Going alone
The player who makes trump may play without a partner, who sits the hand out. All five tricks alone score 4 instead of 2.
Who may go alone?
The player who makes trump, ordering up, picking up or naming a suit. Bicycle: “the player who fixes the trump suit”, declaring it “at the time of making the trump”. In pagat.com’s British game any player may go alone once trump is made, maker or defender.
What does the partner do?
Puts their cards face down and sits the hand out (Bicycle). The Semi-Official page’s word for it: stay at home.
What does a loner score?
All five tricks score 4, twice a march. Three or four tricks score 1, as with a partner. A loner who takes fewer than three is euchred, and the defenders score 2.
Who leads against a loner?
Bicycle and the Semi-Official page: the player on the dealer’s left, as in every hand; if that seat is sitting out, the next player round. pagat.com’s British game: the player on the lone player’s left, and when a maker and a defender both play alone, the defender leads.
Can a defender go alone?
The Semi-Official page: when the maker goes alone, a defender may go alone too. pagat.com: some tables do not allow it, and some allow it only against a lone maker. Bicycle allows only the maker. A lone defender who euchres the maker scores 4 (pagat.com, the Semi-Official page).
What is the Canadian loner?
pagat.com: in Canada, Australia and England, a dealer’s partner who orders up the turned card must play alone, and the dealer’s cards are laid face down. In the US any player may order up and play with a partner, and Ohio’s tournament rules say the partner is not required to go alone.
In the app
When you order up, pick up or name a suit, the app offers Go alone. Standard, the rated rules, lets only the maker go alone. Defend alone lets a defender go alone against a loner, for 4 points. Ontario plays the Canadian loner. The lesson Going alone, and defending a loner plays both sides of it.
Sources: Bicycle, Playing Alone and The Play; the Semi-Official Euchre Home Page, Calling Trump and Scoring; pagat.com, Going Alone, The Play and North American Euchre; Ohio’s tournament rules.