Three-Handed Euchre

Euchre is flexible and can be fun for different groups of people. If you’re just starting to learn the game, familiarize yourself with the rules, and if you have any further questions, check this informative article about the most frequently asked questions about Euchre. And of course, don’t forget to have fun with one of the most widely played card games in the world.

1. Game setup

As in any other version of Euchre, the trump suit’s Jack is known as the right bower and is the highest-valued card. The second-highest ranked card is the left bower, which is the Jack of the same color as the trump suit.

For instance, if Diamonds are declared as trumps, the card value will be ranked as follows: Jack of Diamonds, Jack of Hearts, Ace of Diamonds, King of Diamonds, and so on. Nothing different from the 4-person Euchre so far.

2. How to play Three-Handed Euchre

• Deal the cards. The dealer gives everyone five cards, and with three players, there will be one empty spot at the table, called the dummy. The dummy also receives five cards, as though it’s a real player. In some parts, this is also called a ghost hand.
• Determine the trump suit. The remaining 4 cards are placed in the middle of the table, and the top one is turned face-up. This card chooses the trump suit.
• Bidding. The player to the left of the dealer can choose a different trump suit by naming one or passing. If they pass, the next player to the left has the option to declare a new suit. If that player passes too, the dealer may choose another trump suit in the second round.
• Going alone as the maker. The player who chooses trump at the beginning of the game is called a maker and will play alone. The other 2 will be a team referred to as the defenders. If the maker decided to go alone, they can’t take any cards from the dummy hand.
• Play the hand. The player to the left of the dealer leads the first trick by playing a card from their hand. The other players must follow suit if possible. If not, they may play any card. The highest card of the led suit wins the trick unless a trump card is played, in which case the highest trump card wins the trick. The player who wins the trick leads the next one.
• Going alone as a defender. During a round, a defender has the option to choose to play alone. If a player makes this choice, their partner will not be involved in the round. You can announce going alone after trump has been selected, but before the first card has been played.

In short, playing the three-handed Euchre is a 2 vs 1 game without partnerships. Each player competes individually to win or lose. The game proceeds until all cards are taken.

3. Scoring

To score one point, the maker has to win at least 3 tricks. If the maker wins all 5 tricks, they will get 3 points. If the maker wins less than 3 tricks, it means they are Euchred. In that case, each of the defenders will get 2 points.

If a defender goes alone and wins 3 or 4 tricks, both defenders will have 2 points each. They will score 4 points if 5 tricks are won.

You can also try Hearts with 3 players.