Euchre
Euchre Glossary
This is the Thursday word list, not an encyclopedia. People say bower, next, in the barn, euchre. Each line is what they mean at a Midwest kitchen table, then a page we already shipped. First-night rules stay on how to play euchre. Habits that get you to 10 sit on how to win at euchre.
The funnel is open-hand euchre practice. Send the table /euchre/practice?from=sms. Watch Left hop suits with every card visible. Then sit closed Thursday.
Bowers
Two jacks run trump. That hop is the whole game. The rest of rank is ordinary.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Bower | A jack that runs trump. People just say bower. The pair: euchre bowers. |
| Right | Jack of the named trump suit. Highest card that hand. Same page: bowers. |
| Left | The other jack of the same color. It hops into trump and counts as that suit, not the print. Hearts trump, jack of diamonds is Left. Full hop: bowers. |
Trump, off-suit, follow suit, renege
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Trump | The suit that beats everything else this hand, plus Left. Seven cards once Left hops in. Pause after two tricks: counting trump. |
| Off-suit | Anything that is not trump this hand. An off-ace is boss of its print until someone dumps trump on it. Lead choice: euchre leading. |
| Follow suit | Play the suit that was led if you have it. Left is trump, so it does not follow its print. First-night walkthrough: how to play euchre. |
| Renege | You had the led suit and played something else. Dumping Left as if it followed print is the classic: 2, or 4 on a loner. euchre renege. |
Kitty, upcard, order up, stick the dealer
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Kitty | Four leftover cards after the deal. Three stay face down. The top one is the upcard. Two-round call: euchre bidding. |
| Upcard | The kitty card turned so the table can order it or pass. Its suit is the round-1 question. Procedure: euchre bidding. |
| Order up | Tell the dealer to pick up that upcard. Its suit is trump. You are betting three tricks. When to call: euchre bidding. |
| Stick the dealer | House rule, not official. Everyone passed round 2, so the dealer still has to name a suit. Agree before the first deal. Night-of: host a euchre night. |
Next
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Next | The other suit of the same color as the turned-down upcard, looked at in round 2. A first look, not a law. Name it if those cards can take three. next. |
Euchre, march, loner
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Euchre | They named trump and took fewer than three. You score 2. That swing is why the game has the name. Amounts: euchre scoring. Stopping them at two: euchre defense. |
| March | Your side took all five. Worth 2, or 4 if you went alone. Chart: euchre scoring. |
| Going alone / loner | You send partner out. Five tricks scores 4. Three or four still scores 1. Fail and they score 2. Go for the 4, not the 1. going alone. |
In the barn
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| In the barn | Sitting at 9. Take the 1. Do not hunt the 4. in the barn. |
Seats
Same five cards are not the same call from every chair. Left of dealer speaks first. Dealer speaks last.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| First / left of dealer | Speaks first. Leads trick one. Has heard nothing. euchre by seat. |
| Dealer's partner | Sits across from the dealer. Speaks second. Same page: by seat. |
| Third | Speaks after dealer's partner, before the dealer. Same five cards, different bar: by seat. |
| Dealer | Speaks last. If the upcard is ordered, they pick it up. Last to talk is still a seat: by seat. |
Table talk
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Table talk | You may not tell partner what you hold. The cards you play are the only legal talk. First-night rules: how to play euchre. |
Frequently asked questions
What is a bower in euchre?
A bower is a jack that runs trump. Right is the jack of the named suit, the highest card that hand. Left is the other jack of the same color. Left hops into trump and counts as that suit, not the print on the card.
What is a euchre?
A euchre is when the team that named trump takes fewer than three tricks. Defenders score 2. They named it. They took two or fewer. You stole the hand. The game is named after that swing.
What is next in euchre?
Next is the other suit of the same color as the turned-down upcard, looked at in round 2. Same-color is a first look, not a law. Name it if those cards can take three. Name green if that is the actual holding.
What is in the barn in euchre?
You are sitting at 9. One point wins the game. Take the 1. Do not hunt the 4. Ahead at 9, pass the trash. The 9-point seat is its own page.
What is stick the dealer in euchre?
A house rule, not official North American euchre. If everyone passes in round 2, the dealer still has to name a suit so the hand gets played. Agree out loud before the first deal. Without it, the dealer may pass and you throw the hand in.
What is a renege in euchre?
You had the led suit and played something else. Dumping Left as if it followed its print is the classic. Penalty is 2, or 4 on a loner. Left is trump. It does not follow the heart or spade printed on it.