How To Play

1. Game Setup

Players and Teams

Bid Euchre is played with four players seated around a table. Players are paired into two teams:

• Team 1: Partners sit across from each other (e.g., Red and Green)
• Team 2: Partners sit across from each other (e.g., Blue and Purple)

You and your partner work together to win tricks and reach the target score (32) first.

The Deck

Bid Euchre uses a standard Euchre deck containing 24 cards:

• All four suits: Hearts ♥, Spades ♠, Clubs ♣, Diamonds ♦
• Cards in each suit: 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace

Each player receives 6 cards at the start of each hand.

2. Bidding Phase

Bid Values

After cards are dealt, the first player clockwise of the dealer starts the bidding. The available bids, from lowest to highest, are:

Common Bids:

• 3: Must win at least 3 tricks with partners help
• 4: Must win at least 4 tricks with partners help
• 5: Must win at least 5 tricks with partners help
• 6: Must win all tricks with partners help (rarely used unless in specific situations)

Special Bids:

• Shoot: Must win all tricks, Rewarded 2 bonus points, can trade one card with your partner then you play alone
• Lone: Win all tricks, Rewarded 6 bonuse points, must play alone without your partners help

Bidding Rules

• You must bid higher than the current highest bid
• The highest bidder wins and determines the trump suit for that hand
• If all players pass, the dealer must bid (usually 3 unless they have a special bid)

3. Calling Trump

After winning the bid, the bidder must call the trump suit. The trump suit determines which cards are most powerful during that hand.

Trump Suits

The bidder can choose from:

• Hearts ♥
• Spades ♠
• Clubs ♣
• Diamonds ♦
• No Trump: No suit is trump, aces are high in each suit

4. Card Rankings

Trump Cards (Highest to Lowest)

When a suit is declared trump, the card rankings change:

1. Right Bower: Jack of the trump suit (highest card)
2. Left Bower: Jack of the same color as trump suit (second highest)
3. Ace of trump suit
4. King of trump suit
5. Queen of trump suit
6. 10 of trump suit
7. 9 of trump suit (lowest trump)

Note: When the Left Bower is played, it is considered part of the trump suit, not its original suit. This is a common point of confusion for new players.

Example

If hearts are trump the ranking is:

1. Right Bower Jack ♥
2. Left Bower Jack ♦ (because its the same color. There are two red jacks and two black jacks. They are always paired together)
3. Ace ♥
4. King ♥
5. Queen ♥
6. 10 ♥
7. 9 ♥

Inverse Example

If diamonds are trump the ranking is:

1. Right Bower Jack ♦
2. Left Bower Jack ♥ (same as above just flipped)
3. Ace ♦
4. King ♦
5. Queen ♦
6. 10 ♦
7. 9 ♦

5. Playing Tricks

Following Suit

• The player who leads a trick plays any card from their hand
• Other players must follow suit if possible (play a card of the same suit)
• If you cannot follow suit, you may play any card, including trump

Winning Tricks

• The highest trump card wins the trick
• If no trump is played, the highest card of the suit led wins
• The winner of the trick leads the next trick
• All six tricks are played out

6. Scoring

Making Your Bid

If the bidding team wins at least as many tricks as they bid:

• They score points equal to the amount of tricks they won
• The opposing team also scores the amount of tricks they won

Failing Your Bid

If the bidding team fails to win enough tricks:

• The bidding team goes back the amount of points they would have won (including bonus points for special bids)
• The opposing team scores the amount of tricks they won

Special Bid Scoring

• Shoot: Worth 8 (6 + 2 bonus points) if successful, -8 points if failed
• Lone: Worth 12 (6 + 6 bonus points) if successful, -12 points if failed

Winning the Game

The first team to reach or exceed the target score (32 points) wins the game.

If both teams reach 32 points in the same round, the team who won the bid that round wins.

7. Strategy Tips

Bidding Strategy

• Count your "sure tricks" (high cards, trump cards) in each suit before bidding
• Consider your partner's potential help when deciding your bid. Some count on their partner for at least 1.
• If you or your partner has the lead, consider going ace high

Trump Selection

• Call the suit in which you have the most strength
• Consider having both the Right and Left Bower (very strong)
• Think about what cards your opponents might be holding

Laying Cards

• Avoid laying a low trump card on the first trick if the opponent won the bid. An off suit ace or low off suit is usually best. (They probably have the right bower)
• Pay attention to what cards have been played to know what's left and therefore which cards are a guaranteed winner
• If you are the last one to lay and your partner is currently going to win the trick, avoid playing a stronger card unless you have to, or would like to take the lead on the next trick

8. Special Situations

Reneging

If a player fails to follow suit when they could have (accidentally or intentionally), this is called "reneging." The rules for handling reneges vary, but typically result in a penalty for the offending team. For simplicity, if a player reneges on bid-euchre.com we don't allow them to lay that card.