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A very popular game, Euchre is best suited to
four-handed play, with two teams of partners. A
twenty four-card
pack, running from Aces down to Nines is used in this game, which
is played as follows.
Choosing
The Dealer
The dealer is usually chosen by way of a person shuffling the cards and
dealing them one at a time to each individual until a JACK is turned up.
The player who receives the JACK is the leading dealer.
The
Deal
The dealer deals clockwise, usually in a pattern, giving each player two
cards, then three. (obviously this pattern can be three, two) When
all players have received their cards, the dealer will then turn the top
card of the remaining cards face-up and place the pack on the table in
front of him. The left over cards are known as "The
Kitty".
Rank
of Cards
Once a suit is declared to be trump, it's Jack becomes the Right Bower, or
the highest card of the suit. Next is the Jack of the same color, or
Left Bower; then the trumps run A, K, Q, 10, 9. If Spades was made
trump, the cards would rank as follows:
| J of spades |
J of clubs |
A of spades |
K of spades |
Q of spades |
10 of spades |
9 of spades |
Other suits would run A, K, Q, J, 10, 9 except for clubs which would
have no Jack since it has become the "left bower".
The
Play
Play normally begins with the player on the dealer's left, who leads a
card. The others follow suit in rotation, until all four have
played, making a trick. If unable to follow suit, a player may play
any card he wishes. The highest card of the suit led wins the trick,
but trump takes all others.
Whoever wins the first trick leads to the next; this continues until all
tricks are taken. The object of each team is to take three tricks,
with an underlying goal of taking all five.
Immediately after the dealer has dealt every person 5 cards, he places the
remaining cards in front of him, turning the top card face up on the pack.
Whatever its suit, each player now has the option of making that suit
trump, beginning with the player on the dealer's left. If he thinks
his hand is strong enough for his partner and himself to win three tricks,
he will tell the dealer to "pick it up", which means that the
dealer picks up the trump card from the pack and discards another from his
hand, face down.
Passing
If the first player does not like his hand, he will "pass", or
choose not to make the showing suit trump, and the choice will then go to
the next player. If he wants the turned up card to be trump, he
announces, "I assist" or "pick it up", because the
dealer is his partner. The result is the same. The turned up
card becomes trump; the dealer picks it up and discards another.
The second player can pass if he wants to; the third player then has the
same options of ordering it up or passing. The latter
choice leaves it up to the dealer, who can say, "I turn it
down". In that case, he takes the showing card and turns it
face down and that suit is no longer a possible choice of trump.
The first player then may make another suit trump, but if his hand is
weak, he can "pass". If he passes, it goes onto the second
player, then the third and finally the dealer. If nobody wants to
make trump, the hands are thrown in and the cards are passed to the next
dealer.
Scoring
Once trump is made, the play begins as described. If the team that
called trump takes 3 or 4 tricks, they score one point. Taking all
five is a march and scores two points. If they take less than
three tricks, they are Euchred and the opposing team scores two
points.
Going
Alone
During the preliminary of accepting or calling trump, each player may also
announce, "I'll play alone". This means he has a strong
hand and does not need his partners help. So his partner lays his
hand down and the play proceeds. Whoever is to the left of the
dealer makes the first lead.
When playing alone, a player scores four points if he takes all five
tricks; if he takes 3 or 4, he scores only one point; if he takes less
than three, he is euchred and the opposing team scores the usual two
points.
Rules
of Thumb
Sometimes, veteran players like to play a structured game, which consists
of some rules to follow. Keep in mind that these
"rules" do not always work, and require a feel for the
game as well. This "feel" can only come with the actual
playing of the game. These "rules" are also determined by
watching how your opponents play. (If your opponents "bag"
a lot, then following the "next" rule would NOT be wise!)
They are, however, good rules to follow as they usually prove themselves
to work, and for the most part should be followed. Try em!
A) Lead Trump. If your partner calls trump, and you have
the left or right bower,
and it's your lead, lead it.
B) Make it Next. If the person sitting to your right is the
dealer and he/she turns down a card that everybody has passed on, then
the "rule of thumb" is to make it next, or the same color
suit. If Diamonds was the suit turned down, then make it Hearts,
etc...
C) Make it for your Partner. If your partner is the dealer
and he turns down a suit due to everybody passing and the next player
doesn't make it next for his partner, then make it the opposite
color suit. If you don't, then chances are that your opponent
sitting to your left will call trump for his partner, so that your
partner (the dealer) doesn't get the chance to call trump.
D) Never trump your partners Ace. If your partner leads an
Ace, and you trump it, then chances are your partner will do one of two
things: (A) Shoot you or (B) Shoot you. Actually there does
come a time when trumping your partners Ace is appropriate, like when
all you have in your hand is trump or if you know that the person
sitting behind you does not have any of the suit that your partner has
led.
E) Always lead trump. If you called trump and it's your
lead, then lead it. Try to draw out the trump from the oppositions
hands. This also gives you the opportunity to see what your
partner has. If you lead trump and your partner doesn't throw
trump out, then start to pray! Leading trump can also make your
Aces good if you have some. NOTE: if you called it
"light" or "on a prayer", then leading trump may not
be wise. Try leading an ace. Also, if your partner called
trump and he/she called it light, then leading an ace if possible would
be great. It may not take a trick, but it will draw out trump,
hopefully making the few trump you do have good.
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