Euchre game variations
Encyclopedia
This article deals with variations in game playing. For a description on variations in game rules and terminology, see Euchre variations
.
Euchre has many variations in game playing. Some of them are designed for two, three, five or even six hands. Described below are some of these regional variations played in the USA.
leagues uses the standard Euchre deck with an extra card, usually a Joker or 2 of spades, called the "Benny" (often called the "Bird" in Australia). This card is the highest trump no matter what suit is called. When the Benny is turned over by the dealer, the dealer must choose a suit to call as trumps before looking at his or her hand. Bidding then proceeds normally.
The Duchy of Cornwall
lays claim to the origin of the Benny in Euchre, its usage being exported from Cornwall
to the USA, Australia and Canada by emigrant Cornish
miners in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Four Bennies
In southwestern Ontario
(Canada
), there is an extension of this style wherein the 9s are removed from the deck and up to four "Bennys" are added. These usually take the form of either one or two Jokers and/or one or two Deuces (of differing colour, usually the Deuce of spades and, optionally, the Deuce of hearts). This is colloquially known as "Railroad Euchre" and in its simplest form (with only a single Joker or Deuce), it is identical to the English variant listed previously. As with the earlier description, the additional cards are ranked trump ahead of the right bower, regardless of the suit of trump with Deuce(s) outranking Jokers. In the case where two Jokers are added, some method is achieved for establishing a "high" and a "low" Joker. Often the cards are differentiated in some way by the manufacturer which makes this easy; for example, a coloured Joker (high) versus a black-and-white one (low), or by some other mark that distinguishes the two cards (in a pinch, marks can be added manually, but this is discouraged as it may render the card identifiable from the back). In any event, the "high" Joker always outranks the low. If one Deuce is used, it is always the highest trump in the deck. If two are used, the Deuce matching the colour of trump is highest. Turning up a Joker or Deuce on the deal is handled in the same way as described in the English method above. Although Railroad Euchre is somewhat complicated and often takes a few hands even for experienced Euchre players to grow accustomed to, the addition of up to four higher-ranking trump cards makes a significant strategic impact in the way the game is played. For clarification, assuming the addition of both deuces and both jokers, and if spades or clubs is called trump, the ranking of the four highest trump cards would be 2♠, 2♥, Joker(high), and Joker(low), with the normal progression of trump from the right bower on down thereafter. If hearts or diamonds were trump instead, the ranks of the top four cards would change to: 2♥, 2♠, Joker(high), and Joker(low). The popularity of the Railroad variants appears to decrease as more trump are added with the two and three Benny versions being the most common.
33-card deck
In Guernsey
(Channel Islands
) the game is played with a 33 card deck incorporating 7 to Ace plus a joker as Benny. In addition, where the Benny is turned up, the dealer not only has to name the suit, he must then pick it up and play (although he may still choose whether to play alone or with his partner). Unofficial rules require the wearing of a "dealing hat". When dealing (usually a Fez) alternatively, a 'dealing duck' may be placed in front of the dealer referring to the Ace of Spades
as the Death Card, regardless of trump. Tradition dictates that the Death Card should not be led on the first trick unless defending against a lone attacker as it will otherwise invariably be trumped. A cleverer lead is known as the "Brisey" which involves leading the left bower in an attempt to trick one of your opponents into a renege (a failure to correctly follow suit) if any particular player consistently reneges throughout an evenings play he is referred to as a 'habin'. The Brisey lead itself is named after Brian Mauger, a famous Guernsey Euchre player. If a defender has won two tricks and still has possession of the Benny then he must slap it onto his forehead as a sign of the guaranteed euchre. In an attempt to improve a poor hand a player may call a 'kezza' with what would appear to be little chance of success in the hope that his partner may assist in winning the majority of the available tricks.
