The Laws of Euchre
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H. C. Leeds >> The Laws of Euchre
TECHNICAL TERMS USED IN EUCHRE.
"Right Bower," or "Right,"--knave of the trump suit, which is the
highest card.
"Left Bower," or "Left,"--knave of the same color as the trump suit,
which is the second best card.
"Alone,"--playing without your partner.
"Assist," or "Help,"--ordering up the trump when your partner deals.
"Announce,"--to declare the suit which shall be trumps.
"Bridge,"--when the score of the eldest hand is four to one or four to
two in his favor.
"Crossing the suit,"--making the trump of a different color from the
suit turned down.
"Next,"--to make a trump of the color turned down.
"Euchre,"--when the party making the trump fails to take three tricks.
"Hand,"--the five cards dealt to each player.
"Ordering up,"--requiring the dealer and his partner to play the trump
turned up.
"Pass,"--declining to order up, assist, adopt, or make the trump.
"March,"--taking five tricks.
"Love Game," "Slam," or "Double,"--where the score is five to nothing.
"Lap,"--is where more points are made than are necessary to win a game,
and are carried to the next game.
"Rubber,"--consists of three games.
When, however, a lap is made in the third game, a fourth must be played.
A "Lay Card," or an "Outsider,"--is a card of a different suit from the
trump.
[Illustration]
GENERAL REMARKS.
The following points are written simply for the information of those not
thoroughly conversant with the game of Euchre.
It is not the intention of the authors to write a treatise on the game,
but merely to illustrate a few conventional plays, most of which are in
use among the best exponents of the game.
There can be no absolute rules about the play in Euchre, as in Whist, as
the number of cards is so few that the importance of each play is
intensified, and the score has so great an influence on the hand.
The exceptions also are perhaps almost as numerous as the rules; but if
the beginner will accept as a guide the appended hints, it is thought
they will not lead him far astray.
The play of the cards is governed by the card sense of the individual.
The refinement of the game consists in playing to the score, which is
quite peculiar to Euchre, since it is so constantly changing. The same
hand should suggest different ideas at different scores.
A player should school himself to notice the score before he picks up
his hand. No attempt has been made to go beyond the adoption of the
trump, passing, assisting, and the original lead or play, at the risk of
being confusing.
A beginner should follow these hints pretty closely. A good Euchre
player can make his own exceptions; but they should be made with careful
consideration, and not abused.
ELDEST, OR FIRST HAND.
When the right is not turned, order with three medium trumps or better,
and some strength in suit, _provided you have nothing to go to_; for
example, ace, queen, ten of the turn-up, and two cards of another suit.
Do not order (unless with great strength) if you can make it next; for
example, queen of clubs turned up, you hold right, ten, and nine of
clubs, and king and ten of spades; or left, ace and seven of clubs,
seven of spades, and seven of diamonds. In both of these cases pass, and
make it next.
Make it next when you can, and do not cross the suit, unless very
strong, especially when a bower is turned down; for example, the dealer
has turned down the king of spades, with ace, king, and seven of hearts,
knave of spades, and ten of clubs: make it next, and lead the left.
When making the trump with ace and two others (without the king), lead
ace in next, and small one when crossing the suit.
If the right is not turned, lead trumps through the assisting hand. The
exceptions to this are,--With left and small one; ace and small one;
with score four to three in your favor, and you play with certain
reasons to stop a march; and occasionally when short of a suit.
With a large tenace in trumps as right, ace, or right, king, and no
outside cards of any special value, play an off-suit, whether dealer
takes up with or without assistance.
With one or two trumps and two aces, lead trumps, whether through
assistance or not.
If the dealer adopts the trump, avoid, if you can, leading from suits of
king, seven; queen, seven, etc. If possible, lead an ace, or from a
short suit of king or queen, or from a suit of equals, as king, queen,
or queen, knave, or knave, ten.
In general do not lead trumps up to the dealer's adoption; but with
three trumps, and the score two points in your favor, lead a trump, if
the turn-up is not above the king. If you hold the two bowers and an
outside ace, always lead them in the order named.
Always lead a trump when your partner has ordered up, or made the
trump. If you have no trump, play your best card. Avoid leading the
turn-down until at least one round of trumps has been played. If you
have left and small one, lead the left and continue with small one if
both opponents follow. With any two others, lead smallest, unless
equals.
