Black Bull Euchre

Progressive Euchre Tournament

Players are paired with different partners in each round, ensuring everyone plays with a variety of people.

 

Players play multiple rounds with different partners, moving to new tables after each round, aiming to accumulate the most points over the entire tournament.

 

After each round (typically 8 hands, with each player dealing twice), players move to a new table, preventing any one pair from consistently dominating.

 

Players and Cards

Four players play in two teams, the partners sitting opposite one another.

A 24-card pack is used with cards ranking as before with a right bower and left bower as the top two cards of the trump suit.

 

Deal

Deal and play are clockwise.

 

The face-down pack is spread on the table and each player draws a card each.

The players with the highest card deals first.

 

Deal and play are clockwise.

Five cards are dealt in 5 passes to each of the players.

 

The remaining four cards, called the “ kitty “.

They are placed face down in the center of the table and its top card flipped over.

 

Making Trump

The player to the left of the dealer, the first player, opens the bidding by passing (saying “pass") or accepting the suit of the upcard as trump by saying  "pick it up”.

If the first player passes, the second player (the dealer's partner) may pass or accept by saying "pick it up”.

At this point the dealer’s partner has elected to “go alone“. (see below in Going alone)

If the second hand passes, the third hand may pass or accept.

If the first three pass, the dealer may accept the turnup by discarding a card (called "taking it up") or turn it down by placing the upcard, face up, half under the kitty (called "turning it down”).

If the dealer acquires the top card, either by being ordered to pick it up or choosing to pick it up, it becomes part of the dealer's hand.

It is left in place until played, and the dealer discards a card to the bottom of the kitty, face down.

If no one orders up the top card and the dealer chooses not to take it up, each player is then given the opportunity, in turn, to pass again or call a different suit as trump.

If no trump is selected, the dealer has to make trump, there is no dealer pass. This is Stick the Dealer.

If trump is not called it must be called by the dealer.

When trumps are chosen, the trump jack becomes the top card or right bower.

The jack of the same color is the second-highest trump, known as the left bower.

 

Example: Spades are trump. In this case, the trump cards rank as follows (highest first):J♠ (right bower), J♣ (left bower), A♠, K♠, Q♠, 10♠, 9♠

The J♣ effectively becomes a spade during the playing of this hand.

This expands the suit of spades to the seven cards above and reduces the suit of clubs by one card, its jack being seconded to the trump suit.

Once the hand is over, the J♣ ceases to be a spade and becomes a club again unless spades are again named as trump during a subsequent hand.

 

Going Alone

A player who fixes the trump suit may announce "alone" and play without the aid of a partner.

The partner's hand cards are laid face down and the partner takes no part in the game.

 

Points

The team making trump must take at least 3 tricks to win and score 1 point.

Otherwise they are euchred,If euchred, the opposing team scores 2 points.

If the team making trump takes all 5 tricks, they score 2 points.

If a player “ going alone “ takes all 5 tricks, they score 4 points.

If a player “ going alone “ takes only 3 or 4 tricks, they score 1 pointIf a player “ going alone “ is euchred, the other team scores 2 points.A player who does not follow suit when able has reneged.

The opposing team is awarded two points.

 

Rules

1. Making trump rule. A player may not make trump with only a jack but must have another trump card.

2. Stick the Dealer. If trump is not called on the second time around, it must be called by the dealer.

3. NoAce No Face. In No Ace No Face the player must have all 9s and 10s in their hand. re-deal cards.

4. Renege. A player who does not follow suit when able has reneged. the opposing team is awarded two points.

 

Table Talk

Euchre does not require silence as in some other games; some table talk is acceptable. However, communicating with one's partner to influence the game is considered cheating. Unacceptable table talk may include code words, secret gestures, bidding out of turn or suggesting what the partner should play