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  Euchre Tips and Strategies

Euchre Column of the Month -- April 2003

By Joe Andrews

Beginners' Korner: Back to Basics, Part One
Basic Rules
A lot of newcomers to the game of Euchre are confused by its many variations. Because there is no national governing body for Euchre, many places, and Internet sites, have adopted their own sets of rules. Thus, you may encounter different interpretations of Euchre if you go to a new online site or a new city. The popularity of live tournaments has further increased the need for standardization. For more detail, refer to a Hoyle Rules Book, or to any of the many Euchre publications out there. For our purposes, this list below is very simplified.

The Modern Game

·        The deck has 24 cards.

·        Each player receives 5 cards, and the remaining 4 cards are placed into a "kitty,” "downpile," or "widow." The top card is turned over, and that is the trump.

·        Bidding proceeds with the player to the left of the dealer.

·        If anyone accepts the upcard (trump), they may "order it" to the dealer. (Dealer's partner will "assist.") If three passes come to the dealer, he/she may pick up the top card, and accept that suit as trump (and discard any card from his/her hand).

·        If the upcard is turned down (everyone passes), then a new round of bidding begins to select another trump suit.

·        The scoring system is standard, and a game ends when either side reaches ten points.

·        Live events have formats which feature a "round" of eight or ten hands, followed by a move to another tables (and new opponents), and another round of eight to ten hands, and so on. Cumulative high score wins.

From here, the path starts to wind, with many a fork or turn. Here are some of the variations you will encounter, along with some of my opinions about them:

·        The Deal: Some players prefer to deal in two's and three's or vice versa. There is no rule which requires this. You can deal one card at a time if you wish. The key here is consistency. You should not vary your style from hand to hand. In other words, don't deal in two's and three's, and then switch to single cards.

·        "The Natural": This is the rule that draws the most controversy. Some circles state that the dealer may not pick up the top (turned) card (except if ordered) unless he/she already has a trump card in his/her hand… And the Left (Bower) is NOT a trump! Can you imagine having the Left with two side suit Aces, and the Right is turned, and being forced to turn down the Right if three passes come to you? If you want to order or assist, you should be able to do so. Period!

·        "Stick the dealer": If the bidding has gone to a second round, and three passes come around to the dealer, he/she has the option to pass. Then the deal moves to the player on the left. FYI, it is most unusual to have two consecutive "all pass" bidding rounds. Dealer is not required to name trump on the second round of bidding, and may pass.

·        Forced "Loner" by partner: Another peculiar variation is the requirement that the dealer's partner must go alone if he/she orders to partner. This is pure hogwash! I have encountered this only once, and refused to play in the tournament unless the rule was changed. Partner may assist with anything.

·        Premature discards: After he picks up the upturned card, the dealer may discard whenever he wants (within reason). He is NOT required to discard before the first lead, and on occasion, he may catch an unwary left hand opponent making an early lead. On the other side of the coin, the dealer who is ordered or chooses to pick up the top card makes the discard, and does so without the intention of "trapping" his opponent.

·        Asking about rules or format while a hand in progress: This is a "no-no," and is considered to be a form of table talk. For example, if the event is playing with the optional rule that the dealer's partner must go alone when assisting, that player may not ask "Do I have to go alone, partner"? There is no talk during the bidding or play of the hand.

·        "No Ace -- No Face": This another one of those options in which a player dealt no Aces or Face cards may choose to pass and force a new hand for everyone. Some devotees of this ridiculous variation also stipulate that the hand also have no trump cards. The odds for receiving such a hand are thousands to one. Who cares? Don't accept this variation in any game you are playing.

Next month's column will explore the land of basic Euchre Strategy, and some really neat maneuvers / techniques which will help to improve your game.