Score four to three in your favor is a position of caution, and
consequently your play should be very conservative.
SECOND HAND.
Do not assist too light. This is the most common error in Euchre.
Assist with three trumps.
right and another.[1]
left and another, and outside ace.
[Footnote 1: "Another" means "a small one."]
Assist with left and another; dependent upon the score,
two trumps and two aces.
ace and another, and outside ace; dependent upon score; always,
however, if right is turned.
two medium trumps, and one suit of three, headed by the ace,
dependent upon the score.
Ace and another, and king and another, even when short of a suit, are
permissible only when justified by scores of four-all or four-love in
your favor.
Anything less than this is not good Euchre, except, of course, at the
two above-named scores.
Do not assist the right with two small ones. Your partner usually will
know what to do with the bower. By too light an assistance you may
tempt him into a lone hand, under the impression that one or two big
trumps are out of his way.
Remember that to be short of one or two suits is a great advantage to an
assisting hand.
When led through with right and another, play the right, except when the
ace is turned,--when it is permissible to finesse.
When led through, when assisting with left and another, play left,
unless right or ace is turned.
When assisting with three trumps, if you take the first trick in suit,
lead trumps at once. If you take the first trick by trumping a suit,
your play is then dependent upon the value of your remaining trumps and
the turn-up.
With two trumps and two aces, lead trumps as early as possible, if your
opponents have not done so for you.
If your partner adopts the turn-up without your assistance, and you hold
queen, seven; ten, eight, etc., in trumps, ruff as early as possible
with the big one, and lead the small one.
If you take the first trick in suit, and your partner throws away, do
not lead the suit he has shown, even if you have the ace of it.
If your partner turn down black, make it red if you can, especially if
he has turned down the bower.
When playing second to a small card, do not ruff with right alone if it
is the first trick. Ruff with left alone, especially with your partner's
make or adoption.
If your partner refuses to adopt the turn-up, and the third hand
declares to play alone, lead a card of the same suit as the turn-down.
With one small trump, ruff as soon as you can.
Do not finesse in lay cards.
THIRD HAND.
It requires a stronger hand to order or make the trump in this position
than in the eldest hand, since you cannot depend upon your partner's
lead, and he has displayed weakness by passing.
However, if you have a good hand at the turn-up, and are very strong at
next, it is better to order, since the stronger you are at next, the
greater the improbability that your partner will be able to make it
next.
It is wise to see your way absolutely clear to three tricks before
ordering the right.
There are certain hands, however, which by their strength compel you to
order,--the right not being turned; and here are most of them.
Order with four trumps.
two bowers and another.
two bowers and outside ace.
three trumps and two aces.
three trumps and one suit, headed by ace.
right, ace, and another.
left, ace, king, and outside ace.
left, ace, king, and one suit.
left, ace, king, dependent upon the score.
left, king and another, and outside ace.
left, queen and another, and outside ace.
Order with ace, king and another, and outside ace.
If you ruff, it is usually well to beat the turn-up.
THE DEALER.
Take up three trumps.
right and ace.
right and king
right and queen.
right and another, and one suit.
right, another, and outside ace.
left, ace, and outside ace.
left, another, outside ace; and king, queen of the third suit.
ace, king, and one suit headed by ace; dependent upon score.
two trumps and two aces.
With the score at four-all or four-love in his favor, the dealer may
play a lighter hand than any mentioned above, especially if it is his
best.
Scores of three-all and four to two in dealer's favor require more than
ordinary caution.
With score four to three in dealer's favor he may play a shade lighter
than ordinary.
If it comes round to the dealer to make a trump, it is permissible to
make it with somewhat less strength than would be required in the other
three hands.
It is usually better with a fair hand to try for a point rather than to
turn down for a euchre. If, however, the dealer is better at next, and
holds both bowers of the cross-suit, it is good euchre to pass.
If the dealer adopts the turn-up without assistance and has right and
another, and takes the first trick with his small trump, he should not
lead the right unless he can follow with an ace.
Always be careful how you play your small cards, and never play false
cards.