Another two player variation exists which involves 11 tricks being played per hand which makes it almost impossible to take all 11 tricks. Also, going alone is not possible in this variation because there are no partners or dummy hands. Three cards are dealt to each player to form their "hand" followed by four face down cards for each player and four face up cards for each player on top of the face down cards. Any card can be played by the player as long as he or she can see the card (meaning it is in the hand of the player or in front of the player face up). When a face up card is played, the face down card below it is revealed and is now eligible to be played. Play resumes for the current hand until all of the cards have been played. This can also be played where five cards make up each players hand with 3 sets of face up/face down cards in front of each person. First person to ten points wins.
Each player has his own score cards and plays until ten as normal.
A common three-player variation is played by dealing out four hands, but with the fourth hand acting as a dummy hand, known in different places as "the dummy," "the dead hand," "the imaginary friend," or "Johann." The player who calls trump on the current hand picks up the dummy hand and makes the best five-card hand for themselves out of his or her hand and the dummy hand. The player will now play alone against the other two players, who will play as partners for this hand. The two non-calling players will always play as partners which means that partners will switch from hand to hand depending on who calls trump. The calling player will score one point for winning the hand and 2 points for taking all five tricks. The calling player can still elect to "go alone" by choosing not to pick up the dummy hand. Taking all five tricks here results in four points. Each player keeps their own score.
Another common three player variation is to remove the nines from the deck and deal three hands of five cards, with a five card kitty remaining. Players call trump like they would in a four person game, and the above scoring rules apply.
Variations on the dummy hand also exist because being able to make a best hand out of ten cards is sometimes viewed as being too powerful. The other variations are:
Dumpling
In western New York, a three player variation called "Dumpling" is played. Four hands are dealt out, one to each player and one face down on the table. The dealer turns up the top kitty card, as usual, and this card is automatically trump; there is no bidding for trump. Instead, each player has the option, in clockwise order starting at the dealer's left, of playing the dealt hand or the blind hand on the table. If the player picks up the blind hand, he places his hand face down on the table and that becomes the new blind hand. Interesting play results if two (or more) players pick up the blind hand because the original owner of the hand knows what they have. When bidding gets to the dealer, the dealer picks up the trump card and play begins. Normal Euchre play now applies, with each player on their own. At the end of the hand, each player gets one point for each trick taken. If a player takes no tricks, he loses five points. A game of "Dumpling" is typically played to 21 points; tiebreaker rules vary by region. In Chicago's Wicker Park
neighborhood, this version is known as "Gyoza," named after the Japanese dumpling. In other areas of the Midwest, this version is called "Buck Euchre," wherein a player losing five points is said to be "bucked."
A slightly less common version of three person Euchre is played by removing the nines from a standard deck and playing without a dummy hand. In this version, the calling player always goes alone where four points will always result from taking all five tricks.
Another uncommon version of three person Euchre is to deal out three hands of seven cards with a three-card kitty. The 4-hand rules apply, except that the calling player must always go alone.
Shooter
In Southern Ontario, a three-person version exists called "Shooter". Each player receives eight cards and bids a number to win the contract and choose the trump suit. The winning bidder may also choose "no trump", where aces are high and all jacks are treated as off-trump coloured jacks, i.e. beat a ten but lose to a queen. The minimum bid starts at three and subsequent bidders must out-bid the highest previous bid or pass. Points are scored for each trick taken, not merely by the contractor but by all players. The contractor is of course vulnerable however, and if he or she fails to take the number of tricks bidden, he or she loses that number of points. A player wishing to bid all eight tricks calls "shooter", and if successful gains not eight but 12 points. Score is kept on paper and the game is played to 31. A player bidding less than eight and subsequently winning all eight tricks will only score eight points.
