How to Play Euchre

Euchre is a fast, social trick-taking card game for four players in two partnerships — a staple of Midwest kitchens, cottages, and church basements. A hand takes about five minutes: name trump, win three tricks, and don't get euchred. Here's everything you need to play.

The deck and the deal

Euchre uses just 24 cards: the 9, 10, J, Q, K, and A of each suit. Four players sit in two partnerships — North–South against East–West. The dealer gives each player five cards; the four left over are the kitty, and the top card of the kitty is turned face-up to start the bidding.

Trump and the bowers

Whichever suit is named trump beats every other suit — but Euchre adds a twist that trips up every new player:

• Right bower — the jack of the trump suit. The highest card in the game.
• Left bower — the jack of the same-color suit. It counts as a trump card, second only to the right bower. If hearts are trump, the jack of diamonds is a heart for the whole hand.
• Color pairs: ♥ hearts ↔ ♦ diamonds, and ♠ spades ↔ ♣ clubs.
• Full trump order, high to low: right bower, left bower, A, K, Q, 10, 9.

Bidding — round one

Starting left of the dealer, each player looks at the turned-up card and either orders it up — accepting that suit as trump — or passes. If anyone orders it up, the dealer picks up the turned card and discards one card face-down, and play begins. The team that named trump are the makers; the other team defends.

Bidding — round two

If all four players pass, the up card is turned down and each player, in the same order, may name any other suit as trump or pass again. Under the popular stick the dealer house rule, the dealer must name a suit if everyone else passes — no thrown-in hands.

Going alone

A player who names trump may declare they're going alone. Their partner sits the hand out, and the lone player takes on both opponents. It's a gamble: all five tricks alone scores 4 points instead of 2.

Playing the tricks

• The player left of the dealer leads any card; play follows clockwise.
• You must follow suit if you can. Remember the left bower belongs to the trump suit, not its printed suit.
• The highest trump played wins the trick; if nobody plays trump, the highest card of the led suit wins.
• The trick winner leads the next trick, until all five are played.

Scoring

• Makers win 3 or 4 tricks → 1 point
• Makers win all 5 (a march) → 2 points
• Lone player wins all 5 → 4 points
• Makers win fewer than 3 (euchred) → defenders score 2

First team to the target score wins — traditionally 10 points, with 5- and 7-point games popular for quicker rounds.

Frequently asked questions

What is the left bower?

The jack of the suit sharing trump's color. It's a trump card for the whole hand — the second-highest card in the game — and it follows trump, not its printed suit.

What does "euchred" mean?

The makers must take at least three of the five tricks. Falling short is getting euchred, and the defenders score 2 points — the sting the game is named for.

What is "stick the dealer"?

A house rule where the dealer must name trump if everyone passes twice. It keeps hands from being thrown in and rewards paying attention to the deal.

Can I play Euchre with fewer than four players?

Traditional Euchre is a four-player partnership game. Online, the computer can fill any empty seats — practice solo against three AI opponents, or invite one or two friends and let the AI cover the rest.

Where can I play Euchre online for free?

Right here. Roberta Royale runs in your browser on phone, tablet, or desktop — practice against the AI or open a private room and invite friends with a link. No download, no account, no ads between hands.