How to Play Regular Euchre

The Deck

Euchre uses a 24-card deck: 9, 10, J, Q, K, A in each suit. Each player receives 5 cards.

One card is turned face-up as the potential trump suit.

Bowers — The Special Jacks

Jacks are the most powerful trump cards:

• Right Bower: The Jack of the trump suit — highest card in the game
• Left Bower: The Jack of the same-color suit — second highest trump

For example, if Hearts is trump: J♥ = Right Bower (highest), J♦ = Left Bower (second highest). The Left Bower is treated as a trump card, not a diamond.

Ordering Phase

Starting from the player left of the dealer, each player may:

• Order it up — accept the turned card as trump (the dealer picks it up and discards one)
• Pass — decline
• Go alone — order it up and play without your partner (partner sits out)

If all 4 players pass in Round 1, Round 2 begins: each player can name any suit except the suit that was turned down. The dealer must name a suit if everyone else passes (stick the dealer).

Trick Play

The player left of the dealer leads the first trick (or left of the lone player if going alone). Players must follow suit if able — remember the Left Bower counts as trump, not its natural suit.

The maker (the team that called trump) must take at least 3 tricks to succeed.

Scoring

Winning

The first team to reach 10 points wins the game.