British Euchre: Euchre with the Joker

By the Go Euchre team · Updated November 14, 2026

In Britain, Euchre is played with one extra card: the Joker, called the Benny or Best Bower. It is the highest trump of all, whatever suit is trump.

At a glance

• 4 players in two teams, with partners sitting across from each other.
• 25 cards: 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace in each suit, plus one Joker.
• The Joker, called the Benny, is always the highest trump.
• 5 cards each. The 5 cards left over are the kitty, and the top one is turned up.
• Scoring is the same as in North American Euchre, but the game usually goes to 11.

The Benny: the highest trump

The Benny ranks above the Right Bower. With it, there are 8 trumps instead of 7. With hearts as trump, the trumps rank like this:

The Benny belongs to the trump suit, whatever it is. When trump is led and you hold it, it counts as a trump. When another suit is led, it is not part of that suit, so you can play it only if you can’t follow suit.

No Joker in your pack? Many players use the 2 of spades as the Benny instead. The two bowers keep their usual places just below it: see the bowers.

The deal and bidding

The dealer gives each player 5 cards, in packets of 2 and 3. The 5 cards left over are the kitty, and the top one is turned face up.

Bidding then works much as in North American Euchre. In round 1, each player may order up the turned card or pass. If all four pass, the card is turned down and each player may name a different suit in round 2. The full bidding rules are on the How to play page.

When the Benny is turned up

Sometimes the turned card is the Benny itself, which has no suit. Tables handle this in different ways:

• In a common rule, the dealer’s team become the makers. The dealer names the trump suit, picks up the Benny and discards one card.
• Some tables make the dealer name trump before looking at their own cards.
• Other groups have their own house rule, so agree on it before you play.

Going alone

As in North American Euchre, a player on the making team may go alone for a chance at 4 points. Some British tables also let one defender go alone against the makers. Others don’t let a player who passed in the bidding go alone. More on lone hands on the going alone page.

Scoring

In Britain the game is usually played to 11 points rather than 10. Some groups play to 10 or 15, and some league games go to 21. For more on points, see scoring.

Where it is played

In Britain, Euchre is mostly played in the West Country, especially Cornwall and Devon, and in the Channel Islands. It is also known in Kent and in some port towns. In Guernsey it is often called the island’s national game, and there are local leagues there and in Cornwall.

Where the Joker came from

The Joker was made for Euchre. In the United States in the mid-1800s, card makers added an extra card to the pack to serve as the top trump, the Best Bower. Sources date it to the 1850s or 1860s. Other games found uses for the Joker later, but British Euchre still uses it the old way.

North American Euchre dropped the Benny long ago, and today’s regular game uses 24 cards. The story is told on our history of Euchre page.

Tips for playing with the Benny

• The Benny is a sure trick. Nothing beats it. If you hold the Benny, count it as one trick when you decide whether to call.
• The Right Bower can lose. Until the Benny has been played, or you know it is in the kitty, the Right Bower is not a sure winner.
• Count 8 trumps. With the Benny there are 8 trumps, not 7. Keep count, so you know when your Aces are safe.
• Lead it or hold it. As a maker, leading the Benny pulls a trump from each opponent. On defense, holding it back can stop a march or a lone hand.

Other ways to play: three-handed Euchre, two-handed Euchre and Bid Euchre. Playing in an event? See Euchre tournaments.

Questions and answers