A fast four-player partnership trick-taking game with the 9 through ace of each suit, first to ten points.
- Variant code
- north-american-4p-partnership
- Players
- 4 (2v2)
- Deck
- 24 cards: 9, 10, J, Q, K, A of each suit.
- Teams
- Two fixed partnerships, partners seated opposite.
- Scoring engine
- euchre_north_american
- Reviewed
- 2026-11-10 (editorial; revision 1)
Quick start
Euchre takes about fifteen minutes to learn. Partners sit opposite. Five cards each, one card turned up to name trump, then each player accepts trump or passes; if all pass, a second round lets a player name any suit. Five tricks are played per hand; the highest trump or the highest card of the led suit wins each trick. First to ten points wins.
Players, deck and object
Four players in two partnerships use the 9 through ace of every suit (24 cards). The object is to reach ten points before the other partnership.
Claim and evidence (players)
Four players in two fixed partnerships.
- North American Euchre and regional variations - Pagat (trick play)
- Euchre rules - Bicycle Cards (rules)
Setup and the deal
Cut for partners, then seat partners opposite. The dealer deals five cards to each player in packets, then turns the next card face up as the proposed trump. Deal rotates clockwise each hand.
Claim and evidence (deal)
Deal five cards each and turn up one card to name trump.
- North American Euchre and regional variations - Pagat (deal)
Choosing trump
The player to the dealer's left is first asked. In the first round a player may order the up-card suit into trump or pass. If all four pass, the up card is turned down and a second round lets a player name any other suit or pass. If all pass again, the deal passes on.
Claim and evidence (turn)
The player left of the dealer is asked for trump first; two bidding rounds.
- North American Euchre and regional variations - Pagat (bidding)
Play, following suit and playing alone
The player to the dealer's left leads. You must follow suit if you can; if you cannot, you may play any card, including trump. The highest trump wins, otherwise the highest card of the led suit. A maker may play alone (partner sits out) if declared before the first lead.
Claim and evidence (legal_play)
Follow suit if able; highest trump or led suit wins the trick.
- North American Euchre and regional variations - Pagat (play)
- Euchre rules - Bicycle Cards (general)
Scoring a hand
The makers must take at least three of five tricks. Three or four tricks score 1; all five score 2; a lone maker taking all five scores 4. Fewer than three tricks means the makers are euchred and the defenders score 2.
Claim and evidence (scoring)
Three or four tricks = 1; five = 2; lone five = 4; euchred = defenders 2.
- North American Euchre and regional variations - Pagat (scoring)
Ending the game
The game ends when a partnership reaches ten points.
Claim and evidence (win_condition)
First partnership to ten points wins.
- North American Euchre and regional variations - Pagat (game)
Worked example
Partnership A names hearts and takes five tricks: A scores 2. Partnership B names spades and takes four tricks: B scores 1. A player of A announces a lone hand and takes all five: A scores 4. Then B names trump but takes two tricks: B is euchred, so A scores 2. Totals after four hands: A 8, B 1.
House-rule choices
Groups differ on whether a lone maker taking three or four tricks scores 1, the defender-alone award, whether a makers' march scores 2 or 4, and 'stick the dealer'. Record the choice on your score sheet.
Common questions
Must you follow suit? Yes, when you hold the led suit. What if everyone passes twice? The hand is thrown in and the deal passes. Can a defender play alone? Not in this variant.
Historical reference
The numbered Laws of Euchre collection is a historical cross-reference only; current groups may play different variants.
Worked example
Four hands to 8-1
2 + 1 + 4 + 2 = 8 for the makers; the defenders earn 1 from hand 2.
| Expected result | Value |
|---|---|
| makers | 8 |
| defenders | 1 |
Reproduced by an editor against the encoded scorer.
Sources and review
Written in original wording and checked against the references below for this exact variant. External prose is not copied. Every material claim carries its own evidence.
- North American Euchre and regional variations - Pagat (reference)
- Euchre rules - Bicycle Cards (reference)
- The Laws of Euchre (historical) - Project Gutenberg (historical)