Euchre glossary: terms and slang
Euchre has a language of its own. Here is what players mean when they say bower, next, loner or “you got euchred”, from A to Z.
New to the game? Start with How to play, then come back when a word at the table puzzles you. House rules are explained under Variants.
Euchre terms from A to Z
- Assist
- In round 1, when the dealer’s partner orders up the turned card, giving it to their own team.
- Benny (Best Bower)
- An extra card, usually the Joker, that ranks above both bowers. It is used in British Euchre and some older games.
- Blind
- Another name for the kitty, the cards left over after the deal.
- Bower
- One of the two highest trumps: the Jack of trump and the other Jack of the same color. The word comes from the German Bauer, a name for the Jack.
- Canadian loner
- A house rule: if the dealer’s partner orders up the turned card, they must go alone.
- Counter cards
- Two spare cards, often a 6 and a 4, used to keep score by showing more or fewer pips.
- Crossing (reverse next)
- In round 2, calling a suit of the other color from the turned-down card.
- Dealer
- The player who deals the hand. The dealer bids last and may pick up the upcard.
- Defenders
- The team that did not choose trump. They score 2 points for a euchre.
- Defending alone
- A house rule that lets one defender play alone against a loner, for a bigger reward if they euchre it.
- Eldest hand
- The player to the dealer’s left. They bid first and lead the first trick.
- Euchre, euchred
- When the makers take fewer than 3 tricks, they are euchred and the defenders score 2 points.
- Farmer’s hand
- A hand with only 9s and 10s. Under some house rules, the player may swap cards with the kitty.
- Follow suit
- Playing a card of the suit that was led. You must follow suit if you can.
- Going alone
- Playing a hand without your partner, who puts their cards down. Taking all 5 tricks alone is worth 4 points.
- Juckerspiel
- An old card game from Alsace, thought to be the ancestor of Euchre.
- Kitty
- The 4 cards left over after the deal. Its top card is turned up for the first round of bidding.
- Lead
- The first card played to a trick. The winner of each trick leads the next one.
- Left Bower
- The Jack of the same color as trump. It is the second-highest trump and counts as a trump, not as its printed suit.
- Loner
- A hand played alone, or the player who goes alone.
- Makers
- The team that chose trump. They need 3 of the 5 tricks.
- March
- Taking all 5 tricks: 2 points for the makers, 4 for a loner.
- Next
- In round 2, the suit of the same color as the turned-down card. A common call for the player left of the dealer.
- No-trump
- A house rule that lets a player call a hand with no trump suit at all, usually in round 2.
- Off ace
- An Ace of a suit that is not trump.
- Off-suit
- Any suit that is not trump.
- Order up
- In round 1, telling the dealer to pick up the turned card, which makes its suit trump.
- Overtrump
- Playing a higher trump than one already played to the trick.
- Pass
- Choosing not to name trump on your turn to bid.
- Pick up
- When the dealer takes the turned card into their hand, making its suit trump, then discards one card.
- Renege
- Not following suit when you could have. If caught, it costs a penalty, often 2 points to the other team.
- Right Bower
- The Jack of the trump suit, the highest card in the game.
- Set
- To stop the team that made trump or bid. “Getting set” means the same as getting euchred.
- Slough
- To throw away a low card you don’t need when you can’t follow suit. Said “sluff”.
- Stick the dealer (screw the dealer)
- A house rule: if everyone else passes in round 2, the dealer must name trump.
- Trick
- One card from each player, played in turn. Each hand has 5 tricks.
- Trump
- The suit chosen in the bidding. Any trump beats any card of another suit.
- Trump in (ruff)
- Playing a trump on a trick when you can’t follow the suit that was led.
- Turn down
- When all four players pass in round 1, the upcard is turned face down. That suit can’t be named in round 2.
- Upcard
- The top card of the kitty, turned face up after the deal.
- Void
- Having no cards of a suit. When you are void, you can trump that suit.
Learn more
- How the two Jacks work: the Right and Left Bower.
- Points, marches and euchres: how Euchre scoring works.
- When to play without your partner: going alone in Euchre.
- The dealer’s forced call: stick the dealer.
- Where the words came from: the history of Euchre.
Go Euchre plays traditional Euchre, with stick the dealer as an option. Farmer’s hand, the Canadian loner, no-trump and defending alone are house rules that are not in the game yet.
Questions and answers
What is a bower in Euchre?
A bower is one of the two highest trumps. The Right Bower is the Jack of trump, and the Left Bower is the other Jack of the same color.
What does it mean to get euchred?
Your team chose trump but took fewer than 3 tricks. The other team scores 2 points.
What is a march in Euchre?
A march is when one team takes all 5 tricks. It scores 2 points, or 4 points for a player going alone.
What does renege mean in Euchre?
It means playing a card of another suit when you could have followed suit. Most tables give the other team 2 points when it is caught.