You Must Not Be From The Midwest.

A very popular game, Euchre is best suited to four-handed play, with two teams of partners. A 24-card pack, running from Aces down to Nines is used in this game, which is played as follows.

Choosing The Dealer
The dealer is usually chosen by way of a person shuffling the cards and dealing them one at a time to each individual until a JACK is turned up. The player who receives the JACK is the leading dealer.

The Deal
The dealer deals clockwise, usually in a pattern, giving each player two cards, then three. (obviously this pattern can be three, two) When all players have received their cards, the dealer will then turn the top card of the remaining cards are placed on the table in front of him. The left over cards are known as "The Kitty".

Rank of Cards
Once a suit is declared to be trump, it's Jack becomes the Right Bower, or the highest card of the suit. Next is the Jack of the same color, or Left Bower; then the trumps run A,K,Q,10,9. If Hearts was made trump, the cards would rank as follows....

J (hearts) J (diamonds) A (hearts) K (hearts) Q (hearts) 10 (hearts) 9 (hearts)

Other suits would run A, K, Q, J, 10, 9 except for diamonds which would have no Jack since it has become the "left bower".

The Play
Play normally begins with the player on the dealer's left, who leads a card. The others follow suit in rotation, until all four have played, making a trick. If unable to follow suit, a player may play any card he wishes. The highest card of the suit led wins the trick; but trump takes all others.

Whoever wins the first trick leads to the next; this continues until all tricks are taken. The object of each team is to take three tricks; with an underlying goal of taking all five.

Immediately after the dealer has dealt every person 5 cards, he places the remaining cards in front of him, turning the top card face up on the pack. Whatever its suit, each player now has the option of making that suit trump, beginning with the player on the dealer's left. If he thinks his hand is strong enough for his partner and himself to win three tricks, he will tell the dealer to "pick it up", which means that the dealer picks up the trump card from the pack and discards another form his hand, face down.

Passing
If the first player does not like his hand, he will "pass", or choose not to make the showing suit trump, and the choice will then go to the next player. If he wants the turned up card to be trump, he announces, "I assist" or "pick it up", because the dealer is his partner. The result is the same. The turned up card becomes trump; the dealer picks it up and discards another.

The second player can pass if he wants to; the third player then has the same options of ordering it up or passing. The latter choice leaves it up to the dealer, who can say, "I turn it down". In that case, he takes the showing card and turns it face down and that suit is no longer a possible choice of trump.

The first player then may make another suit trump, but if his hand is weak, he can "pass". If he passes, it goes onto the second player, then the third and finally the dealer. If nobody wants to make trump, the dealer is then "screwed" and must call trump.

Scoring
Once trump is made, the play begins as described. If the team that called trump takes 3 or 4 tricks, they score one point. Taking all five is a march and scores two points. If they take less than three tricks, they are Euchred and the opposing team scores two points. Note that score has to be shown on scoring cards BEFORE the next hand is dealt and card turned up. Teams who fail to score themselves before this happens lose any points gained.

Going Alone
During the preliminary of accepting or calling trump, each player may also announce, "I'll play alone". This means he has a strong hand and does not need his partners help. So his partner lays his hand down and the play proceeds. Whoever is to the left of the dealer makes the first lead.

When playing alone, a player scores four points if he takes all five tricks; if he takes 3 or 4, he scores only one point; if he takes less than three, he is euchred and the opposing team scores the usual two points.

Rules of Thumb
Sometimes, veteran players like to play a structured game, which consists of some rules to follow. Keep in mind that these "rules" do not always work, and require a feel for the game as well. This "feel" can only come with the actual playing of the game. These "rules" are also determined by watching how your opponents play. (If your opponents "bag" a lot, then following the "next" rule would NOT be wise!) They are however, good rules to follow as they usually prove themselves to work, and for the most part should be followed. Try em!

A) Lead Trump. If your partner calls trump, and you have the left or right bower,and it's your lead, lead it.......he'll appreciate knowing where it is. (trust me)

B) Make it Next. If the person sitting to your right is the dealer and he/she turns down a card that everybody has passed on, then the "rule of thumb" is to make it next, or the same color suit. If Diamonds was the suit turned down, then make it Hearts ect...

C) Make it for your Partner. If your partner is the dealer and he turns down a suit due to everybody passing and the next player doesn't make it next for his partner, then make it the opposite color suit. If you don't, then chances are that your opponent sitting to your left will call trump for his partner, so that your partner (the dealer) doesn't get the chance to call trump.

D) Never trump your partners Ace. If your partner leads an Ace, and you trump it, then chances are your partner will do one of two things.... A) Shoot you or B) Shoot you. Actually there does come a time when trumping your partners Ace is appropriate, like when all you have in your hand is trump or if you know that the person sitting behind you does not have any of the suit that your partner has led.

E) Always lead trump. If you called trump and it's your lead, then lead it. Try to draw out the trump from the oppositions hands. This also gives you the opportunity to see what your partner has. If you lead trump and your partner doesn't throw trump out, then start to pray! Leading trump can also make your Aces good if you have some. NOTE: if you called it "light" or "on a prayer", then leading trump my not be wise. Try leading an ace. Also, if your partner called trump and he/she calls it light, then leading an ace if possible would be great. It may not take a trick, but it will draw out trump, hopefully making the few trump you do have good.