SEVEN-HANDED EUCHRE.
Cards. Seven-handed Euchre is played with a full pack of fifty-three cards, including the Joker. The cards in plain suits rank as at Whist; but the Joker is always the best trump, the right and left bowers being the second and third-best respectively.
Counters. One white and four red counters are necessary. The white counter is passed to the left from player to player in turn, to indicate the position of the next deal. The red counters are placed in front of the maker of the trump and his partners, to distinguish them from their opponents. Markers are not used, the score being kept on a sheet of paper. The score is usually kept by a person who is not playing, in order that none of those in the game may know how the various scores stand. Should an outsider not be available for scoring, there are two methods: One is for one player to keep the score for the whole table, who must inform any player of the state of the score if asked to do so. The other is to have a dish of counters on the table, each player being given the number he wins from time to time. These should be placed in some covered receptacle, so that they cannot be counted by their owner, and no other player will know how many he has. As it is very seldom that a successful bid is less than five, and never less than four, counters marked as being worth 4, 5, 6 and 7 each will answer every purpose, and will pay every bid made.
Cutting. The players draw cards from an outspread pack for the choice of seats, those cutting the lowest cards having the first choice. The lowest cut of all deals the first hand, passing the white counter to the player on his left, whose turn it will be to deal next. Ties are decided in the usual way.
Dealing. The cards are dealt from left to right, two being given to each player for the first round, then three, and then two again, until each player has received seven cards. The four remaining in the pack are then placed in the centre of the table, face down, and form the widow. No trump is turned.
The rules governing all irregularities in the deal are the same as in ordinary Euchre.
Making the Trump. The cards dealt, each player in turn, beginning with the eldest hand, bids a certain number of points, at the same time naming the suit which he wishes to make the trump. There is no second bid, and the suit named by the highest bidder must be the trump for that deal. The successful bidder takes the widow, selecting from it what cards he pleases, and discarding others in their stead, so as to restore the number of his cards to seven. He then places a red counter in front of him, and chooses his partners, passing a red counter to each of them. These counters must be placed in front of the players to distinguish them as belonging to the bidder’s side; but the players make no changes in their respective positions at the table. Each player should bid on the possibilities of his hand, however small, so as to guide the others in their selection of partners.
Partners. If the bidder has proposed to take not more than five tricks out of the seven possible, he chooses two partners, and these three play against the remaining four. If he has bid to make six or seven tricks he chooses three partners, and these four play against the remaining three. Partners cannot refuse to play.
Playing Alone. Should a player think he can take all seven tricks without any partners, he may bid ten, which would outrank a bid of seven; but such a bid must be made before seeing the widow. If a player thinks he can win all seven tricks without either widow or partners, he may bid twenty, which is the highest bid possible. When twenty is bid the cards in the widow must remain untouched.
Playing. The successful bidder has the lead for the first trick. The general rules for following suit, etc., are the same as in ordinary Euchre. The bidder takes in all the tricks won by himself and his partners, and one of the adversaries should gather for that side. If a player on either side revokes, the adversaries score the number bid, and the hand is abandoned.
Scoring. If the bidder is successful in his undertaking, he and his partners, if any, are credited by the scorer with the number of points bid, but no more. Should a player bid five, and his side take seven, it would count them only five points. If the player making the trump fails to reach his bid, he is euchred, and the adversaries are credited with the number of points bid.
Prizes. It is usual to give two prizes for each table in play; one for the highest number of points won during the evening, and one for the smallest number; the latter being usually called the “booby” prize.
Suggestions for Good Play. It is very risky to bid seven without the Joker, the odds being 11 to 1 against finding it in the widow. A bid of ten should not be made without both Joker and Right Bower, and all the other cards winners and trumps. To bid twenty, a player should have a practically invincible hand, with at least five winning leads of trumps.
The first bidders are always at a disadvantage, because they know nothing of the contents of the other hands; but after one or two players have made a bid, those following them can judge pretty well how the cards lie. For instance: The seven players are A B C D E F G. A deals, and B bids 2 in hearts. C and D pass. E bids 3 in clubs; and F says 4 in hearts. It is evident that F is bidding on B’s offer in hearts, and intends to choose him for a partner. G finds in his hand four good spades and the Joker, but neither Bower. He may safely bid 5 or 6, taking E for a partner if successful, as E very probably has one or both the black Bowers. If he bids 5 only, the dealer, A, would have an excellent chance to bid 6 in hearts, and to take B and F for two of his partners, and G for the third, trusting to find him with the Joker, or at least protection in one or both black suits.
If the successful bidder has had no previous bids to guide him in his choice of partners, he should take those who have the lowest scores, if the scores are known; because it is to his advantage to avoid advancing those who are perhaps already ahead. When the scores are not known, there is nothing but luck to guide one, unless a person has a very good memory, and knows which players are probably behind.
Leading. If the successful bidder wants 6 or 7 tricks, and holds the Joker, he should lead it at once. If he has not the Joker, he should begin with a low trump, and give his partners a chance to play the Joker on the first round. If the leader cannot exhaust the trumps with one or two rounds, it will sometimes be to his advantage to lead any losing card he may have in the plain suits, in order to let his partners win the trick if they can. In playing alone, it is absolutely necessary to exhaust the trumps before opening a plain suit.
Partners should avail themselves of the methods common to four-handed Euchre to support one another in trumps and plain suits. The discard should invariably be from weakness if the player is the bidder’s partner; and from strength, if opposed to him.
EUCHRE FOR FIVE PLAYERS. This is practically the same as the seven-handed game, but the pack is reduced to 28 cards, all below the Eight in each suit being deleted. The Joker is not used. Five cards are dealt to each player, by two and three at a time, and the three remaining form the widow. The player bidding three tricks takes one partner only. The player bidding four or five tricks, takes two partners. A player who intends to take the widow, but no partners, can bid eight and one who intends to take neither widow nor partners can bid fifteen. In this form of Euchre the scores are generally known, and 100 points is game.
In some clubs it is the practice for the successful bidder to select one of his partners by asking for the holder of a certain card. For instance: B has the lead, and has bid five in hearts, holding the three best trumps, the club ace, and a losing spade. Instead of selecting his partners at random, he asks for the spade ace, and the player holding that card must say, “Here”; upon which the bidder will pass him a counter, marking him as one of his partners.