Euchre

The basics

Euchre is a trick-taking game for four players in two teams. You sit South; your partner Alex sits across from you. The deck has 24 cards: 9, 10, J, Q, K and A in each suit. Each player is dealt 5 cards and the next card is turned face up.

Bidding

Starting left of the dealer, each player may order the dealer to pick up the turned card (making its suit trump) or pass. If everyone passes, there is a second round where players may name any other suit as trump. The team that names trump are the makers and must win at least 3 of the 5 tricks.

With stick the dealer on, the dealer must name a suit if everyone passes twice.

The bowers

The jack of the trump suit (the right bower) is the highest trump. The jack of the same-color suit (the left bower) is the second-highest and counts as a trump card, not its printed suit.

Playing

The player left of the dealer leads the first trick. You must follow the suit led if you can; otherwise play anything. Highest trump wins the trick, or the highest card of the suit led if no trump was played. The trick winner leads next.

Going alone

If your hand is strong, call trump and go alone — your partner sits out and you play one against two for a shot at 4 points.

Scoring

• Makers win 3 or 4 tricks: 1 point
• Makers win all 5 (a march): 2 points
• Lone hand wins all 5: 4 points
• Makers take fewer than 3 (euchred): defenders score 2 points

First team to the target score (5 or 10) wins the game.