Play free Euchre online with June as your computer partner against Rose and Hank. Call trump, play your bowers and be the first team to 10 points — no download and no sign-up.
How to play Euchre
Euchre is a fast, friendly trick-taking game for four players in two teams of two. It is a Midwest favorite and a staple of family gatherings and card nights. Here you play euchre online with a computer partner, June, who sits across from you. Rose and Hank, on your left and right, are the other team.
The deck
The Euchre card game uses a short deck of 24 cards: the 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace of each suit. With so few cards in play, hands move quickly and every card matters.
Dealing
The dealer gives everyone five cards, traditionally in packets of three and two. The four leftover cards form the kitty, and its top card is turned face up for everyone to see. The deal passes one seat to the left after every hand.
Bidding: choosing trump
Before any card is played, the table decides which suit will be trump. There are up to two rounds of bidding, each starting with the player to the dealer's left.
- Round one. Each player may order up the face-up card, which makes its suit trump, or pass. If anyone orders it up — including the dealer, who "picks it up" — the dealer adds that card to their hand and discards one card face down.
- Round two. If all four players pass, the card is turned face down. Going around again, each player may name any other suit as trump, or pass.
The player who chooses trump makes their team the makers; the other team defends. If everyone passes in round two, BieGames uses the popular stick the dealer rule: the dealer must name a suit. You can turn this off in Settings, and then the cards are thrown in and the next player deals.
Going alone
When you choose trump with a very strong hand, you may announce that you are going alone. Your partner puts their cards down and sits out the hand, and you take on both opponents by yourself — for a bigger reward if you win every trick.
Playing the tricks
The player to the dealer's left leads the first card (if that player is sitting out, the next player leads). Each player in turn plays one card. The highest trump wins the trick; if no trump was played, the highest card of the suit that was led wins. The winner of each trick leads the next, until all five tricks have been played.
Following suit and the left bower
You must follow suit — play a card of the suit that was led — whenever you can. If you can't, you may play any card, including a trump. The one twist in the Euchre rules is the left bower: the Jack of the same color as trump becomes a trump card for that hand and no longer belongs to its printed suit. If hearts are trump, the Jack of diamonds counts as a heart. So when diamonds are led, that Jack can't be used to follow suit — and when hearts are led, you must play it if it is your only heart.
Euchre card rankings
Card order in Euchre changes with every hand, because it depends on trump. The trump suit has seven cards, headed by two Jacks:
| Rank | Trump suit (hearts, for example) | Other suits |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (highest) | Right bower — Jack of hearts | Ace |
| 2 | Left bower — Jack of diamonds | King |
| 3 | Ace of hearts | Queen |
| 4 | King of hearts | Jack (unless it is the left bower) |
| 5 | Queen of hearts | 10 |
| 6 | 10 of hearts | 9 (lowest) |
| 7 (lowest) | 9 of hearts | — |
The right bower is the Jack of trump and the highest card in the game. Because the left bower moves into trump, the other suit of the same color has only five cards that hand: with hearts as trump, diamonds run Ace, King, Queen, 10, 9.
Euchre scoring
Only one team scores on each hand. Euchre scoring depends on whether the makers took at least three of the five tricks:
| Result | Points |
|---|---|
| Makers take 3 or 4 tricks | 1 point to the makers |
| Makers take all 5 tricks (a march) | 2 points to the makers |
| A player going alone takes all 5 tricks | 4 points to that team |
| A player going alone takes 3 or 4 tricks | 1 point to that team |
| Makers take fewer than 3 tricks (euchred) | 2 points to the defenders |
The first team to reach 10 points wins the game. For a quicker game, choose 5 points in Settings.
Euchre strategy tips
- Count your likely tricks before you bid. A sound call usually needs three trumps, or two high trumps plus an off-suit Ace. The bowers count most — the right bower is a sure trick.
- Think about who gets the up card. Ordering a high card into an opponent's hand helps them, not you. When your partner is dealing, that card is a bonus for your team.
- Lead trump when your side made it. Pulling the opponents' trumps protects your Aces and Kings. If your partner called trump, leading a trump back to them is a classic play.
- Don't trump your partner's winner. If June is already winning the trick, play your lowest card and save your trumps for later.
- Second hand low, third hand high. Right after an opponent leads, play low and let your partner try. When your partner leads low, play your best card to force out the opponents' high cards.
- Make voids. As dealer, discard a lone low card so you can trump that suit later. An empty suit is often worth more than a stray King.
- Save going alone for very strong hands. Both bowers with the Ace of trump and an off-suit Ace is a classic loner. With less, your partner's help is usually worth more.
- Use the Hint button while you learn. It suggests a bid or highlights the card the computer would play, without playing it for you.
Euchre FAQ
Can I play Euchre online for free?
Yes. BieGames Euchre is completely free to play in your web browser on a phone, tablet or computer. There is nothing to download and no account to create, and your game is saved automatically so you can come back to it later.
What is the difference between the right bower and the left bower?
The right bower is the Jack of the trump suit and the highest card in the hand. The left bower is the other Jack of the same color, and it becomes the second-highest trump. If spades are trump, the Jack of spades is the right bower and the Jack of clubs is the left bower.
What does "stick the dealer" mean?
If all four players pass in both rounds of bidding, the dealer is "stuck" and must name trump. It keeps the game moving. If you turn it off in Settings, a hand where nobody names trump is thrown in and the next player deals.
What does it mean to be euchred?
A team is euchred when it chooses trump but takes fewer than three tricks. The defending team then scores 2 points — as much as a march — so calling trump on a weak hand is risky.
When should I go alone in Euchre?
Go alone when you expect to take all five tricks by yourself, for example with both bowers, the Ace of trump and an off-suit Ace. A lone march scores 4 points. If you take only three or four tricks you score 1, and if you are euchred the other team scores 2.
Who leads first in Euchre?
The player to the dealer's left leads the first trick. If that player is sitting out because their partner went alone, the next player leads. After that, whoever wins a trick leads the next one.
Do I have to trump if I can't follow suit?
No. If you have no cards of the suit that was led, you may play any card. Trumping is often best when an opponent is winning the trick, but when your partner is already winning you can simply throw away a low card.