GamesWithGlen.com - Euchre Rules

Torrence & Knox Game Night Edition

🧩 Game Basics

🔄 Gameplay

Deal: 5 cards per player, 4 cards remain (top card flipped)
Calling Trump:
- Players take turns accepting or passing the flipped card’s suit as trump
- If all pass, a second round allows choosing any suit (except the flipped one)
Going Alone:

🧮 Scoring Rules

If your team wins 3 or more tricks, you earn 1 point.
If your team wins all 5 tricks, you earn 2 points.
If you go alone and win 3 or more tricks, you earn 1 point.
If you go alone and win all 5 tricks, you earn 4 points.
If your team calls trump but loses 3 or more tricks (i.e., gets euchred), your opponents earn 2 points.
If a player misplays a card, they lose 2 points.
If a player misplays a card during a lone hand, they lose 4 points.

🏠 House Rules

Misdeal: If all players are dealt only 9s and 10s, it must be called before the first pass or play.
❌ No Stick the Dealer: If all players pass, the deal passes to the next player.
📝 Scorekeeping: At the end of each round, players must record their individual scores on the score sheet.
🪑 Table Rotation:
- Winners stay at the table but switch partners
- Losers walk to the next available table
⏰ Last Call: No new rounds may begin after 8:30 PM

🏆 Prizes

The player with the highest individual score at the end of the night wins the prize pot.
In case of a tie, the pot is evenly divided among the top-scoring players.

🎯 Three-Hand Euchre Setup

Three players sit on three sides of the table; the fourth side holds the “dummy” hand.
Deal five cards to each player and to the dummy.
Place the remaining four cards face down in the center.
Turn the top card face up—this sets the initial trump suit.

🧍 Maker vs. Defenders

🃏 Dummy Hand

The maker may combine the dummy hand with their own, keeping the best five cards.
If going alone, the dummy hand is ignored.

🚶 Going Alone

Any player may declare “going alone” after trump is chosen but before the first card is led.
If a defender goes alone, their partner sits out and places cards face down.
Both the maker and a defender may go alone in the same hand.

▶️ Playing the Hand

The player to the dealer’s left leads first.
- Exception: If someone goes alone, the player to their left leads.
Follow suit if possible; otherwise, play any card.
Highest card in the lead suit wins unless trump is played—then highest trump wins.
Trick winner leads the next.

🧮 Scoring

Maker scores 1 point for winning 3 or 4 tricks.
Maker scores 3 points for winning all 5 tricks.
If the maker fails to win 3 tricks, they are “euchred,” and each defender scores 2 points.
If a defender goes alone and wins 3 or 4 tricks, each defender scores 2 points.
If a defender goes alone and wins all 5 tricks, each defender scores 4 points.

🏆 Winning - First player to reach 10 points wins the game.