EUCHRE TERMS
EUCHRE TERMS, TERMINOLOGY, LINGO & VERNACULAR
ACE, NO-FACE
A hand with one Ace and a bunch of lowly 9s or 10s—decent but not dazzling.
AT THE BRIDGE
The same as IN THE BARN…needing just one more point to win
BENNY
The benny is the Joker, which can be included in a Euchre deck as the highest trump card when playing some variations of the game such as British Euchre. It outranks even the Right Bower (the Jack of the trump suit).
BID EUCHRE
A variation of Euchre where players bid on the number of tricks they expect to take, with the highest bidder naming the trump suit. It is typically played with six or more players and often uses a 32, 36, or 48-card deck instead of the standard 24-card Euchre deck. The game emphasizes strategy, as players must commit to winning a specific number of tricks based on their hand.
BIDDING
The process where players decide whether to call trump or pass after the dealer turns up a card.
BLIND
The leftover pile of four cards after dealing, placed face-down in the table’s center with the top card flipped up as the "turn-card." Also see “BLIND.”
BLOCK
Naming trump with slim odds of winning, just to stop the other team from calling trump. Often used to lock an opposing team from calling a lone hand and winning a game.
BOSS CARD
The top dog in trump—usually the Right Bower. Once it’s played, the Left takes over; if an Ace is turned down, the King of that suit claims the title.
BOWER
The heavy hitters of trump: the Jack of the trump suit (the "Right Bower") reigns supreme as the top card, followed by the Jack of the same-colored suit (the "Left Bower"), the second-strongest card in the game.
BRITISH EUCHRE
Standard Euchre with a twist: a joker (the "Benny") joins as the top trump, outranking even the Right Bower.
BUMP CUP
Commonly used in charity Euchre tournaments, where players who get Euchred or "bumped" must contribute a monetary penalty into the cup, which is then donated to the charitable cause.
BUMPED
Also more commonly known as getting Euchred, getting bumped occurs when naming trump but winning fewer than three tricks resulting in the other team scoring 2 points.
CANADIAN EUCHRE
Standard North American Euchre with one twist. If a player makes trump in the first bidding round and their partner is the dealer, that player must play alone.
COUNT ON PARTNER FOR ONE
Betting your partner can snag one trick, pushing your team to three tricks and a point. Faith is key!
CROSSING THE CREEK
A gutsy first-seat call: skipping "next" to name a green suit as trump. You’d better have a powerhouse hand—your partner might not back you up. Also see JUMPING THE FENCE.
CUT CARD
A card set aside from gameplay, used to shield the bottom card of the deck. Often a joker or a special card fills this role.
CUT THROAT
A wild three-player variant of Euchre—every man for himself!
DECLARE TRUMP
The process where players, starting with the left-hand opponent, decide the trump suit. Round one lets you pick the turn-card’s suit; if all pass, round two opens up other suits (but not the turned-down suit).
DON’T SEND A BOY
A warning against leading a weak trump—inviting others to over-trump and steal the trick. As they say, “to do a man’s job, send a man!”
EUCHRE DECK
A slimmed-down deck of 24 cards, crafted by stripping a standard deck of its 2s through 8s, leaving only the 9s through Aces for play.
EUCHRE DECK RANK
Right Bower, Left Bower, then Ace, King, Queen, 10, 9 of the trump suit. Same-color non-trump suits rank Ace to 9, while "green suits" (opposite colors) rank Ace to 9, with their Jack staying a plain Jack. Trump always outmuscles the other suits.
BRITISH EUCHRE
Standard Euchre with a twist: a joker (the "Benny") joins as the top trump, outranking even the Right Bower.
EUCHRE GAME, PARTNER’S EVENT
Four players, two fixed teams facing off across the table. First to 10 points wins—serious and competitive.
EUCHRE GAME, PLAYING
Once trump’s set, the left-hand opponent leads (usually their strongest card). Follow suit if you can; highest card wins unless trump crashes the party. Void? Ruff in with trump—the highest trump takes it.
EUCHRE GAME, PROGRESSIVE EVENT
Four players, but partners swap after each game. Deal twice per player, highest score wins; ties go to the first team hitting that score.
EUCHRE HAND
The five cards dealt to each player, your arsenal for the round.
