| I. Euchre -- As Easy As It Seems?
At first glance, Euchre appears to be a very basic card game. After all, there are only 24 cards in the deck (in the standard game), five cards distributed to each player, and a four-card "kitty." Three cards are always hidden (12.5% FYI - more numbers to come later!). Trump is pre-determined by the upturned card. If three passes come around to the dealer, and the upturned card is rejected, a second round of bidding then ensues, starting with the player to the left of the dealer. There are no more than two rounds of bidding, and "no-trump" does not exist. Lastly, only five tricks are played, and the basic objective is to win at least three out of five tricks, whether you are defending or declaring. Three tricks -- that is the magic number! Of course, winning all five tricks is much better. The game of Euchre can be learned in a short time, and a player can be competitive soon thereafter. Lady Luck plays a significant role, as key cards may be buried in the kitty or in partner's hand (after you have declared a "Loner"). Perhaps an opponent may get squeezed between two Aces and guess wrong. Occasionally a lucky fall of trump occurs, as your lead of the Right drops a singleton Left in one opponent's hand, and a singleton Ace of trump in the other opponent's hand -- thus setting up your King-Queen for a Loner! If Euchre was all luck and no skill, there would be different winners most of the time. However, the great players who consistently do win rely on more than just luck. A good partner is certainly the first prerequisite for victory. The ability to read discards and plays is essential. Understanding concepts such as calling "next" or "crossing colors" (sometimes referred to as "jumping the river") can lead to many wins. And awareness of the score and knowing when to bid aggressively makes a big difference. Those who reside at the top of Ladders and Ratings lists earn their marks, and those who win cash regularly at tournaments rely on more than just blind luck. Finally, the truly great players know the odds and percentages of the game. Here are some interesting facts and figures for you to ponder.
II. Euchre Odds and Probabilities -- Part One
1. What are the odds of being dealt Right Bower, Left Bower, A - K - Q of a suit and having either the 9 or 10 turned as the "upcard"?
Answer: Slightly less than one out of a hundred thousand.
2. What are the odds of having Right Bower, Left Bower, and three other NON-TRUMP cards in your hand? (Assume that the color of the suit of the upturned card is the same as the color of the two Jacks in your hand.)
Answer: 1.68 out of a 100
3. Just how many DIFFERENT five-card Euchre hands are possible?
Answer: 42504
4. What are the odds that you will be dealt:
a. One Jack? (any Jack)
Answer: 45.596%
b. Two Jacks? (any two Jacks)
Answer: 16.093%
c. Three Jacks? (any three Jacks)
Answer: 1.788%
d. Four Jacks? (all four Jacks)
Answer: .0473%
e. No Jacks?
Answer: 36.477%
Special thanks to Richard Freedman of Billerica, MA, for his efforts in providing this information . . .
III. Top Five Wild and Crazy “Loner” Hands of 2003
These hands were observed at various live tournaments during the past year. For the sake of simplicity, let us assume Hearts were always trump. In all instances the dealer picked up the upturned card, and declared a Loner. In all instances, the Loner calls were successful!
1. Upcard 9 of Hearts
Dealer held:
 None,  Jack,  10,  J 10
2. Upcard Jack of Hearts
Dealer held:
 Q,  10,  Q,  Q 9
3. Upcard 10 of Hearts
Dealer held:
 9,  Q,  K 10 9,  None
4. Upcard King of Hearts
Dealer held:
 Q 10,  Ace,  None,  Q 9
5. Upcard 9 of Hearts
Dealer held:
 9,  10,  9,  10 9
Really now? All hands made Loner? Next month, I will tell you what happened in each hand.
Welcome to 2004!
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