Ghost player
A somewhat popular three-handed variation exists. Players sit as though there is a "ghost player" in the fourth position. A hand of five cards is dealt to each player and the ghost player. Before the top card of the kitty is turned up, in clockwise order, players may opt to switch their hand with the ghost player's hand. If a player does, no other player may choose to switch hands. Bidding proceeds as normal. The maker of this hand plays alone, with the two defenders as partners. If the maker gets three tricks, he is awarded 2 points. Five tricks is four points. However, if the maker opted to switch hands at the beginning of the round, he is deducted one point if he wins. Should the defending players take three tricks, they get 1 point each, and taking 5 tricks awards them 2 points each.
Threechre
Another three-player variant called "Threechre" (sometimes pronounced "tree-ker" or "three-kree") exists. In this game, only three suits are used and a joker serves as the left bower, regardless of drawn suit. The game is played to a winning score of 10 points: a 2-trick tie wins both tied players one point, and three or more tricks wins the player two points. The penalty for calling is -1 point; thus, calling and losing means an overall score of -1, calling and winning equals one point, and calling and tying means no change in score.
If the dealer goes it alone on the first round of bidding, the drawn card is turned down. No matter who goes it alone, the kitty is reshuffled and dealt to the opponents, who then must discard two cards from a hand of seven cards.
Call-partner
Another three-player variation is known as Call-partner. Hands of 5 cards are dealt as usual, and a card is turned up over the kitty. Bidding happens as normal, except the person who makes trump may call for a partner by naming a desired card. As an example, the trump maker might call for the left bower. The partner is only revealed when the card is played. This adds an element of surprise, as only the person holding the called card knows that they are the partner until it is played. Sometimes the called card is in the kitty, in which case there is no partner. The trump maker may also elect to "go alone". Scoring is the same as in 4 handed versions.
Euchress
Yet another three player variation exists, called Euchress. It uses only 20 cards: the 10, J, Q, K, and A of each suit. Hands of 5 cards are dealt as usual, and a card is turned up over the kitty. Bidding goes as usual, except that the person who called the trump can choose his partner, or if he wants to go alone. The person who went alone gets the card on the kitty, if it is face up. Scoring is the same as in 4-handed versions. The first player to 15 wins.
The five-handed Euchre deck comprises the Euchre deck with the addition of the 8♠, 8, 8, 2♠ and 2. Jokers can also replace the 2s, once they can be differentiated. Another variation includes all four 8s. This has no impact on game play, but it means there is an additional card in the kitty.
Trump & Bidding
Cards in the trump suit rank, from highest to lowest: 2♠ 2 J J A K Q 10 9 and 8. The 2♠ and 2, also known as the big and the little two, or high and low Joker, are permanently part of the trump suit. The players receive five cards and the next is turned for trump. If it is a 2 (or Joker), the dealer can not look at his cards. Each player has the option to order the face up suit trump or pass and if all pass then the dealer has the same option.
Selecting a partner
The bidder selects his partner by naming a card, which may not be the 2 or Joker. The player who holds the selected card becomes the bidder's partner for that hand, and if the card is not played, due to being in the kitty or having been discarded by the dealer, there is no partner. Players, including the bidder, are unaware of the partner's identity until the selected card is played. Thus if the bidder does not have a partner, he may not be aware of this until the last card is played.
The bidder may also opt not to select a partner, which means he is "going alone". A player who takes all 5 tricks while going alone is awarded 4 points. If a player names a card in the kitty and takes all five tricks, he is awarded an extra 2 points for not having a partner, so that, the player must intentionally "go it alone" to qualify for the additional points.
A special situation exists if the dealer flips over a 2 or Joker. Before looking at his hand, the dealer has the option of arbitrarily selecting a suit to be the trump suit or revealing a random card from his hand with the suit of the random card becoming the trump suit. If the dealer chooses the former, the bidding proceeds as usual with the 2 or Joker being considered a member of the, arbitrarily, selected trump suit. If the dealer chooses the later, he immediately picks up the 2, discards a card, then either selects a partner or chooses to go alone.