EUCHRED
Naming trump but winning fewer than three tricks—ouch! The other team scores 2 points, and you’re “set.” Also see BUMP.
FISHING OUT
Intentionally leading a trump card to force opponents to play their trumps early, depleting their supply and giving your team an advantage in later tricks.
FOLLOW SUIT
Playing a card of the same suit as the lead card if you have one.
GO BIG OR GO HOME
This strategy involves playing a high trump card right away to secure the trick and avoid being over-trumped. It's also known as "not tickling it."
GOING ALONE
Ditching your partner for a solo run. Take all 5 tricks for 4 points, 3-4 for 1 point, or less than 3 and gift the other team 2 points.
GOING FISHING
Leading a small card to lure out the big boss cards, setting up a later strike.
GREEN SUITS
The two suits opposite in color to trump, often the underdogs in a hand.
HAVING A DOG FROM EVERY COUNTY
A colorful way to say you’ve got at least one card from each suit—a real mixed bag!
IN THE BARN
Needing just one more point to win—you’re so close you can smell the hay! This is often celebrated with a fist bump or when one player locks their fingers together, turns their thumbs downward to resemble a cow’s udder, and the other player mimics milking by pulling on the thumbs. This gesture symbolizes being "in the barn" and ready to "milk" the final point needed for victory.
JUMPING THE FENCE
Skipping "next" to name a green suit as trump. Also see CROSSING THE CREEK.
KITTY
The leftover pile of four cards after dealing, placed face-down in the table’s center with the top card flipped up as the "turn-card." No peeking allowed! Also see BLIND.
LAY-DOWN
A dream hand guaranteed to sweep all five tricks—like holding the top five trumps or four trumps plus an Ace. Pure gold.
LEAD
The first card played in a trick. The player to the left of the dealer leads the first trick, and the winner of each trick then leads the next one.
LEAD SUIT
The first card played in a trick, setting the suit others must follow if able. For example, if the first card is a Queen of Spades, the lead suit for that trick is Spades.
LEFT
Shorthand for "Left Bower," the Jack of the same color as trump, stepping up as the new boss once the Right is gone.
LONE ACE
Having only an Ace of some suit in your hand and no other cards of the same suit.
MAKER
The player who names trump, taking the reins—and the risk—for the hand.
Updated March 06, 2025
MARCH
Taking all five tricks in a hand—a clean victory lap. Also see SWEEP.
NAMING (OR MAKING) TRUMP
The process where a player selects the trump suit for a hand after the initial up card has been declined by all players.
NEGGING
A slang term derived from the word "renege", which refers to a player illegally failing to follow suit when they have a card of the led suit in their hand. This is considered cheating or an accidental rule violation, and if caught, results in a penalty—typically forfeiting two or more points to the opposing team.
NEXT
The suit matching the trump’s color (e.g., Diamonds if Hearts are trump)—a sneaky sidekick in the rankings.
NO-ACE, NO-FACE
A dud hand of just 9s and 10s. Some regional rules variations allow a re-deal if someone is dealt this hand. Also known as a FARMER’S HAND.
ORDER-UP
Telling the dealer to grab the turn-card, locking its suit as trump—a bold move!
PASS
Skipping your chance to name trump, kicking the decision down the line.
PASSING ON A BOWER
When a player chooses not to order up or call trump despite holding one of the Bowers (the Right or Left Bower), which are the most powerful cards in the game. This is often a strategic decision to avoid being forced to go alone or because the player believes their hand is not strong enough to win three tricks. When doing so some say, “Pass on a bower, lose for an hour.”
PARTNER
The teammate you play with in a standard four-player game, sitting opposite you at the table.
PARTNER’S BEST
A variation of Euchre that modifies the “going alone” rule. In this version, when a player decides to go alone, they have the option to exchange one card with their partner before trick-taking begins. The process works as follows:
The maker discards one card from their hand.
Their partner then selects one card from their own hand and passes it to the maker.
The maker then plays the hand alone, attempting to win all five tricks.
This variation allows for strategic improvement of the lone player’s hand while still maintaining the challenge of playing solo.
PONE
The player seated immediately to the dealer’s left. The pone plays first in the game, leading the first trick, and is also the first to act when deciding whether to order up the up card or pass.