If the dealer adopts the turn-up, he should discard the lowest card of a
short suit; for example, with three trumps, ace, seven of one suit, and
outside king, discard the king. Some prefer to keep the king with score
four-all with only two trumps in the hand. With two trumps (clubs), ace,
seven of hearts, and king, seven of diamonds, discard the seven of
diamonds.
With three trumps (clubs), ace, king of hearts, and ace of diamonds,
discard the king of hearts, except when playing a lone hand, in which
case discard the ace of diamonds.
When your partner assists, and you take the first or second trick,
always give him a trump if he has not played one.
Give all the information possible to your partner by your play; for
example, queen of clubs is turned up, and you are assisted and hold the
king of clubs in your hand. If you or your partner take the first trick
with a trump, play the king. If you hold both ace and king of clubs in
your hand, play the ace.
If you hold ace and king of an outside suit, throw away the ace as soon
as possible on your partner's trick, thereby showing him you have
command of that suit. If, however, you see by the fall of the cards that
your partner has no strength in his hand, you may conceal this
information, since it will do him no good, and can only benefit your
opponents. This, of course, applies to all four hands.
THE BRIDGE.
There is such a variety of opinion about the bridge that the writers do
not feel confident enough to express any decided view about the matter.
It is a complicated question from a mathematical point of view, and they
have never kept any record for a long enough period of time to be of any
practical value.
They doubt, however, the expediency of keeping the bridge strictly.
If, however, the bridge is to be kept at all, it should be kept always,
and in the same manner; otherwise you deceive your partner.
There is a growing tendency to abolish the bridge. The writers remember
distinctly not long ago when every one kept the bridge; now the same
players take their chances with two lay aces, or the ace and another in
trumps. This, however, is purely a matter of taste, and is not offered
here as an arbitrary rule.
Naturally, some hands will make four beyond a doubt; but it is much
harder to get an imperfect lone hand through against two good players
than against two inferior ones; hence the better the players, the less
is the value of the bridge against the ordinary lone hand.
LONE HANDS.
It is impossible to absolutely define a "lone hand." With the score
three-all, four-all, or any score in your favor, do not risk a light
lone hand. It is our opinion that a great many points are lost by not
taking your partner with you for a march.
With the score four-one or four-two against you, you may take a
desperate chance.
If your opponents keep bridges tolerably strictly, you must, of course,
be more careful if they have passed.
The eldest hand has the best position to play a lone hand, and the
dealer the next best.
The second and third hands have the weakest positions for lone hands,
especially the third hand, if the turn-up is the trump, since if the
third hand declares to play alone it has become an established custom
for the dealer to discard next in suit, and for his partner to lead it
to him. The third hand should take this into consideration before
playing alone. This is the only case when the original lead of next in
suit has any significance.
In playing against a lone hand, you should lead from a short suit or
suit of equals, if possible, and the fourth card you play (supposing
always the lone hand to take the first four tricks with trumps) should
inform your partner what suit you mean to keep. For example: Clubs are
trumps. Eldest hand has two small trumps, queen of hearts, and queen and
seven of spades. Lead the queen of hearts. The dealer, who is playing
alone, ruffs the heart and leads both bowers and the ace of trumps. On
the fourth trick you play the seven of spades; your partner, holding the
ace of spades and the ten of diamonds, should throw away the ace of
spades and keep the ten, thereby attacking the lone hand in all three
suits.
Example: Clubs are trumps. The eldest hand has the king of clubs, the
king of hearts, the ace and seven of diamonds, and the ten of spades.
Lead the king of hearts, throw away the ten of spades as early as
possible, and play the seven of diamonds on the fourth trick, thereby
informing your partner that you are keeping a diamond.
If you lead from equals,--as king, queen, or queen, knave,--and your
opponent takes the trick with a card of that suit, throw away all your
other cards, however high, and keep your second one of that suit. This
applies always against the dealer, and usually against any other player.
If the eldest hand holds the ace of hearts and the ace and king of
spades (the trump being a club), lead the ace of hearts and advertise
the command of the spade suit by throwing away the ace as soon as
possible.
An exception: For third hand, supposing the dealer to have taken the
first three tricks without showing a lay card and to have led a winning
trump for the fourth trick. If your partner's fourth card is a lay king,
and you hold one card of that suit and one of another, neither of which
suits has been ruffed, keep the card of the same suit as your partner's
king on the fourth trick.
