House Rules
Official rules for Land-Grant Euchre League
3-4 Tricks
1 pt
5 Tricks (March)
2 pts
Loner (All 5)
4 pts
Euchred
2 pts
First team to 10 points wins | Max possible score: 13
Determining First Dealer
Deal cards face up, one at a time to each player. The first player to receive a black Jack (Jack of Spades or Jack of Clubs) becomes the first dealer.
Dealer Rotation
After each hand, the deal passes clockwise to the next player. This continues throughout the game.
Win Condition
Each game is played to 10 points. The first team to reach 10 or more points wins the game.
Going Alone at 8-9 Points
If your team has 8-9 points and you successfully go alone, you can score 4 points for a total of 12 or 13. These high scores are tracked for bragging rights!
Shuffle the deck thoroughly. Offer the deck to the player on your right for a cut.
Use the cut card (or bottom card of cut) to cover the bottom of the deck during dealing. This prevents anyone from seeing the bottom card.
Deal 2-3-2-3 or 3-2-3-2 - whatever you prefer. Just be consistent throughout your time as dealer.
Everyone should have 5 cards. If not, it is a misdeal - shuffle and redeal.
After dealing, flip the top card of the remaining deck face up. This is the potential trump suit for round one of bidding.
No Steal the Deal
Unlike some house rules, we do NOT play Steal the Deal. If there is a misdeal (wrong number of cards), simply shuffle and redeal. The same dealer tries again.
Bidding starts with the player to the left of the dealer and continues clockwise.
Round One (Face-Up Card)
Players can say only:
- PASS- Do not want that suit as trump
- PICK IT UP- Tells dealer to pick up card (that suit is trump)
- ALONE- Pick it up AND going alone
Round Two (If All Pass)
If everyone passes in round one, the face-up card is turned down. Starting left of dealer again, players may name any suit EXCEPT the turned-down suit.
No Table Talk!
Do not give hints about your hand to your partner. No winking, kicking under the table, or saying things like "I really hope you pick that up!" This is not poker - keep it fair.
First offense: Warning.After: Loss of bid + 2 points to opponents.
Partner Ordering Up
If you order up your partner (the dealer), you are NOT required to go alone. You can say "Pick it up" without going alone - your partner will play with you.
IMPORTANT: If all players pass through both rounds of bidding, the dealer MUST call trump. The dealer cannot pass.
Why Stick the Dealer?
This rule prevents endless re-dealing when nobody has a great hand. It also adds strategy - if you are the dealer and everyone passes, you might want to call your longest suit even if it is not strong.
Dealer Strategy
If you are stuck as dealer, call your longest suit or the suit where you have the highest cards. Even an off-suit Ace can help you take a trick!
Going alone means playing without your partner for a chance at 4 points.
You must clearly say "ALONE" when ordering up or calling trump. Mumbling does not count!
Your partner places their cards face down in the middle of the table. They cannot look at the kitty (remaining cards).
The hand is played with only 3 players. The loner must win 3+ tricks to score.
No Defending Alone
The defending team cannot choose to defend alone. Both defenders always play together against a loner.
Loner Scoring
Win All 5 Tricks
4 pts
Win 3-4 Tricks
1 pt
Play your cards in front of you on the table, forming a square or line. This helps everyone see what has been played.
After each trick, push the four cards toward the player who won the trick. Each player keeps their own won tricks in a pile.
You MUST follow the led suit if you can. Only trump or discard off-suit if you have none of the led suit.
A Card Laid Is a Card Played!
Once your card touches the table, you cannot take it back. Think before you play!
Makers (Called Trump)
| Tricks Won | Points | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 3 or 4 | 1 point | Normal win |
| 5 | 2 points | March |
| 5 (alone) | 4 points | Loner |
| 3-4 (alone) | 1 point | Partial loner |
Defenders (Did Not Call Trump)
| Tricks Won | Points | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 3, 4, or 5 | 2 points | Euchre |
| 3+ vs loner | 2 points | Euchre (stopped loner) |
Fair play is essential. Here are the penalties for common violations:
Renege (Failure to Follow Suit)
If you fail to follow suit when you could have, you lose the bid and opponents receive 2 points.
On a loner: 4 point swing (you lose potential 4, they gain 2).
Bid Out of Turn
Bidding when it is not your turn results in loss of bid + 2 points to opponents.
Lead Out of Turn
Leading when it is not your turn: loss of bid + 2 points to opponents.
On a loner: 4 points to opponents.
Table Talk / Signaling
First offense: Warning.
Subsequent offenses: Loss of bid + 2 points to opponents.
Disputes
If there is a disagreement about a rule or penalty, find a league admin. They will make the final call. Play nice!
When trump is called, cards rank differently. Here is the order from highest to lowest:
Left Bower Tip
Remember: the Left Bower (Jack of same color) IS trump and must be played when trump is led. If Hearts are trump, the Jack of Diamonds is trump - not Diamonds!