PROTECTED ACE
An Ace backed by two cards of the same suit, a combo that can thwart an opponent’s lone-hand dreams by locking down the third-ranked trump.
PROTECTED LEFT
The Left Bower paired with another card of its suit, a defensive wall against a lone call since it’s the second-ranked trump.
RENEGE
Failing to follow suit when you could’ve. Caught? The other team gets 2 points as punishment.
REVERSE NEXT
A slick second-seat move: after the dealer turns down a suit, you name a trump of the opposite color to shake things up.
RIGHT
Short for "Right Bower," the Jack of the trump suit—the ultimate boss card until it’s played.
RUFF
Slapping down a trump when you can’t follow suit. If multiple players ruff, the highest trump snags the trick. Also known as TRUMPING IN.
SANDBAGGING
A sly move: your foe turns up a suit you’re strong in, so you pass, hoping they’ll call it and walk into a Euchre—netting your team 2 points. Also known as BAGGING or PASSING DIRTY.
SCORE CARDS
The cards in a deck used to keep track of the score. Traditionally, 4s, 5s and/or 6s of a suit are used, with one card turned to display the current points. The top card represents the tens place (if needed), while the bottom card tracks single points by adjusting its position. Most play to 10 points; some play to 11 points. When playing to 10, some use two 5s, others will use the 6 and the 4.
SCORING
Games hit 10 points to win. Take 3+ tricks for 1 point, sweep all 5 for 2 points, or get Euchred (less than 3) and hand the other team 2 points.
SET
A situation where the team that named the trump suit fails to win at least three out of the five tricks in a hand.
SINGLETON CARD
Just one lonely card of a suit in your hand, ripe for strategic sloughing or ruffing.
SKUNK
Crushing a game so bad the other team scores zilch. Total domination.
SLOUGH
Tossing a low-value card onto a trick you don’t want, shedding dead weight from your hand.
STAY HOME
A lone-hand battle cry—telling your partner to sit tight while you go for glory.
STICK THE DEALER
When everyone passes in both rounds, the dealer’s forced to name trump. Also known as “Screw the Dealer.”
SWEEP
Taking all five tricks in a hand. Also see MARCH.
TABLE POSITIONS
1st Seat: Left-hand opponent—leads the charge.
2nd Seat: Dealer’s partner—team player or lone wolf?
3rd Seat: Right-Hand Opponent (a.k.a. Pone)—ready to pounce.
4th Seat: Dealer—deals and seals the fate.
TABLE TALK
Sneaky chatter to tip off your partner or nudge them away from a blunder—tread carefully, it’s a fine line!
TRAM (THE REST ARE MINE)
Playing multiple winning cards at once—a frowned-upon flex. It can hide a renege, confuse tracking, or tip your hand, so steer clear.
TRICK
Four cards played in turn, won by the highest trump or, if none, the highest card of the led suit. The winner leads the next trick.
TRUMP
The suit chosen in Euchre that becomes the most powerful suit for that hand. Trump is made when a player names a suit as trump during bidding, either by accepting the turn-card’s suit or choosing another in the second round if all pass. Once a suit is named trump, its cards outrank all cards from the other suits, regardless of their face value, and it includes a special twist: the Jack of the trump suit (called the "Right Bower") becomes the highest-ranking card, followed by the Jack of the same color (the "Left Bower"), then the Ace, King, Queen, 10, and 9 of the trump suit.
TRUMP CUBE
A handy little gadget sporting pips for Hearts, Spades, Clubs, and Diamonds, used to signal the trump suit for the hand.
TURN-CARD (AKA UP-CARD)
The 21st card dealt, flipped face-up atop the kitty to kick off trump-naming.
TURN-DOWN
When all players pass on naming the turn-card’s suit as trump in the first round, it’s flipped face-down, sparking a second round of bidding.
TWO-SUITED
A hand split between only two suits—focused, but risky.
UP CARD
The card dealt face-up by the dealer after distributing the hands. It determines the first opportunity for players to order up or name trump. If accepted, the dealer adds it to their hand; if declined, players may call a different trump suit.
VOID
Completely empty of a suit in your hand (e.g., all Hearts means you’re void in Spades, Clubs, and Diamonds).