Eurchre

Euchre is typically a four player card game with a little less than half the deck of cards. Few nights back Caleb and I played with our friends Mike and Tiffany. Game play begins with shuffling and dealing. Dealing depending on who you play with can be a variation. The way we always play dealing has to be uneven but everyone ending with five cards. That will leave you with an extra four cards three of which are left face down. Those cards stay in front of the dealer then play begins clockwise.The person to the left of the dealer can chose to pass or let the dealer pick it up. If everyone passes then the dealer has the option to pick it up or pass. If they chose to pass then the person to the left has the option to call the suit they want to be trump.

This game I was to the left and had the option first to choose suit if I wanted. In Euchre Jacks become the highest card if they are in the suit that becomes trump. The same color jack as trump suite then becomes the second highest card. Since I have both black jacks and the Ace of Spades I am going to call Spades and trump because I have the three highest cards in the round. The person to the left of the dealer then beings the round first by playing a card that they feel will win that set.

In this hand Caleb leads with the Ace of diamonds then each person would have to lay a diamond if they had one. In my case I would have to lay the Jack of Diamonds. Mike my partner has played his King of Diamonds. For this set Caleb will take the hand.

He then gets to lead again and leads the Queen of Hearts and Mike throws down the King of Hearts making us the leading party. Now its Tiffany's turn and she plays the Ace of Hearts switching the lead. I however have no hearts so I play lowest trump to ensure that I take the hand. Then with only the two highest cards in my hand left I play both and take both hands ending the round. Mike and I took three tricks earning our point for the round. Fives are typically used for scoring. If your team calls trump your team has the chance of winning one or two points. Your team has to take at least three tricks to earn a point and all five to win two points. If the opposing team takes 3 or more trick when called trump you have then been euchred causing the other team to earn two points. The game ends when a team has ten points. Mike and I won the game of Euchre that night 10 to 3.