner already holds. And going alone on a hand that needed its partner, where three or four tricks score only one.
Played differently where you are?
Card games change from table to table, and we researched some of these games instead of playing them. If Euchre goes differently where you play it, tell us. That's one of the things the closed beta is for.
The closed beta is by invitation. How to ask to join.