What Is a Bower in Euchre?

In Euchre, the term "bower" refers to the jacks that belong to the trump suit. The right bower is the jack of the trump suit, and it is the highest card in the entire game. The left bower is the jack of the same color as trump, and it ranks just below the right bower.

For example, if hearts are trump, the jack of hearts is the right bower and the jack of diamonds is the left bower. Both of these cards count as trump, so they beat any other trump or non-trump card. The remaining trump cards follow in order from ace down to nine.

Understanding bowers is key to Euchre strategy. Holding the right bower gives you a strong chance to control a hand, while tracking whether the bowers have been played helps you decide when to lead trump or save it for later tricks.

For the full 5-point rules, visit Euchre rules, and for gameplay tips, see Euchre strategy.