Euchre Rules (5-Point Version)

Euchre is played with four players split into two teams. Partners sit across from each other, and each hand contains five tricks. The first team to reach 5 points wins the game, which keeps matches quick and competitive.

A hand begins with the dealer giving each player five cards and turning one card face up. Starting to the dealer's left, players either order up that card as trump or pass. If someone orders it up, the dealer must pick up the upcard and discard one card, and the ordering team becomes the makers. If all four players pass, the table gets another round to name any trump suit.

Once trump is set, the right bower (the jack of trump) is the highest card in the game. The left bower is the jack of the same color as trump and ranks just below the right bower. The remaining trump cards follow, then the non-trump suits. Players must follow the led suit if possible.

Scoring follows classic 5-point rules. The makers score 1 point for winning three or four tricks and 2 points for winning all five. If the defenders take three or more tricks, the makers are euchred and the defenders score 2 points. A player can choose to go alone without their partner for a bonus; a successful lone sweep commonly scores 4 points.

For more detail on trump strategy, see Euchre strategy. To understand bowers in depth, visit what is a bower.