The bowers: right bower and left bower
The bowers are the two Jacks that rank highest in Euchre. Here is which Jack is which for every trump suit, and why the Left Bower changes suit for the hand.
What is a bower?
In most card games the Jack is a middle card. In Euchre, once trump is named, the Jack of trump becomes the highest card in the game: the Right Bower. The other Jack of the same color becomes the second highest: the Left Bower. Together they are the bowers.
Color is the key. Hearts and diamonds are the red suits; spades and clubs are the black suits. Each suit has a partner suit of the same color, and the Jack of that partner suit is the Left Bower.
The Right Bower
The Right Bower is the Jack of the trump suit. It beats every other card, so it wins any trick you play it on. If you hold it, nobody can take that trick from you.
The Left Bower
The Left Bower is the Jack of the other suit of the same color as trump. It ranks second, below the Right Bower and above the Ace of trump.
For the whole hand, the Left Bower is a trump. It no longer belongs to the suit printed on it. This is the rule that trips up new players most often.
Bowers and trump order for each suit
Trump has 7 cards: the two bowers, then the Ace, King, Queen, 10 and 9 of trump. The suit of the same color as trump has only 5 cards left, because its Jack has moved over to trump.
| Trump suit | Right Bower | Left Bower | All 7 trumps, high to low |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hearts | J♥ | J♦ | J♥J♦A♥K♥Q♥10♥9♥ |
| Diamonds | J♦ | J♥ | J♦J♥A♦K♦Q♦10♦9♦ |
| Spades | J♠ | J♣ | J♠J♣A♠K♠Q♠10♠9♠ |
| Clubs | J♣ | J♠ | J♣J♠A♣K♣Q♣10♣9♣ |
The suits that aren’t trump keep their usual order, Ace high. With hearts as trump, for example:
Following suit with the Left Bower
Because the Left Bower is a trump, it follows trump, not its printed suit. That changes which cards you must play.
A worked example
Hearts are trump. Your hand:
- An opponent leads the King of diamonds. Your Jack of diamonds is not a diamond this hand, and you hold no other diamonds, so you can play any card. You could even win the trick with the Jack of diamonds, as a trump.
- Later, someone leads the Ace of hearts. Trump was led, so you must play a trump: the Jack of diamonds or the 9 of hearts. Holding the Jack back would break the follow-suit rule, which is called a renege.
- If your hand also held the 9 of diamonds, you would have to play it on the diamond lead. The Jack of diamonds would not count as a diamond.
Common mistakes
- Treating the Left Bower as its printed suit. It never follows that suit. If its printed suit is led and you hold another card of that suit, you must play that card instead.
- Hiding the Left Bower when trump is led. When trump is led, the Left Bower counts as one of your trumps. If it is your only trump, you must play it.
- Mixing up left and right. The Right Bower is the Jack of trump itself. The Left Bower is the Jack of the same color. The Right always beats the Left.
- Counting only six trumps. There are 7 trumps, not 6. When you count the trumps that have been played, include the Left Bower.
- Forgetting the short suit. The suit of the same color as trump has only 5 cards, so players run out of it sooner and can trump it earlier.
Bowers in the bidding
A bower is often the reason to call trump. A Jack can be the top trump in two suits: the Right Bower in its own suit, or the Left Bower in the suit of the same color.
That is why “next” is a popular call in round 2. After the dealer turns down a card, the player to the dealer’s left often names the other suit of the same color, so that the Jack of the turned-down suit becomes the Left Bower. More ideas are on the Euchre strategy page, and the full bidding is on the Euchre rules page.
Where the word “bower” comes from
Bower comes from the German word Bauer, which means farmer or peasant. Bauer is also the German name for the Jack in a deck of cards. The name stayed with the two top Jacks when the game came to North America. The story of the game is on the history of Euchre page.
Older versions of Euchre added a third bower, the Benny or Best Bower, a Joker that ranks above both Jacks. You still meet it in British Euchre.
Other Euchre words are explained in the Euchre glossary.
Questions and answers
What is the left bower in Euchre?
The Left Bower is the Jack of the suit of the same color as trump. With hearts as trump, it is the Jack of diamonds. It is the second-highest card and counts as a trump for the whole hand.
What is the right bower in Euchre?
The Right Bower is the Jack of the trump suit. It is the highest card in the game and beats everything, including the Left Bower and the Ace of trump.
Does the left bower follow its printed suit?
No. The Left Bower is a trump for the whole hand, so it follows trump. If its printed suit is led and you have no other card of that suit, you may play it as a trump.
Why is the Jack called a bower?
The word comes from the German Bauer, meaning farmer or peasant, which is also the German name for the Jack.