Euchre terms

Standard partners game :  Euchre is played by 4 players in 2 partnerships sitting across from one another. The first team reaching 10 points wins.

Standard progressive game :  Partnership set-up as above, but each player deals twice for a total of 8 deals. The highest score at the end wins. Ties go to the first team to make the tying score (i.e., last team to score loses).

Euchre Deck :  The Euchre deck is a twenty-four card deck consisting of the
9, 10, J, Q, K, and A of each of the four suits.

1st seat :  Left hand opponent of the dealer (AKA LHO, eldest)

2nd seat :  Dealer’s partner

3rd seat :  Right hand opponent of the dealer (AKA pone)

4th seat:  Dealer

Off suit :  any suit but trump

Green suits :  either of the two suits that are the opposite color of trump

The kitty :  the stack of four cards left over after the deal is complete

The Bowers :  The Jack of the called trump suit is known as the ‘right’ bower, the Jack of the other suit that is the same color as the trump suit is known as the ‘left’ bower. These two cards are, respectively, the highest and second highest cards in any given hand.

Up-card :  The 21st card of the deal, AKA the turn card

First Round Bidding :  The round of naming trump that starts immediately after the cards are dealt and a card is turned up.

Second Round Bidding :  The round of ordering that starts immediately after each player passes and the up-card is turned down.

Trick :  The set of four cards played in succession. A trick is won by the highest trump played or, if no trumps are played, by the highest card played in the suit that was led. The winner of each trick leads the first card of the next trick.

Hand :  The set of five cards held by a player.

Cut card :  A card that is not use in play, but is used to cover the card on the bottom of the deck. A special cut card, or a joker can be used.

Trump cube :  A device containing , Hearts,Spades,Clubs and Diamonds pips. Used as an indictor of trump for any given hand.

Void :  Not holding any cards of a particular suit in your hand. (e.g., if you hold all hearts you are void in clubs, spades, and diamonds.)

Euchre :  Winning less than 3 tricks in a hand where your team declared constitutes a euchre. The opposing team scores 2 points.

Going alone :  Opting to play without your partner on a particular hand.

Renege :  Not following suit when one is able.

Table talk :  Any remark made during the game designed to give your partner information or prevent him from making a possible mistake.

Tramming :  (The rest are mine) Playing multiple winning cards in your hand at once. This is frowned upon as it leads to may problems: it can disguise a previous renege, it can be done in error if the “trammer” has not tracked the played cards correctly, and it can give clues to a hand when a player does not tram. To be avoided.

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