Printable Euchre rules

Euchre in one page

4 players in 2 teams · 24 cards (9 to A) · 4 and 6 for scoring

Four players in two partnerships each get 5 cards from a 24-card deck (9 through ace). One card is turned up, and players take turns deciding whether that suit becomes trump; the jack of trump (right bower) and the other jack of the same color (left bower) are the two highest trumps. The team that names trump needs at least 3 of the 5 tricks to score, and the first team to 10 points wins.

In brief

• Deal 5 each (3-2 or 2-3); turn up the top of the kitty
• Round 1: order up, assist, or pick it up; dealer swaps in the card
• Round 2: name another suit or pass; all pass = redeal
• Trump: right bower, left bower, A, K, Q, 10, 9
• Left bower is trump, not its printed suit
• Follow suit if you can; otherwise trump or discard
• Makers 3–4 tricks = 1; all 5 = 2
• Alone: 3–4 tricks = 1; all 5 = 4
• Euchred (makers under 3): defenders score 2
• First team to 10 wins

Setup

1. Take the 9s, 10s, jacks, queens, kings, and aces out of a standard deck to make a 24-card pack.
2. Four players form two teams, with partners sitting across from each other.
3. Pick a dealer. The dealer deals 5 cards to each player, clockwise, in two rounds: a batch of 3 then 2, or 2 then 3. The deal passes to the left after each hand.
4. The dealer places the remaining 4 cards face down in the middle and turns the top one face up. This turned-up card proposes the trump suit for the first round of bidding.
5. Each team keeps score with a pair of low cards, such as a 4 and a 6, sliding one over the other to show 1 to 10 points, or on paper.

On your turn

1. Bidding round one: starting left of the dealer, each player either passes or accepts the turned-up suit as trump. Opponents say 'I order it up,' the dealer's partner says 'I assist,' and the dealer says 'I pick it up.'
2. When trump is accepted, the dealer adds the turned-up card to their hand and discards one card face down. The team that accepted is now the makers and needs 3 tricks.
3. Bidding round two: if all four players pass, the dealer turns the card face down. Starting left of the dealer, each player may name any other suit as trump or pass. If everyone passes again, throw in the hand and the next player deals.
4. The player who makes trump can say 'alone.' Their partner lays their cards face down and sits out the hand, and the lone player plays against both opponents.
5. Play: the player to the dealer's left leads the first trick (or, if someone is going alone, the player to that person's left). You must follow the suit led if you can; if not, you may trump or play any card. The highest trump wins, or the highest card of the suit led if no trump was played. The winner leads next.
6. Trump ranks: right bower (jack of trump), left bower (jack of the same color), then A, K, Q, 10, 9. The left bower counts as a trump card, not as its printed suit. Other suits rank A, K, Q, J, 10, 9.

Scoring

Winning

The first team to reach 10 points wins. Because a hand scores at most 4, a team at 9 can still be caught, so play every hand as if it matters. There are no ties, since only one team scores on any hand.