Euchre is a popular, fast-paced card game, most commonly played by four players, in partnerships of two.
In Ainslie's Complete Hoyle, Tom Ainslie says: "Before Poker emerged, Euchre was beyond challenge as the most popular card game in the United States". Richard Frey, in According to Hoyle, reports that "In one period (1880-1905) this was the most popular 'family' game in the United States. It is closely related to three other 'national' games: Écarté in France, Napoleon in England, and Spoil Five in Ireland".
In Teach Yourself Card Games, David Parlett relates an interesting story:
Euchre's chief claim to fame is the fact that it is the game for which the Joker was invented. Here's how it came about. In Euchre, the two highest trmnps are the Jack of the trump suit and the other Jack of the same colour, known respectively as the Right Bower and the Left Bower. Bower doesn't mean 'one who bows': it comes from German Bauer, meaning (literally) 'farmer' and (secondarily) 'Jack'. In the 1860s American players started adding to the game the blank card that was customarily included in every pack, counting it as the highest trump of all, or Best Bower. Playing-card manufacturers responded to this use by overprinting this card with the phrase Best Bower, accompanied by an arbitrary pictorial design, such as an eagle. The design that eventually won out was that of a jester, and it seems quite likely that the word Joker was suggested by the name of the game. Here it is necessary to note that 'Euchre' is a bizarre spelling for a word pronounced Yooker and deriving from a German game originally spelt Jucker (which also means Jack). In short, the Joker amounts to a highly glorified Jack. In England, the Best Bower is often represented by the ♣2, and is called (the) 'Benny'.
Euchre is played with a short deck (either 24 or 32 cards, plus a single joker) of standard playing cards or with specialized Euchre playing cards, and may also be played on your computer with euchre software, or on the web with online euchre games using your computer browser or smartphone.
If you're just getting started with euchre, check out the collection of euchre rules, or get one of the many fine euchre books that feature written rules and strategy guides.
Euchre Links
- Borf Euchre
Links to Euchre computer games and information, with interesting and detailed reviews of each. - Card Sharks, Inc.
Organizes the annual Bid Whist Across America tournament tour. - Euchre - There Is No Other Card Game
Basic rules and tips on playing as well as links to on-line places to play. - Euchre Club
Euchre Club offers Pogo and Yahoo backdoors (not quite sure what that means), as well as Euchre rules and strategy tips. - Euchre Tournament Software
Euchre Tournament is a free desktop application used for hosting a euchre tournament. The software manages scoring and creates schedules for each player so that each player plays with every other player exactly once. - EuchreLinks.com
A complete euchre information site, with euchre rules, strategy tips, and of course lots of euchre links! - EuchrePad.com
Personalized Euchre Score Cards. Are you tired of not knowing the names of the people at your table? Now your worries are over - you can now play with personalized score cards. - Grand Prix Card Tournaments
Grand Prix Tournaments is the host to the World Series of Classic Card Games, including the World Series of Spades, the World Series of Euchre, the World Series of Hearts, the World Series of Pinochle, and the World Series of Bid Whist. - Jeri's Euchre Tallies
Purchase Tally Books for 4-Hand Euchre and 6-Hand Euchre. - Metalhead's Euchre Page
Tim "Metalhead" Heffner's Euchre Page offers "some strategies I have picked up in my years of playing the game". - OhioEuchre.Com
Your one source for everything Euchre, with information on Euchre tournaments, rules, free score cards, and tips on how to play euchre. - Pagat Euchre
An authoratative detailing of the rules of Euchre, including all standard variations. - Tournament Euchre Chart
Easily keep track of your scores and brackets without paper and pen with this handy wall chart and score card for up to 16 players. - VegasEuchre.com
Organizes weekly live Euchre tournaments in Las Vegas, Nevada. - Wikipedia Euchre
Learn about the game of Euchre, with history, rules, and variations.