With an assistance you may play a lone hand with less strength than
otherwise.
Should your partner declare to play alone, and you have a fair trump
hand with no weakness in lay suits, it is good play to take it from him.
COUPS.
The following cases are offered to illustrate some of the fine points in
the game. Opportunities for making some of these plays occur
frequently, and every ambitious euchre-player should be familiar with
them. The easiest way to follow them is to place the cards on the table
as shown below.
A coup is when you depart from the ordinary established rules of play,
with certain reasons for each special case. Do not hesitate when
attempting a coup. Consider what the play of your adversaries means, as
well as that of your partner.
Bear in mind that coups are justified only in exceptional cases.
In all these cases A and C are partners. A is the dealer, and the
discard is supposed to have been properly made.
CASE I.
Refusing to over trump.
A
9 of clubs (turn-up),
Knave of clubs,
Ace, king of hearts,
8 of spades.
D B
King and 10 of clubs, Ace of clubs,
Ace, 9 of spades, Queen, 8 of hearts,
9 of hearts. Knave of diamonds,
10 of spades.
C
7, 8, and 10 of diamonds,
Queen of spades,
10 of hearts.
Score, love-all. A adopts the trump.
_First Trick._--B leads knave of diamonds, C plays the seven, D ruffs
with the ten of clubs, and A throws away the eight of spades.
_Second Trick._--D leads the ace of spades, A ruffs with the nine of
clubs, and both B and C follow suit.
_Third Trick._--A leads the right bower and catches the ace and king
from B and D, while his partner throws his small diamond.
_Fourth Trick._--in this case A will win whether he leads the ace or
king of hearts; but his play should be the king, since his partner
cannot help him in any way, and B might hold the left bower and pass the
king of hearts, when he would ruff the ace.
REMARKS.--If A goes over the ten of trumps with his right in the first
trick, he will be euchred. This is the simplest coup, and is in constant
use. It is not good euchre to do this when your partner has assisted.
CASE II.
Leading through assistance. When to continue with trumps.
A
King of hearts (turn-up),
Queen of hearts,
Queen, knave of spades,
Queen of clubs.
D B
8, 9, 10 of diamonds, Knave, 8 of hearts,
10 of clubs, Ace of clubs,
7 of hearts. King, 9 of spades.
C
Knave of diamonds,
Ace of hearts,
Ace, 8 of spades,
7 of diamonds.
Score, love-all. C assists.
REMARKS.--B leads the right through the assisting hand, C plays the ace,
D the seven, and A should play the king. If A plays the queen to give
information to his partner, B should at once continue with the eight of
hearts, and thus effect a euchre. If A plays the king, B's natural play
would be to lead the ace of clubs, whereby A and C make their point.
Few cases arise when you should conceal information from your partner,
but this is one of them.
CASE III.
Ruffing a winning card in order to draw trumps and score two.
A
9 of hearts (turn-up),
Knave of diamonds,
7 of hearts,
Queen, 8 of clubs.
D B
Ace, king of hearts, Queen, 10 of hearts,
King of spades, Ace of diamonds,
King of diamonds, King of clubs,
10 of clubs. 9 of spades.
C
Right, 8 of hearts,
Ace of clubs,
Ace, 10 of spades.
Score, four to three in favor of A and C. C assists.
_First Trick._--B leads the ten of hearts, C plays the right, D the
king, and A the seven.
_Second Trick._--C leads the ace of clubs, D plays the ten, A the eight
of clubs, and B the king.
_Third Trick._--C leads the ace of spades, D plays the king, A ruffs
with the nine of hearts, and B plays the nine of spades.
_Fourth and Fifth Tricks._--A leads the left, thereby drawing all the
trumps, and continues with the winning club.
CASE IV.
Leading a trump up to the right.
A
Knave of hearts (turn-up),
King of hearts,
Ace of clubs,
Ace, king of spades.
D B
9 of hearts, Knave of diamonds,
7, 8 of spades, Ace, queen of hearts,
King, 8 of clubs. 9 of spades,
Ace of diamonds.
C
10, 7, hearts,
Knave, 10 of spades,
King of diamonds.
A adopts the trump. Score, four to one in favor of A and C.
_First Trick._--B leads the left, C plays the seven of hearts, D the
nine, and A wins with the right.