Scoring the hand
The game ends either when a player reaches ten or more points while holding at least a one point advantage over all the other competitors or when a player or players reach ten or more points. Should multiple players reach ten or more points, the winner is the player with the lowest score at the start of the hand, and if a single winner can not be selected, the game is a "draw" among those with ten or more points. Only players who have taken tricks during the relevant hand are eligible to receive points. This implies that players may not receive points despite being on the successful team, which can cause competition within and between teams. The number of points awarded for sweeps, euchres, and lone hands is the same as Euchre.
If the outcome of a hand has been determined before all cards have been played, the players may lay their cards down face up and the hand is then scored as if all cards had been played. If a player lays down a hand if the outcome is still in question, then the hand must be concluded with that player's cards face up.
Game strategy
Virtually everything about 9-handed Euchre is identical to the 6-handed game with the exception of the details below.
When the Dealer turns up a Joker
Because Jokers do not have suits printed on them, the players determine how to handle this scenario before it happens. Below are several possibilities.
When the Jokers are not named
Some decks of cards specify "Big" or "Little" on the Jokers. For other decks, you can add a 1 and a 2 to the index portion of the Jokers with a marker as well as "Big" and "Little" on their faces for ease of identification. It is very helpful to include the 1 and 2 on the indexes since typical Jokers have barely distinguishable icons in the corners.
Some decks have a red Joker and a black Joker. With these, it helps to decide if they will have fixed ranks written on them (prev. ¶) or whether their ranks will depend on the color of trump (i.e., red Joker is highest when trump is diamonds or hearts, and second-highest when clubs or spades; black Joker vice versa).
Euchre variations
This article deals with variations on game rules and game terminology. For variations on game playing, see Euchre game variations.Euchre is a 19th century trick-taking card game with many popular variations on how to play the game and changes in the rules...
.
Euchre has many variations in game playing. Some of them are designed for two, three, five or even six hands. Described below are some of these regional variations played in the USA.
Regional variations
A common variation played in southwestern England competitive pubPublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
leagues uses the standard Euchre deck with an extra card, usually a Joker or 2 of spades, called the "Benny" (often called the "Bird" in Australia). This card is the highest trump no matter what suit is called. When the Benny is turned over by the dealer, the dealer must choose a suit to call as trumps before looking at his or her hand. Bidding then proceeds normally.
The Duchy of Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
lays claim to the origin of the Benny in Euchre, its usage being exported from Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
to the USA, Australia and Canada by emigrant Cornish
Cornish emigration
The Cornish diaspora consists of Cornish people and their descendants who emigrated from Cornwall. The diaspora is found in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa and Brazil....
miners in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Four Bennies
In southwestern Ontario
Southwestern Ontario
Southwestern Ontario is a subregion of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario, centred on the city of London. It extends north to south from the Bruce Peninsula on Lake Huron to the Lake Erie shoreline, and east to south-west roughly from Guelph to Windsor. The region had a population...
(Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
), there is an extension of this style wherein the 9s are removed from the deck and up to four "Bennys" are added. These usually take the form of either one or two Jokers and/or one or two Deuces (of differing colour, usually the Deuce of spades and, optionally, the Deuce of hearts). This is colloquially known as "Railroad Euchre" and in its simplest form (with only a single Joker or Deuce), it is identical to the English variant listed previously. As with the earlier description, the additional cards are ranked trump ahead of the right bower, regardless of the suit of trump with Deuce(s) outranking Jokers. In the case where two Jokers are added, some method is achieved for establishing a "high" and a "low" Joker. Often the cards are differentiated in some way by the manufacturer which makes this easy; for example, a coloured Joker (high) versus a black-and-white one (low), or by some other mark that distinguishes the two cards (in a pinch, marks can be added manually, but this is discouraged as it may render the card identifiable from the back). In any event, the "high" Joker always outranks the low. If one Deuce is used, it is always the highest trump in the deck. If two are used, the Deuce matching the colour of trump is highest. Turning up a Joker or Deuce on the deal is handled in the same way as described in the English method above. Although Railroad Euchre is somewhat complicated and often takes a few hands even for experienced Euchre players to grow accustomed to, the addition of up to four higher-ranking trump cards makes a significant strategic impact in the way the game is played. For clarification, assuming the addition of both deuces and both jokers, and if spades or clubs is called trump, the ranking of the four highest trump cards would be 2♠, 2♥, Joker(high), and Joker(low), with the normal progression of trump from the right bower on down thereafter. If hearts or diamonds were trump instead, the ranks of the top four cards would change to: 2♥, 2♠, Joker(high), and Joker(low). The popularity of the Railroad variants appears to decrease as more trump are added with the two and three Benny versions being the most common.
