Going alone in Euchre

By the Go Euchre team · Updated November 14, 2026

Going alone, or playing a loner, means taking on both opponents without your partner. Take all 5 tricks and your team scores 4 points.

How a loner works

Only the player who names trump can go alone, in either round of bidding. You say so at the moment you order up, pick up or name the suit. Your partner then lays their cards face down and sits out the hand.

You play against both opponents, so each trick has only three cards. The player to the dealer’s left leads the first trick, as usual. If that player is sitting out, the next player leads.

In Go Euchre, tap Alone when it’s your turn to bid, in place of ordering up or naming a suit with your partner.

When the dealer is involved

• If the dealer goes alone, they pick up the turned card and discard one, as usual. Their partner sits out.
• If an opponent of the dealer orders up and goes alone, the dealer still picks up the card, discards, and plays against the loner.
• If the dealer’s partner orders up and goes alone, the dealer sits out. In Go Euchre the turned card is not picked up and stays out of play.

Tables differ on that last case. In some groups the lone player takes the turned card and discards one, in place of the dealer. In others the lone player may ask their partner for one card, their best, before the partner sits out. Go Euchre plays the plain rule: no card changes hands.

Scoring a loner

So a loner only pays off when it takes every trick. With 3 or 4 tricks you score the same 1 point you would have scored with your partner. All the points are on the Euchre scoring page.

When to go alone

Go alone when you expect to take all five tricks without help. Your partner can’t save you, so a hand that needs one trick from them isn’t a loner.

Strong lone hands usually have:

• Both bowers, or one bower with the Ace and King of trump.
• At least three trumps, so you can pull the opponents’ trumps.
• Off-suit Aces, or a void, to win the tricks after trump is gone.

Sample hands with hearts as trump

As the dealer you have an edge. The turned card adds a trump, and your discard can leave you void in a suit. A hand one card short of a loner can become one after the pickup.

Watch the score

• At 6 or 7 points. A loner that takes all 5 tricks wins the game on the spot.
• At 8 points. A march with your partner already wins, so going alone adds nothing. Keep your partner in.
• At 9 points. Any hand you make wins. There is nothing to gain from going alone.
• When you are far behind. A 4-point loner is the fastest way to catch up.
• When the other team has 8 or 9. A euchre would hand them the game. Without your partner, a euchre is more likely, so be sure.

Defending against a loner

You and your partner need only one trick between you to hold the loner to 1 point. Three tricks euchre it.

• Lead an Ace. If you lead first, an off-suit Ace is often the best start. It may win before the lone player can trump that suit.
• Split the suits. Don’t both guard the same suit. Watch what your partner keeps, and save a different suit.
• Keep your high trump. A King or Queen of trump can become the top trump once the bowers and Ace are gone. Don’t throw it away early.

More defense tips are on the Euchre strategy page.

Variations not in Go Euchre yet

Defending alone

Some tables let one defender answer a loner by going alone too. Their partner sits out, and the hand is played one against one. If the lone defender euchres the loner, these tables usually score it 4 points instead of 2.

Canadian loner

In the Canadian loner, a common rule in Ontario, the dealer’s partner who orders up in round 1 must go alone. Other house rules are on the Euchre variants page.

Questions and answers