Scoring in Euchre

Series Summary

Playing cards date back to ancient China, where they are believed to have originated, when paper currency was both the vehicle for the card games, and the bet. One popular card game that incorporates playing cards is Euchre. Euchre is a card game based on trick-taking and trump cards played with a deck of 24 cards. It is played and is very popular in the British Isles, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. Euchre has declined in popularity in the United States recently due to the rise of poker, but is still played in New York state and the Midwest.

In this free video series, our expert Joe Andrews will teach you how to play euchre. Joe will emphasize the importance of being aware of the score, understanding next calls, and strategy. Joe will tell you when you need to bid to go alone, when to pass a biddable hand, and when to trump your partners ace. He will also teach you how to play defense, how to lead for your partner, and how to play several variations of euchre. Joe will even talk about the difference between live and internet euchre!

Video Transcript

"Okay, it's very important to understand the score and it's relationship in a standard ten point game. Again if you re playing uh in an eight by eight progressive, you don't need to worry about it, it's just a big old point grab. But there is a term in Euchre that's very important, it's called In the Barn or At the Bridge. Now they actually both mean the same thing although I know bridges and barns are different, unless you've got a barn over the bridge. Anyway it goes something like this. You're playing a ten point game and let's put this over here. And this is you. And this is them or they. And you're ahead nine to six, okay. And let us suppose that you're sitting here, okay. And it doesn't matter what the dealer has turned up. I don't care what he's turned up. It could turn up a Bower, let's find a Bower. There's a convenient Bower, okay. You've got a hand here; you don't even have to look at your hand. Well, there's an exception, and that is if you have the guarded left. Now that's a terminology that's very, that's terminology that's very important. You see this is a Heart. So, if you have the left with the guard. That's a, that means that he could take this up, lead this and never get your left. It's completely safe. Whereas if it's over here that changes the whole picture. But if you didn't have the luxury of having that card, let's just say you had some black suit cards and you didn't have the left protected, so you weren't guaranteed a trick. Now here's another suit that's a natural trick."