33-card deck
In Guernsey
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
(Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
) the game is played with a 33 card deck incorporating 7 to Ace plus a joker as Benny. In addition, where the Benny is turned up, the dealer not only has to name the suit, he must then pick it up and play (although he may still choose whether to play alone or with his partner). Unofficial rules require the wearing of a "dealing hat". When dealing (usually a Fez) alternatively, a 'dealing duck' may be placed in front of the dealer referring to the Ace of Spades
Ace of Spades
At least in English-speaking countries, the ace of spades is traditionally seen as the highest card in the deck of playing cards, although the actual value of the card varies from game to game...
as the Death Card, regardless of trump. Tradition dictates that the Death Card should not be led on the first trick unless defending against a lone attacker as it will otherwise invariably be trumped. A cleverer lead is known as the "Brisey" which involves leading the left bower in an attempt to trick one of your opponents into a renege (a failure to correctly follow suit) if any particular player consistently reneges throughout an evenings play he is referred to as a 'habin'. The Brisey lead itself is named after Brian Mauger, a famous Guernsey Euchre player. If a defender has won two tricks and still has possession of the Benny then he must slap it onto his forehead as a sign of the guaranteed euchre. In an attempt to improve a poor hand a player may call a 'kezza' with what would appear to be little chance of success in the hope that his partner may assist in winning the majority of the available tricks.
Two players
A two player variation exists where a normal hand is dealt out to each player along with a 3-card dummy hand to each player. Obviously, there are no partners in this game and each person picks up their dummy hand after trump has been called. Each player must make their best five card hand out of the eight cards available. To have the best deal you should take out the 9s. Going alone is still an option and occurs when the calling player opts not to pick up the dummy hand.Another two player variation exists which involves 11 tricks being played per hand which makes it almost impossible to take all 11 tricks. Also, going alone is not possible in this variation because there are no partners or dummy hands. Three cards are dealt to each player to form their "hand" followed by four face down cards for each player and four face up cards for each player on top of the face down cards. Any card can be played by the player as long as he or she can see the card (meaning it is in the hand of the player or in front of the player face up). When a face up card is played, the face down card below it is revealed and is now eligible to be played. Play resumes for the current hand until all of the cards have been played. This can also be played where five cards make up each players hand with 3 sets of face up/face down cards in front of each person. First person to ten points wins.
Three players
In the three-player variation, also called Cut-throat Euchre, each player gets a 5 card hand as normal and the top card is upturned. The bidding process is normal until someone calls trump. This player then goes alone against the other two.- When the maker gets three or four tricks it is one point.
- When the maker gets five tricks it is three points.
- When the defenders get three or more tricks they each get two points.
Each player has his own score cards and plays until ten as normal.
A common three-player variation is played by dealing out four hands, but with the fourth hand acting as a dummy hand, known in different places as "the dummy," "the dead hand," "the imaginary friend," or "Johann." The player who calls trump on the current hand picks up the dummy hand and makes the best five-card hand for themselves out of his or her hand and the dummy hand. The player will now play alone against the other two players, who will play as partners for this hand. The two non-calling players will always play as partners which means that partners will switch from hand to hand depending on who calls trump. The calling player will score one point for winning the hand and 2 points for taking all five tricks. The calling player can still elect to "go alone" by choosing not to pick up the dummy hand. Taking all five tricks here results in four points. Each player keeps their own score.
