What's euchre

by David H.

First, thank you for all the positive feedback on the Canasta article.  I had several requests to move on to other card games which are of interest to our members.  So this month's card game is Euchre (pronounced YEW-curr).

Euchre comes to us from the German settlers in Pennsylvania, being played there even before the Civil War.  It has European counterparts in the games of  Ecarté (France),  Napoleon (England),  and Spoil Five (Ireland).   Beginning about 1880, Euchre was the most-played family card game in the US for thirty years and  is the game on which "500" is based.  Its popularity today rests primarily in the Northeastern part of the US.

Rules for Euchre are easily learned and any strategy is minor, due to each round having only five cards to play.  It is a very good game that allows the players to converse while playing.  Euchre is a game for 2 to 6 players, four being the most common.  Versions for 2, 3,  and 5 players are variations of the "Cutthroat" game, while six players have two partnerships of three and use a Pinochle deck for the play.

Without addressing the irregularities that may occur, the game is played like this:

Partners are determined by drawing cards from the deck, the two lowest partnering against the two highest.  Partners take their seats opposite one another.  Using a deck of 32 cards (7 through Ace), five cards are dealt 2-3 or3-2 to each player in a clockwise direction.  The top card of the remainder of the deck is turned face up.  (Some groups play with two decks, dealing one while the second is being shuffled and prepared for the next hand.)  Beginning at the dealer's left, each player has an opportunity to choose the trump suit.  If the suit of the upturned card is the players choice, he "orders it up".  That is, he is instructing the dealer to take the card as  his own and discard one, making a hand of five again.  If no one wants the suit of the upturned card to be named trump, then on the second round, each player has another opportunity to name trump (or pass) until someone designates the trump suit.  Card ranking is Ace-high with a trump suit out-ranking other suits.  Should no suit be named, the hand is thrown in and the deal passes to the left.

Now here's where the German influence is most strongly apparent:  Added to the cards of the trump suit is the Jack of the same color.  The Jack of the named trump suit is called the Right Bower and the Jack of the other same-colored suit, the Left Bower.  Bower is our spelling of the German word, bauer, which means "farmer".  So, if hearts are named trump, the Jack of hearts is the Right Bower and the Jack of diamonds is the Left Bower.  Ranking for the trump cards are Right Bower, Left Bower, Ace, King, Queen, 10, 9, 8, 7.  Regardless of who "orders up the dealer" (names trump), the play begins with the player to the left of the dealer.

All players are required to follow the suit of the card lead.  If they cannot follow that suit, any card may be played, with no penalty for holding on to trump cards for later.  (Just remember, there are only 5 cards in your hand, though!)  The object is for a team to take at least three of the five tricks in the hand.  One point is scored when you do.  If you take all five tricks (called march), you score two points.  The usual game is to 5 points, although by agreement, games of  7 or 10 points may be played.  If the team who named the suit fail to take the three tricks required to win, then they have been euchred.

Other articles about card games:

Canasta