Grab the Tricks in ‘Euchre’!
Make careful bids and stay ahead of the Trump in Euchre, the classic trick-taking card game played worldwide!
Welcome in, fellow gamers! As exciting as a new board game can be, sometimes it’s fun to play a classic card game. While there are standards like War or Poker, you’ll find many exciting variants a bit further back in time. One game that has stood the test of time is Euchre, a game of suits where confidence can be your downfall. Euchre has been played on both sides of the pond for nearly two decades and hasn’t lost any of its luster.
What is Euchre?
Euchre is a card game that first appeared in the United States early in the 19th century. Though there are several theories about the game’s origin, the most likely is an old Alsatian game called Juckerspiel.
It has been attributed to German colonists, French travelers, and native farmers of Pennsylvania. Euchre is briefly mentioned as early as 1810 in the written manifest of a gambling hall, though the first recorded rules didn’t show up until 1844.
Euchre has spawned many variants in its years of play, though the basic rules remain the same. It has been described by gaming historians as “an excellent social game” and is still played casually across the world. In the late 19th century, it was the national card game of the US, though it has since declined in popularity.
20th-century games like Spades and Bridge drove Euchre out of fashion, though it is still played socially in the American Midwest and Canada. Fun fact: Euchre is why standard card decks include Jokers, which first appeared in packs in the 1850s.
Original Rules
Though its origins are debated, the earliest surviving rules for American Euchre were published in 1844 by Thomas Matthews. His book, The Whist Player‘s Handbook, includes a four-hand version of Euchre towards the end. His book summarizes the following rules:
Setup
- Euchre is played with two to nine people but is traditionally designed for four. The deck contains 32 cards from 7 up in value, with all four suits present. Cards are ranked in power based on their number, with Aces being high. The exception to this rule is the Jack in the trump suit. This is the highest value card. In addition, the Jack of the other suit of the same color is right below it. The trump suit is determined at the beginning of the round.
- At the beginning of the game, the deck is shuffled, and each player is dealt a card. The two players with the highest cards form a team, and the other two players form the other team. The dealer then deals two cards to each player, then three cards to each player, for a total of five.
Determining Trump Suit
- After hands are dealt, the dealer flips the top card of the library to determine the trump suit. The player to the dealer’s left, called the “eldest”, decides if they will accept the trump suit, or pass it to the next player. If they pass, the next player gets the same option until all players have voted.
- If the suit is accepted or “ordered up,” that player’s team becomes the maker team. In that case, the dealer picks up the turned card and discards a card in return. This is also the case if the dealer’s partner votes to “assist”. Otherwise, the dealer turns over the next card and votes pass around again. If no team orders up the second round, all cards are shuffled back into the deck and the eldest becomes the dealer.
- If a player is confident in their ability to win a trick, they can say “cards away”, asking their partner to sit out the round and playing solo against the other team.
Playing the Game
- Matches last for 5 “tricks”, or plays of the card. The eldest lays the first card, and then play continues around the table. Each player after the eldest must follow suit, if they can.
- The highest card of the trump suit wins the trick. If no cards of the trump suit were played, the highest card of the suit the eldest led with wins. The winner of the trick leads the next trick.
- After all cards have been played, the eldest becomes the dealer, dealing a new hand and performing a new trump.
Winning the Game
- The maker team must win at least three tricks to score points. If they are successful, they earn 1 point.
- If the makers do not win three tricks, they are “euchred” by the opposing team, and their opponents earn 2 points.
- If either team wins all five tricks, they earn a march for 2 points.
- If either team declares “cards away” and wins all five tricks, they earn 4 points for the round.
- Play continues until one team earns a total of 5 points.
Britsh Euchre
British Euchre is played nearly identically to standard Euchre, with a few exceptions. It is played with 25 cards of each suit starting with 9, and one Joker. The Joker is called the “Benny” and is the highest trump. In addition, if one side plays solo, they win 2 points for winning three hands and 4 points for winning all five. Play continues until one team scores 11 points.
Other Variants
There are North American Variants of the game that play to 10 rather than 11, and use a slightly smaller deck with no Joker. In addition, there is Three-Handed Euchre for three players, Set-Back Euchre which is played in reverse (and usually for money), and Bidding Euchre which introduces betting based on the trump.
