 Euchre Help Index

Rules of Euchre

Playing the Euchre Game

Choosing Opponents

Options

Thanks to...

Receiving the Registered Version

Changes From Previous Versions


Windows Euchre Options
Euchre Options

Show Computer Cards:  This option allows the player to see the computer's cards.  Of course, this would be considered cheating.

Fast Computer Play:  This option add or deletes the delay the computer makes in passing and playing of cards.

Card Back Options:  These options allow the player to change the decorations on the back of the cards.  This option is purely for ornamental purposes.

Options, except for Show Computer Cards, are saved in a wineuch.ini file in your \windows directory so that when you begin a new game, it will restore the options you had when you finished your previous game.


Rank of Euchre Cards

The rank of cards in Euchre is as follows (from high to low):

Right Bower

Left Bower

Ace

King

Queen

Ten

Nine

As an example, if Spades were trump:

Jack of Spades

Jack of Clubs

Ace of Spades

King of Spades

Queen of Spades

Ten of Spades

Nine of Spades

The left bower is considered to be of the same suit as trump (i.e. if Spades were trump, the Jack of Clubs would become a Spade for that hand).  The remaining non-trump cards are ranked in the normal order from Aces down to Nines.


The Euchre Deal

The game begins by selecting a random dealer.  The deal rotates in a clockwise manner from then on throughout the game.

Whomever is dealer will deal five cards to each player, usually in two rounds.  In the first round, each player will receive three face down cards, and in the second round, each player will receive two face down cards.  There are many permutations to this three-two deal that are allowed in normal Euchre, however, in this version the computer will handle all of the dealing work for each player.

After  five cards have been dealt to each player, the dealer will then turn the next card in the deck face up.  This called (also called the up-card) will then be used as a basis for the selection of Trump suit.


Calling a Trump Suit

Following the deal, each player, starting with the player to the dealer's left, has the option of accepting or passing the up-card's suit as Trump suit.  If any player accepts the up-card's suit as trump, he is considered to be the 'orderer'.  Irrelevant of who the orderer is, the dealer then would pick up the upcard, and discard any card he chooses from his hand, leaving the dealer with five cards once again.

If no player orders up the upcard, the upcard is turned upside down and a second round of passing goes around the table.  This time, each player may call any suit, other than the old up-card's suit, as trump, or may pass again.

Whichever of the above methods is used to call trump, play then begins with the player to the dealer's left.

If all players pass on the second round, the cards are reshuffled, and the deal passes to the next player.


Playing Out the Hand

Once the Trump suit has been called, play begins with the player to the dealer's left.  He may lead any card in his hand.  Play then continues around the table in a clockwise manner.

Each player following the leader must play a card of the same suit as was lead if possible.  If the player cannot follow suit, he may play whatever card he chooses, including a Trump card.

NOTE: Remember, the left bower is considered to be the same suit as the Trump for purposes of following whatever was lead.

After all four (or three, in the case of people Going Alone) cards have been played, the winner is determined.  The trick is won by the player with the highest card of the suit led or by the highest Trump card played.  Cards that are not Trump and not of the same suit as the lead card can never win a trick.

The player that won the trick then becomes the leader for the next round of play.  Play continues in this manner until all cards have been played.


Euchre Scoring

Whichever team called the Trump suit is considered the offensive team.  The offensive team must take three or more tricks in order to receive points.  If they take three or four tricks, they receive one point; all five tricks won would score two points.  If the offensive team does not score at least three tricks during the hand, they are considered Euchered, and the defensive team receives two points.


Going Alone

During the process of calling suit at the beginning of each hand, instead of simply ordering up the up-card, or calling a suit, the player may opt to 'Go Alone'.  This means that he will play without the help of his partner against the opposing two players.

The advantage of this is that if the player makes all five tricks while 'Going Alone', his team receives four points instead of the normal two.  If he makes three of four tricks, his team receives the normal one point.  And if he takes less than three tricks, his team is Euchred, and the defensive team receives two points.


Rules of Euchre

Euchre is played by 2 teams of 2 players.  The teammates sit opposite from each other around the table.  The objective of Euchre is to be the first team to score 10 points by winning tricks in each of a number of hands.

Rank of the Cards

The Deal

Calling a Trump Suit

Playing Out the Hand

Going Alone

Scoring


Right Bower

The Right Bower is the Jack of Trump.  (i.e. if Spades were Trump, the Jack of Spades would be the Right Bower).


