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Euchre Reference
The bowers, scoring, and what to track to win at Euchre.
The bowers · the quirk that defines Euchre
Example, trump = ♥:J♥right bower (highest)J♦left bower (2nd, plays as ♥)
Right bowerThe Jack of the trump suit is the right bower — the single highest card in the deck.
Left bowerThe Jack of the same color as trump is the left bower — the second-highest card. Crucially, it counts as a trump, not as its printed suit.
Follows as trumpBecause the left bower is trump, you must play it to follow a trump lead, and you cannot use it to follow its printed suit — for every rule it has left that suit.
Trump orderHigh → low: right bower, left bower, then A, K, Q, 10, 9 of trump. 7 trumps in all. Any trump beats any non-trump.
Scoring · first to 10 points
Make itThe making team takes 3, 4 or 5 tricks → 1 point.
MarchSweep all 5 tricks (a “march”) → 2 points.
Alone +5Go alone (partner sits out) and sweep all 5 → 4 points. A lone hand that takes 3–4 still scores just 1.
EuchreIf the making team fails to take 3 tricks, the defenders euchre them and score 2 points.
What to track
The 7 trumpsCount the trumps as they fall — both bowers plus A, K, Q, 10, 9. Knowing how many of the 7 remain tells you who still controls the hand.
The bowersWatch the right and left bowers above all. Until they appear, the two strongest cards are live — and remember the left bower hides as the off-color Jack.
Read voidsWhen a player can't follow the led suit, they've revealed a void. A player void in trump can no longer ruff; a player void in a side suit will trump it next time it is led.
Off-acesTrack the side-suit Aces. Once trumps are exhausted, an off-suit Ace is the boss of its suit — useful both for going alone and for defending.