Another common three player variation is to remove the nines from the deck and deal three hands of five cards, with a five card kitty remaining. Players call trump like they would in a four person game, and the above scoring rules apply.
Variations on the dummy hand also exist because being able to make a best hand out of ten cards is sometimes viewed as being too powerful. The other variations are:
- A three card dummy hand where the calling player makes their best hand out of 8 cards instead of 10.
- A five card dummy hand where the calling player picks 3 random cards in their attempt to make the best hand.
Dumpling
In western New York, a three player variation called "Dumpling" is played. Four hands are dealt out, one to each player and one face down on the table. The dealer turns up the top kitty card, as usual, and this card is automatically trump; there is no bidding for trump. Instead, each player has the option, in clockwise order starting at the dealer's left, of playing the dealt hand or the blind hand on the table. If the player picks up the blind hand, he places his hand face down on the table and that becomes the new blind hand. Interesting play results if two (or more) players pick up the blind hand because the original owner of the hand knows what they have. When bidding gets to the dealer, the dealer picks up the trump card and play begins. Normal Euchre play now applies, with each player on their own. At the end of the hand, each player gets one point for each trick taken. If a player takes no tricks, he loses five points. A game of "Dumpling" is typically played to 21 points; tiebreaker rules vary by region. In Chicago's Wicker Park
Wicker Park, Chicago
Wicker Park is a Chicago neighborhood northwest of the Loop, south of Bucktown and west of Pulaski Park within West Town. Charles and Joel Wicker purchased of land along Milwaukee Avenue in 1870 and laid out a subdivision with a mix of lot sizes surrounding a park...
neighborhood, this version is known as "Gyoza," named after the Japanese dumpling. In other areas of the Midwest, this version is called "Buck Euchre," wherein a player losing five points is said to be "bucked."
A slightly less common version of three person Euchre is played by removing the nines from a standard deck and playing without a dummy hand. In this version, the calling player always goes alone where four points will always result from taking all five tricks.
Another uncommon version of three person Euchre is to deal out three hands of seven cards with a three-card kitty. The 4-hand rules apply, except that the calling player must always go alone.
Shooter
In Southern Ontario, a three-person version exists called "Shooter". Each player receives eight cards and bids a number to win the contract and choose the trump suit. The winning bidder may also choose "no trump", where aces are high and all jacks are treated as off-trump coloured jacks, i.e. beat a ten but lose to a queen. The minimum bid starts at three and subsequent bidders must out-bid the highest previous bid or pass. Points are scored for each trick taken, not merely by the contractor but by all players. The contractor is of course vulnerable however, and if he or she fails to take the number of tricks bidden, he or she loses that number of points. A player wishing to bid all eight tricks calls "shooter", and if successful gains not eight but 12 points. Score is kept on paper and the game is played to 31. A player bidding less than eight and subsequently winning all eight tricks will only score eight points.
Ghost player
A somewhat popular three-handed variation exists. Players sit as though there is a "ghost player" in the fourth position. A hand of five cards is dealt to each player and the ghost player. Before the top card of the kitty is turned up, in clockwise order, players may opt to switch their hand with the ghost player's hand. If a player does, no other player may choose to switch hands. Bidding proceeds as normal. The maker of this hand plays alone, with the two defenders as partners. If the maker gets three tricks, he is awarded 2 points. Five tricks is four points. However, if the maker opted to switch hands at the beginning of the round, he is deducted one point if he wins. Should the defending players take three tricks, they get 1 point each, and taking 5 tricks awards them 2 points each.