Left Bower

The Left Bower is the Jack of the suit that is the same color as the Trump suit.  (i.e. if Spades were Trump, the Jack of Clubs would be the Left Bower).


Playing Windows Euchre
Playing Euchre

Starting A New Game

Selecting Cards

Overall Gameplay

Exclamation Point Buttons


Starting A New Game

You can start a new game at any time by selecting New Game from the file menu, or by the CNTRL-N shortcut.  This erases all scores, and begins an entirely new game.  To begin dealing once you have selected a New Game, click on the Continue button.


Selecting Cards

Selecting cards in Euchre is accomplished by a left mouse click on any part of the chosen card.  If it is not your turn to select a card, then clicking on a card has no effect.


Overall Game Play

To start the dealing after a new game has been selected, click on the Continue button.  This will deal the cards, and depending on whose turn it is, the computer player will begin the first round of calling trump suit.

The players interactions with the game take place in one of two ways.  The first is by the buttons in the bottom bar of the screen.  Only those buttons that are appropriate to the current state of the game are enabled.

NOTE: The right mouse button is an alternative to the Continue button.  If you find it bothersome to always have to move the mouse down to click on Continue, you may simply click the right mouse button while the mouse is somewhere on the table (not the bottom or side bars) to simulate pressing the Continue button.

NOTE: To 'Go Alone', press the Go Alone button (or the ! button of the correct suit, if it's a second round pick) only.  Do not first press the 'Pick it Up' or suit button first, as this assumes you do not want to 'Go Alone'.

If all the buttons are disabled, it is the players turn to select a card either for playing, or for throwing away if he was the dealer, and one of the computer opponents ordered him up.

Please refer to the Rules of Euchre section of this Help file to find out more about how to play the game of Euchre.


Choosing Opponents

Beginner (novice) level opponents are somewhat predictable in the cards that they will choose to play when they are following the leader.  Beginners are also notorius for not knowing what card to lead, and do not always make moves that would be obvious to the veteran Euchre player.

Advanced level players will make less 'predictable' plays, call trump suit with more precision, and have the ability to remember cards that have already been played, and use this information to make their choice of cards.  As suggestions come in, updating the computer's playing ability will continue along with adding new playing strateges for the computer.

NOTE: Advanced level players are only available in the Registered Verion.

See Also: Receiving the Registered Version.


Thanks to...

Thanks to Steven Murphy for releasing the QCARDS dynamic link library to the public!

Thanks to the following people for their suggestions:

Todd Derr

(your name could go here!)

<rest of this space intentionally left blank for people who send in suggestions, bug reports and the like>


Exclamation Point Buttons

The small exclamation point buttons beside each of the suit buttons stand for Go Alone on that particular suit.  So that the ! button just to the right of Hearts would be pressed if you wanted to say 'Go Alone with Hearts as Trump'.


Changes From Previous Versions

Changes from Freeware Version 1.0:

- Fixed a bug that now sorts hands correctly for the human player according to trumpsuit.

- Added an .ini file to restore the player's last options chosen when you start the program.

 - Fixed a bug that didn't allow card backs to be changed if no cards were showing on the screen.

- The right mouse button now simulates pressing the continue button.

- Selection of cards has now been changed to a single left mouse click instead of a double.

- To avoid confusion, Team 1 and 2, have been changed to 'Us' (the team with the human player), and 'Them' (the two computer players team).


Receiving the Registered Version

This version of Euchre is the Freeware version.  If you enjoy this version, please consider buying the registered version.

By purchasing the registered version, you will receive added 'Advanced' level opponents for improved game play, elimination of the 'Freeware' notices dialogs, product support, and you will also be supporting the continued development of Euchre for Windows!

The computers intelligence in card choice will continue to improve, as well as the possible addition of player personalities, multimedia sound support, and modem to modem play availability are possible future directions for this product depending on user suggestions and support.

Distribution of this version of Euchre is encouraged.

To receive the registered version, send $15 (check or money order) to:

Land-J Technologies

c/o J.J. Lehett

1700 Woodbury Rd. #2207

Orlando, FL 32828

Please include your name, address, and where you aquired this program if possible.

You may also contact me via email at:

Delphi: JLEHETT

Internet: JLEHETT@DELPHI.COM

I welcome all comments, criticisms, and suggestions, and look forward to hearing from you.