Euchre Variants and House Rules
The euchre variants most tables argue about are house rules on the same 24-card game: whether the dealer gets stuck, whether the dealer's partner has to go alone, what happens to a hand of nines and tens, whether a defender can go alone, and whether game is 10 points or 11. Our tables stick the dealer, let the dealer's partner order up and play normally, have no farmer's hand, offer the loner to the maker only, and play to 10.
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What our tables play
- Four-player North American euchre: 24 cards (9 to Ace), two partnerships, five tricks a hand.
- No Joker. The right bower is the highest trump and the left bower second.
- Bidding: the up-card is offered once round the table, then any other suit may be named. If everyone passes twice, the dealer is stuck and must name a suit. No hand is thrown in.
- Scoring: 3 or 4 tricks 1; a march (all five) 2; a lone march 4; a euchre 2 to the defenders. First side to 10 wins, or 7 if you pick the shorter game against the bots.
- Going alone is offered to the maker on every hand. Defenders can't go alone.
The house rules, one argument at a time
Stick the dealer, or throw it in
If all four pass twice, either the dealer must name a suit or the hand is thrown in and the next player deals. Throwing it in is the basic rule on Pagat, which lists stick the dealer as a North American variation, often played when time is short; it is also called "screw the dealer". Our tables: stick the dealer.
The dealer's partner must go alone
In Britain, Canada, Australia and parts of New Zealand, if the dealer's partner orders the dealer up, the partner must play the hand alone. Common US practice lets the partner "assist" and play it as an ordinary partnership hand. Our tables: the US way. The dealer's partner can order up and keep their partner.
Farmer's hand
A hand of only 9s and 10s. Where this is played, the holder shows the cards and, depending on the table, either the hand is redealt or the holder swaps three cards with the kitty ("going under"). The same hand also goes by other names, such as poor man's hand. Our tables: not played. You keep what you're dealt.
Defending alone
Some North American groups let a defender go alone only against a lone maker, and some don't allow it at all. Under British rules either side may play alone, and a lone defender who euchres the makers scores 4 instead of 2. Our tables: only the maker is offered a loner.
Game to 10 or 11
North American euchre is played to 10. The British game is normally played to 11, with some groups playing to 15 or 10, and Australian and New Zealand tables commonly play to 11. Our tables: 10, with a shorter game to 7 as an option against the bots.
Which cards keep score
Tables that score with two spare low cards per side disagree about which: a 4 and a 6 in Ohio and Indiana, two 5s in Canada, Michigan and Nebraska, the 2 and 3 of a suit in Western New York and Ontario, a 5 and a 6 in British play. Our game keeps score on screen. The euchre terms page explains how the cards are laid.
Other games in the euchre family
| Variant | What changes |
|---|---|
| British euchre | Adds the Benny (a Joker, or in some games the 2♠) as the top trump, above the right bower. Usually played to 11. |
| Railroading | When a player goes alone, their partner may pass them their best card face down. The lone player decides, before seeing it, whether to discard a card and take it. |
| 3-handed euchre (cutthroat) and 2-handed euchre | No partners; the maker plays against the other two, who team up for that hand only. |
| Buck euchre | Three or four players, each playing for themselves, counting down toward zero instead of up to 10. |
| Bid euchre | Players bid a number of tricks instead of ordering up. There are many versions. |
| 32-card euchre | Adds the 7s and 8s. The usual game in New Zealand, and played by some in the USA. |
Keep reading
- How to Play Euchre: the rules, in the order a hand is played.
- Euchre Strategy: calling, bowers and going alone.
- Euchre Terms: bowers, loners and table talk.
- Going Alone in Euchre: loner rules, scoring and defence.
- Euchre for 2 and 3 Players: 3-handed cutthroat rules and 2-handed euchre.