Euchre for Two
This is a reworking of a two-player Euchre variant that I was taught about 35 years ago in Arnprior, Ontario (a small town near Ottawa). It appears to have been a local variation on Six Hand Almonte Euchre (which seems a reasonable conclusion considering Almonte and Arnprior are roughly 30km apart).
Seventeen tricks are played each hand; the object is to win at least nine of them.
A pack of 39 cards is used consisting of A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 in four suits (hearts, diamonds, clubs and spades) plus three distinct jokers (called Bennies). If your pack of cards does not have three distinct jokers, the two, three, and four of spades can be used as substitutes.
The trump suit has 13 cards ranking from highest to lowest as follows:
Best Ben (or Big Bird, the third joker or ♠4)
Big Ben (the second joker or ♠3)
Little Ben (the first joker or ♠2)
Right Bower (or Big Jack, the jack of the trump suit)
Left Bower (or Little Jack, the other jack of the same colour as the trump suit)
Ace
King
Queen
Ten
Nine
Eight
Seven
Six
The other suits have 9 or 8 cards ranking as normal: A K Q (J) 10 9 8 7 6.
Note that the Bennies and Left count for all purposes as belonging to the trump suit. For example, if hearts are trumps, the jack of diamonds is a heart, not a diamond. It can be played to a heart lead and if it is led, hearts must be followed.
The first dealer is selected at random. The turn to deal then alternates between players throughout the game. The dealer shuffles and the non-dealer may either cut or "bump" - that is, knock the cards to indicate that they should be dealt as they are, without cutting.
Seventeen cards are dealt to each player: deal 5 face-down, 5 face-up on top of those face-down cards, and then 7 in the hand.
The dealer then turns the next card in the pack face up. This up-card is used as a basis for selecting the trump suit. The remaining four cards, the kitty, are left face-down and are not used.
This process determines the trump suit and which player becomes the maker - that is the player which undertakes to win nine tricks. First, each player, in turn, beginning with the non-dealer, has the option of passing or accepting the upcard’s suit as the trump suit (see “If a Benny is Turned Up”, below). Specifically:
The non-dealer may either pass or say "I order it up".
If the other player passes, the dealer may either take up the up-card, saying "I take it up", or pass by saying "over" and turning the up-card face-down.
If the dealer's opponent orders it up or if the dealer decides to take it up, the suit of the up-card becomes trump; the dealer adds the up-card to their hand and discards a card face-down.
If both players pass, the up-card is turned face-down, and there is a second round in which players have the option to make any suit trump, other than the suit of the up-card. Again the non-dealer speaks first and may either pass again or name a suit. If the non-dealer passes the dealer MUST name a suit (i.e., Stick the Dealer rules are in effect).
Note that the trump making process ends as soon as someone accepts or makes trump (rather than passing). That player is the maker and the other player is the defender.
If a Benny is Turned Up The same bidding process is followed. However, if the non-dealer orders it up, the non-dealer names a suit; if the dealer takes it up, the dealer names a suit.
The play begins with the non-dealer leading to the first trick.
Any card may be led, and each player must follow suit, playing from the face-up cards in front of them on the table or in their hand. When a card on the table is played, the card below it (if there is one) is turned over once the trick is complete. A player who cannot follow suit may play any card.
Remember that, for purposes of following suit, the Bennies and the Left Bower are considered to belong to the trump suit and not to any other suit.
The highest-ranking card in the trump suit wins the trick or, if no trumps were played, the highest-ranking card in the suit that was led. The winner of each trick leads to the next one. Scoring The maker must capture at least 9 tricks. Doing so earns them 1 game point. If they capture 12 tricks, they earn 2 game points. If the maker captures 15 tricks, they earn 3 game points.
However, if the maker fails to capture at least 9 tricks, the opponent earns 2 game points. If the opponent captures 12 tricks, they earn 3 game points. If the opponent captures 15 tricks, they earn 4 game points.
Play to 5 points for a short game. Play to 10 points for a full game.
Designer: Sean Ross
Playtesters: Robert B., Carol LaGrow, Peter Winckles.
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