Threechre
Another three-player variant called "Threechre" (sometimes pronounced "tree-ker" or "three-kree") exists. In this game, only three suits are used and a joker serves as the left bower, regardless of drawn suit. The game is played to a winning score of 10 points: a 2-trick tie wins both tied players one point, and three or more tricks wins the player two points. The penalty for calling is -1 point; thus, calling and losing means an overall score of -1, calling and winning equals one point, and calling and tying means no change in score.
If the dealer goes it alone on the first round of bidding, the drawn card is turned down. No matter who goes it alone, the kitty is reshuffled and dealt to the opponents, who then must discard two cards from a hand of seven cards.
Call-partner
Another three-player variation is known as Call-partner. Hands of 5 cards are dealt as usual, and a card is turned up over the kitty. Bidding happens as normal, except the person who makes trump may call for a partner by naming a desired card. As an example, the trump maker might call for the left bower. The partner is only revealed when the card is played. This adds an element of surprise, as only the person holding the called card knows that they are the partner until it is played. Sometimes the called card is in the kitty, in which case there is no partner. The trump maker may also elect to "go alone". Scoring is the same as in 4 handed versions.
Euchress
Yet another three player variation exists, called Euchress. It uses only 20 cards: the 10, J, Q, K, and A of each suit. Hands of 5 cards are dealt as usual, and a card is turned up over the kitty. Bidding goes as usual, except that the person who called the trump can choose his partner, or if he wants to go alone. The person who went alone gets the card on the kitty, if it is face up. Scoring is the same as in 4-handed versions. The first player to 15 wins.
Five players
DeckThe five-handed Euchre deck comprises the Euchre deck with the addition of the 8♠, 8, 8, 2♠ and 2. Jokers can also replace the 2s, once they can be differentiated. Another variation includes all four 8s. This has no impact on game play, but it means there is an additional card in the kitty.
Trump & Bidding
Cards in the trump suit rank, from highest to lowest: 2♠ 2 J J A K Q 10 9 and 8. The 2♠ and 2, also known as the big and the little two, or high and low Joker, are permanently part of the trump suit. The players receive five cards and the next is turned for trump. If it is a 2 (or Joker), the dealer can not look at his cards. Each player has the option to order the face up suit trump or pass and if all pass then the dealer has the same option.
- If the face up suit is ordered by any of the players, the player that makes trump becomes the bidder. The dealer picks up the face up card and then discards one of his face down into the kitty, although he has the option not to discard any until after the bidder names his partner.
- If none of the other players order a trump suit, the dealer must do it. Forcing the dealer to make trump, commonly known as "screw the dealer" variant, is more common as players may be more hesitant to make trump given the three-on-two format of the game.
Selecting a partner
The bidder selects his partner by naming a card, which may not be the 2 or Joker. The player who holds the selected card becomes the bidder's partner for that hand, and if the card is not played, due to being in the kitty or having been discarded by the dealer, there is no partner. Players, including the bidder, are unaware of the partner's identity until the selected card is played. Thus if the bidder does not have a partner, he may not be aware of this until the last card is played.
The bidder may also opt not to select a partner, which means he is "going alone". A player who takes all 5 tricks while going alone is awarded 4 points. If a player names a card in the kitty and takes all five tricks, he is awarded an extra 2 points for not having a partner, so that, the player must intentionally "go it alone" to qualify for the additional points.
A special situation exists if the dealer flips over a 2 or Joker. Before looking at his hand, the dealer has the option of arbitrarily selecting a suit to be the trump suit or revealing a random card from his hand with the suit of the random card becoming the trump suit. If the dealer chooses the former, the bidding proceeds as usual with the 2 or Joker being considered a member of the, arbitrarily, selected trump suit. If the dealer chooses the later, he immediately picks up the 2, discards a card, then either selects a partner or chooses to go alone.
