PENALTY EUCHRE.
Five players are each provided with twelve counters. An extra hand of five cards is dealt face down, for a widow. Each player in turn can exchange the hand dealt him for the widow, or for the hand abandoned by anyone who has taken the widow, the cards being always face down. The turned trump is not taken up by the dealer, but is left on the pack. The eldest hand leads for the first trick and every man is for himself, each holding his own tricks.
At the end of the hand, each player that has not taken a trick receives a counter from each of the others, whether they have taken tricks or not. Then all those that have won tricks put back into the pool a counter for each trick they have taken. The first player to get rid of his twelve counters wins the game.
AUCTION EUCHRE.
This form of the game is sometimes erroneously called French Euchre. The French know nothing about Euchre in any form. Auction Euchre is exactly the same as the ordinary four or six-handed game, except that the trump is not turned up, the players bidding in turn for the privilege of naming the trump suit. The bidder names the number of tricks he proposes to take. There is no second bid, and the player who has made the highest bid names the trump suit. No matter who is the successful bidder, the eldest hand leads for the first trick. The number of points won or lost on the deal are the number of points bid, even if the bidder accomplishes more. If a player has bid 3, and he and his partner take 4 or 5 tricks, they count 3 only. If they are euchred, failing to make the number of tricks bid, the adversaries count the number of points bid. Fifteen points is usually the game.
This is probably the root of the much better games of five and seven-handed Euchre, which will be described further on.
PROGRESSIVE EUCHRE.
This form of Euchre is particularly well suited to social gatherings. Its peculiarity consists in the arrangement and progression of a large number of players originally divided into sets of four, and playing, at separate tables, the ordinary four-handed game.
Apparatus. A sufficient number of tables to accommodate the assembled players are arranged in order, and numbered consecutively; No. 1 being called the head table, and the lowest of the series the booby table. Each player is provided with a blank card, to which the various coloured stars may be attached as they accrue in the course of play. These stars are usually of three colours; red, green, and gold. The head table is provided with a bell, and each table is supplied with one pack of cards only. It is usual to sort out the thirty-two cards used in play, and the four small cards for markers, before the arrival of the guests.