euchre

euchre, card game popular in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and Great Britain, especially in Cornwall and the West Country of England. It derives from a 19th-century Alsatian game called juckerspiel from the fact that its two top trumps are Jucker, meaning “jack.” This word may also have influenced the choice of the term joker for the extra card introduced into American euchre in the 1860s to act as the “best bower,” or topmost trump; bower is from German Bauer, literally “farmer” but also meaning “jack.” Euchre is therefore the game for which the joker was invented—the joker being, in effect, a glorified jack.

Euchre is played in various ways by various numbers of players. In the four-hand partnership game, each player is dealt five cards in a three-two or two-three sequence from a 24- or 32-card deck, to either of which a joker may be added. The undealt cards are stacked facedown and the topmost card turned faceup as a prospective trump. From highest to lowest, the order of cards in the trump suit is best bower (if a joker is used), right bower (jack of trump), left bower (other jack of same colour as trump), followed by A, K, Q, 10, 9 (8, 7). In other suits cards rank A, K, Q, J (if not left bower), 10, 9 (8, 7).

Unless the joker is turned, there is a round or two of bidding to decide which side will undertake to win at least three tricks with the suit of the turned card as trump or, if all decline, with another suit. A bidder confident of winning three or more without a partner’s help may offer to “play alone.” Each player in turn, starting at the dealer’s left, either passes or—by saying, “Up” (short for “I order it up”), and adding “alone” if applicable—accepts the turned suit as trump. Any acceptance ends the bidding. In some circles the dealer’s partner may order it up only if playing alone. If all pass, the prospective trump card is turned down, and each player in turn may name another trump suit or pass. (Choosing the other suit of the same colour is to “make it next”; choosing either of the other two suits is to “cross it.”) If anyone names a suit, the bidding ends. As before, a bidder may offer to play alone. If all pass, the hands are thrown in, and the deal passes on. The side that chooses trump becomes the “makers,” and the other side becomes the “defenders.” If the makers are playing in the turned suit, the dealer may, before play, take the exposed card into hand and make one discard facedown in its place (unless the dealer’s partner is playing alone). If the joker is turned, the dealer’s side automatically becomes the makers, and the dealer must name a trump suit before looking at his hand.

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Before play, either of the defenders may offer to defend alone, whether or not one of the makers is doing so. In a lone bid the loner’s partner’s cards are laid facedown before the opening lead, which is made by the player at the loner’s immediate left or by that player’s partner if the latter is playing alone. Otherwise, the opening lead is made by the eldest hand. Players must follow suit if possible; otherwise, they may play any card. The trick is taken by the highest card of the suit led or by the highest trump if any are played, and the winner of each trick leads to the next. The makers score one point for winning three or four tricks, two points for winning all five tricks (“the march”), or four points for the march if played alone. If they fail to win three tricks, they are “euchred,” and the opponents score two points regardless of any lone hands.

Cutthroat euchre is for three players: the maker plays alone against the other two. Call-ace euchre is a cutthroat variant for four to six players. In call-ace euchre, bidding rules follow the basic game. Before play, the maker names any suit trump, and the holder of the highest card of it becomes a silent partner, revealing this fact only by the play. The maker may elect to play alone and may even unwittingly prove to be his own partner. Each member of a side scores the points due to the side as a whole. (Note that if the absolute highest card of a called suit is undealt, it is the highest card in play that counts.) Railroad euchre refers to various local rules adopted to speed up play, especially among commuters. Auction euchre is played with five, six, or seven players and a three-card widow (cards dealt facedown). Each player in turn has one opportunity to bid at least three tricks using a named trump or to overcall a previous bid. A bid of five is overcalled by a bid of eight, which is an undertaking to play a lone hand after exchanging cards, and that by a bid of 15, which is to play alone with the hand as dealt. Before play, the maker takes the widow and discards any three cards facedown from in hand (unless the bid was 15) and then calls for an ally (unless playing alone) by naming any specific card not in his own hand. The holder of that card becomes the silent partner, revealing that fact only by play.