_Second Trick._--A leads the ace of spades, B follows with the nine, C
with the ten, and D with the seven.
_Third, Fourth, and Fifth Tricks._--No matter what A plays, he is
euchred, since B wins the last three tricks.
CASE V.
Under-play in fourth hand with a large tenace.
A
Ace of diamonds (turn-up),
Queen, 7 of diamonds,
9, 7 of hearts.
D B
King, knave of clubs, Knave, king, 10 of
Queen, 10 of spades, diamonds,
8 of hearts. Ace, queen of hearts.
C
Knave of hearts,
King, 10 of hearts,
King, 10 of spades.
Score, three-all. A adopts the trump.
_First Trick._--B leads ace of hearts, C plays the ten, D the eight, and
A the seven.
_Second Trick._--B continues with the queen of hearts, C covers, and
wins with the king, D throws the ten of spades, and A the nine of
hearts.
_Third Trick._--C leads the left bower, D throws the queen of spades, A
the seven of diamonds, and B refuses to win by playing under with the
ten of diamonds, thereby making a certainty of establishing the euchre
with the tenace of right and king in the fourth and fifth tricks.
CASE VI.
Trumping your partner's trick to put the lead through the strong hand.
A
Ace of diamonds (turn-up),
Knave of diamonds,
10 of diamonds,
King of spades,
10 of clubs.
D B
King, 8 of hearts, Ace of spades,
9, 8 of clubs, 7 of spades,
Queen of diamonds. Knave of hearts,
King, queen of clubs.
C
Ace, 10 of hearts,
Knave, 7 of clubs,
Queen of spades.
Score three-all. A adopts the trump.
_First Trick._--B leads the king of clubs, C follows with the seven of
clubs, D with the eight of clubs, and A with the ten of clubs.
_Second Trick._--B continues with the queen of clubs, C plays the knave,
D the nine, and A wins with the ten of diamonds.
_Third Trick._--A leads the king of spades, B covers with the ace, C
plays the queen, and D trumps, and wins with the queen of diamonds.
_Fourth Trick._--D leads the king of hearts, A ruffs with the ace, and
is euchred by B's left bower.
REMARKS.--C in the third trick perceived that his queen was useless,
unless used to trump his partner's trick and put the lead through A,
with the hope that his partner had the left and might be able to get it
in. The ace was turned up, and A could have no card _lower_ than the
queen, since he had ruffed fourth hand with the ten.
CASE VII.
Refusing to ruff when you hold the high trump.
A
Queen of clubs (turn-up),
Right, ace of clubs,
King, queen of spades.
D B
Ace, 9 of spades, Knave of spades,
King, queen of diamonds, 8 of clubs,
Knave of hearts. Ace, 9, 8 of hearts.
C
King, 10, 9 of clubs,
7, 9 of diamonds.
Score, three to one in favor of B and D.
C assists, and A plays alone.
_First Trick._--B leads ace of hearts, D follows with knave, and A ruffs
with queen of clubs.
_Second Trick._--A leads the right, B plays the eight, and D the nine,
of spades.
_Third Trick._--A leads the king of spades, B refuses to ruff, having
the highest trump, thereby euchring A.
The opportunity for this coup of refusing to ruff occurs very
frequently.
The following coups, which occurred recently in play, serve to show the
possibilities of the game. They are offered here for the inspection of
experienced players only, and not for the emulation of beginners.
CASE VIII.
A
9 of diamonds (turn-up),
Knave of hearts,
Queen of spades,
Queen, 9 of hearts.
D B
Ace, queen, 10 of clubs, Ace, king, 10 of diamonds,
King of hearts, Ace, 10 of spades.
9 of spades.
C
Queen, 7, 8 of diamonds,
Ace, 8 of hearts.
Score, game-all and four-all.
_First Trick._--B very properly orders up, and leads the ace of
diamonds; C follows with the seven, D throws the ten of clubs, and A
takes with left bower.
_Second Trick._--A leads queen of spades, B covers with the ace, and C
wins the trick with the eight of diamonds, D playing the nine of spades.
_Third Trick._--C leads the eight of hearts, D plays king of hearts, A
plays nine of hearts, and B throws ten of spades (not a sure winner) on
his partner's trick.