Scoring the hand
The game ends either when a player reaches ten or more points while holding at least a one point advantage over all the other competitors or when a player or players reach ten or more points. Should multiple players reach ten or more points, the winner is the player with the lowest score at the start of the hand, and if a single winner can not be selected, the game is a "draw" among those with ten or more points. Only players who have taken tricks during the relevant hand are eligible to receive points. This implies that players may not receive points despite being on the successful team, which can cause competition within and between teams. The number of points awarded for sweeps, euchres, and lone hands is the same as Euchre.
If the outcome of a hand has been determined before all cards have been played, the players may lay their cards down face up and the hand is then scored as if all cards had been played. If a player lays down a hand if the outcome is still in question, then the hand must be concluded with that player's cards face up.
Game strategy
- Avoid helping the player in the lead (or any other player for that matter).
- If you are the partner, it is often advantageous to play the card named by the dealer even if a lower ranking card would win you the trick. By identifying yourself, you prevent the bidder from taking tricks from you in the future.
- Frequently the last point is the most difficult to win, as the other players, including your partner(s), may unite against you. If possible, it is often beneficial to refrain from taking a trick until the end of the hand, thus grabbing your point when the hand is already decided.
- Most of the time, when making trump, you will ask for the highest trump card not in your hand as your partner.
- An exception to the above rule, if you make trump by ordering the dealer, requesting the trump card shown by the dealer can be a good idea. This guarantees that your partner card is not already in the kitty, and lets you know who your partner is right from the start of the hand.
- If a player orders you up and asks for you as a partner, you may discard the card you picked up and leave the player without a partner. This is useful if the player ordering has 9 points.
Six players
Virtually everything about 6-handed Euchre is identical to the 4-handed game with the exception of the details below.- Partnerships of three players.
- 34-card deck: Ace through 7 of each suit plus two Jokers.
- The Big Joker is always the highest trump.
- The Little Joker is always the second-highest trump.
Nine players
A variation is played in Southern Ontario with nine players.Virtually everything about 9-handed Euchre is identical to the 6-handed game with the exception of the details below.
- Three Partnerships of three players.
- 46-card deck: Ace through 4 of each suit plus two Jokers and the Two of Spades.
- The game is played to 15. The winners are the first team of three to reach 15.
When the Dealer turns up a Joker
Because Jokers do not have suits printed on them, the players determine how to handle this scenario before it happens. Below are several possibilities.
- The first time, it is a club; the second, a diamond; the third, a heart; the fourth, a spade; and so on (in alphabetical order by name of suit).
- Assign a suit to each player before the game begins; when it's a "clubs" dealer, the suit being offered as trump is clubs, and so on.
- Choose a suit that will always be offered as trump.
- Insist that no cards be seen until the up card is turned, have the dealer choose a suit blind, then proceed with bidding.
- The dealer must pick it up and name trump "blind"; the option to go alone is still available.
- Throw it in and same player shuffles and deals again.
- Throw it in and pass the deal to the next player.
When the Jokers are not named
Some decks of cards specify "Big" or "Little" on the Jokers. For other decks, you can add a 1 and a 2 to the index portion of the Jokers with a marker as well as "Big" and "Little" on their faces for ease of identification. It is very helpful to include the 1 and 2 on the indexes since typical Jokers have barely distinguishable icons in the corners.
Some decks have a red Joker and a black Joker. With these, it helps to decide if they will have fixed ranks written on them (prev. ¶) or whether their ranks will depend on the color of trump (i.e., red Joker is highest when trump is diamonds or hearts, and second-highest when clubs or spades; black Joker vice versa).
- Using red/black Jokers with variable ranks influences the decision for which "Joker as the upcard" rule to implement. Another way to use the jokers is they are equal in trump but the second trumps the first if laid on the same trick.
Tournaments
Some tournaments are run with tables of four players each. Winners of each game (typically to 10 points) stay at their table and are split apart so that they are no longer a team.- Note: splitting winning players may cause friction due to someone giving up their hot seat. Losing pairs of players are sent to other tables to team with other winners from the previous round. The player with the most wins during the tournament is the champion.