The rules of Euchre, on one sheet

The table

Four players, two partnerships, partners across from each other. 24 cards: 9, 10, J, Q, K, A of each suit. First side to 10 points wins.

The deal

Five cards each, clockwise from the dealer’s left, in packets of three and two. Turn up the next card; the other three are not used. The deal passes left.

Trump

Trump, high to low: the right bower (the jack of trump), the left bower (the other jack of the same color), A, K, Q, 10, 9. The left bower is a trump for the whole hand. Other suits: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9.

Round one

From the dealer’s left, each player passes or takes the turned card’s suit as trump. The dealer then takes the card and discards one face down. The side that made trump are the makers.

Round two

If all four pass, turn the card down. From the dealer’s left, each player passes or names another suit; the turned-down suit may not be named. Four passes again: throw the hand in. Stick the dealer: the dealer may not pass and must name a suit.

Going alone

The maker may go alone when making trump. The partner sits the hand out. The player on the dealer’s left leads, or the next player round if that seat sits out.

The play

The dealer’s left leads the first trick. Follow suit if you can; if not, play any card. The highest trump wins, or the highest card of the suit led. The winner leads next. The left bower follows trump, never its printed suit.

Scoring

• Makers take 3 or 4: 1 point.
• Makers take all five (a march): 2.
• Alone, all five: 4. Alone, three or four: 1.
• Makers take fewer than three (euchred): 2 to the defenders.

Keeping score

Each side keeps a six and a four. Up to 6, the six shows the points with the four face down behind it; from 7, the four shows the rest. A side one point from winning is in the barn.