Six-handed Euchre

Updated: Mar 08, 2023

Table of contents

1. Players
2. Cards and Dealing
3. Bidding
4. Playing the Hand
5. Going Alone
6. Scoring

Six-handed Euchre is a variation of the popular card game Euchre, played with six players instead of the traditional four. The game is fast-paced and strategic, with players competing to be the first team to reach ten points. In this article, we’ll explore the rules of 6-handed Euchre, including dealing, bidding, going alone, and scoring.

1. Players

Six-handed Euchre is played with six players, who are divided into two teams of three players each. Teammates sit across from each other at the table.

2. Cards and Dealing

The deck in six-handed Euchre consists of 32 cards: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 7, and 8 of each suit (hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades). When dealing, each player receives five cards, leaving two cards remaining. The dealer places these two cards in a pile in the center of the table, with the top card turned face up.

3. Bidding

The bidding phase in Euchre with 6 players occurs in two rounds.

In the first round of bidding, the dealer turns the top card of the remaining deck face up. This card becomes the “up card” and players have the option to choose the suit of the up card as the trump suit or pass. The player to the left of the dealer has the first opportunity to make a bid.

If a player chooses to make a bid in the first round, they must state they are “ordering up” the up card, meaning they want the suit of the up card to be the trump suit.

If no player chooses to order up the up card, there is a second bidding round. This time players can choose any of the other three suits as the trump suit, or pass. The opportunity to choose the trump suit moves clockwise around the table until a player chooses a trump suit or everyone has passed.

4. Playing the Hand

Once a trump suit has been chosen, the player to the left of the dealer leads the first trick, and other players must follow suit if possible. If a player cannot follow suit, they can play any card from their hand. The player who wins the trick leads the next trick.

Players continue to play tricks until all five tricks have been played. The team that wins the majority of the tricks wins the hand and scores points.

5. Going Alone

If a player decides to “go alone”, they must take all five tricks to win the hand without the help of their partner. If successful, the player scores four points. If the player fails to take all five tricks, their opponents score four points.

6. Scoring

In team six-handed Euchre, points are awarded at the end of each hand.

A team earns points based on the number of tricks won in each hand. The team that wins at least three of the five tricks scores one point. If a team wins all five tricks, they score two points.

The first team to reach a predetermined number of points, usually 10 or 11, is declared the winner of the game.

Six-handed Euchre is an exciting variation of the classic Euchre game. It requires good communication and teamwork. With a little practice, you’ll be on your way to mastering the game and having fun with your friends and family.