Donna's way of explaining the game "Euchre"

Euchre is a five card game, and it's like Spades you have to follow suit every hand, otherwise it's a "renege". It's played with four people and two people are partners on one team and the other two are on the other team. You can choose by flipping for Jacks, the first Jack will start the deal and the next person to get the Jack will be the dealer’s partner. The dealer should deal not by single cards like in poker; it has to be two, three, two then three to you. Then the next three, two, three then two to yourself. Or you could do two all the way around and then three, that's the way I do it because it's easier to remember who needs what. There are 24 cards in the deck, 9 and up are only used. When you are done dealing around the table you then should have 4 cards left and the card on the top is flipped face up. The person on the left has the first choice of choosing that to be trump according to his hand or he can pass. Now let's say you turned up the 10 of diamonds. Unlike spades Euchre has TOP TRUMP=in the order of this: Jack of diamonds is called the right Bauer, then second highest would be the Jack of hearts (the left Bauer), then follows the Ace, King, Queen, then of course the ten and nine of diamonds. So the person to the left of you has both Bauer and the Ace of diamonds and the nine and perhaps an Ace off suit, well he/she could order you up and chance going alone; you would then have to pick up the ten of diamonds and discard one of your other lowest card. So then the person who would lead (the person on the left of you) the Jack of diamonds your partner would have to follow suit with his diamond, HIS PARTNER WOULD STAY OUT (remember he said alone) you would then have to follow suit also. Then the opponent would lead out the Jack of hearts which is still persisting take out the rest of trump. There is 7 trump total! Well that hand would take all tricks the opponents would then get a score of four points. If he/she were to try it alone but didn't make all five tricks he then would get just one point. Now let's say the person to the left of you wouldn't have that hand, then they would pass, now let's say your partner had the Bauer and some aces, he/she could order you up and chance to play it alone or let you help him/her to get all the tricks. When you get all the tricks with the both team members play then you score two points. If the opponents keep you all from getting all the tricks then you score only one point. Now let's say nobody wants diamonds trump and everyone passes then it's up to you well you look into your hand and decide do you have both Bauer and then if you were to pick up the ten then you would have three of the seven trump, you would want to do that, but say that would be the only diamond you would have, then you would want to pass as well, you would then have to turn the card over, and again it goes around to whoever may want to make trump, Now remember is someone makes it clubs then it would follow top trump Jack of clubs, then the left Jack of Spades, and so on again. Now say the opponents make it clubs, if they don't get the three of five tricks then it is called a Euchre, then you and your partner would get two points. Now if they said club and made the three tricks then they would just get one point. Hopefully you understand this all and try to play it sometime with four people.

OBJECT: To make three of five tricks (no matter who makes what trump)
SCORE: one pt
If they don't get the three tricks then they are euchred.
SCORE: two pts.
If you try it alone, and DON'T get all the five tricks.
SCORE: one pt.
If you go alone and get all the tricks.
SCORE: four pts

ABOUT RENEGING: If you are caught Reneging then the opponents gets two pts
Remember who ever tries it alone they then only play the opponents! Their partner sits out and can rake in the tricks you make. The first person to play to ten wins! You can play more if you want. In tournaments we play ten sets of ten hands, so if you score 80 or more that pretty awesome. But you will see that it's hard to get so many points. Every hand play different there is no set way to play. You could have four trumps and sometimes get euchred, and then the next hand you could only have two trump (the right and another and hopefully an ace) and make your point. Sometimes you get lucky and your partner may have the other trump and you and your partner get all the tricks then you get two points. You have to take chances. Euchre is pronounced ‘yew’ker’. In case you wonder what it's enunciation is.

STRATEGY: Is take chances and have fun!