Euchre scoring: how to keep score

By the Go Euchre team · Updated November 14, 2026

Euchre scoring is simple once you know the five results a hand can have. Here are the points, worked examples, and how to keep score with two spare cards.

Euchre scoring at a glance

In each hand, one team names trump. They are the makers, and they need at least 3 of the 5 tricks. The other team, the defenders, tries to stop them. Only one team scores in each hand.

A few tables add one more line: a defender may go alone against a loner, and a lone defender who euchres the loner scores 4. Go Euchre doesn’t use that rule, so a euchre is always worth 2 points. The rest of the game is on the Euchre rules page.

Worked examples

• Your team orders up hearts and takes 3 tricks. You score 1 point.
• Your team calls spades and takes all 5 tricks. That is a march: 2 points.
• Your partner goes alone and takes all 5 tricks. Your team scores 4 points.
• Your partner goes alone and takes 4 tricks. The other team won one trick, so your team scores only 1 point.
• Your team calls clubs but takes only 2 tricks. You are euchred, and the other team scores 2 points.

A euchre is the big swing in the game. Calling trump on a weak hand risks giving the other team 2 points, as much as a march is worth to you.

A close finish

Say your team leads 8 to 6. If you name trump and take 3 tricks, you reach 9. Take all 5 and you reach 10 and win. But if you are euchred, the other team jumps to 8, and the game is tied.

How many points to win

The standard game is played to 10 points. The first team to reach 10 or more wins. Extra points don’t count, so a 4-point loner at 8 wins just like a single point at 9.

Some groups play shorter or longer games. A game to 5 is quick, and one euchre can decide it. A game to 15 takes longer, and a single bad hand matters less. In Go Euchre you can play to 5, 10 or 15 points, and the host of a private online table picks the length for everyone.

Keeping score with a 6 and a 4

At a kitchen table, each team keeps score with two cards that aren’t used in the game, usually a 6 and a 4. The idea is simple: your score is the number of pips you can see. Pips are the suit symbols printed in the middle of the card.

1. Take a 6 and a 4 from the cards left out of the Euchre deck. Each team needs its own pair.
2. At 0 points, lay both cards face down so no pips show.
3. For 1, 2 or 3 points, turn the 4 face up and cover part of it with the 6 face down, so only 1, 2 or 3 pips show.
4. At 4 points, show the whole 4.
5. At 5 points, turn the 6 face up and cover one of its pips with the 4 face down.
6. At 6 points, show the whole 6.
7. For 7, 8 or 9 points, lay the 4 face up and the 6 face up on top of it, so all 6 pips of the 6 show plus 1, 2 or 3 pips of the 4.
8. At 10 points, the game is over: show both cards in full.

Two 5s work the same way. For 1 to 4 points, one 5 lies face up and the other covers some of its pips face down. One 5 in full shows 5. For 6 to 9, both lie face up, one partly covering the other. Both in full show 10.

Tables lay the cards a little differently, so agree on the method before you start. Giving one team a red pair and the other a black pair keeps them apart.

A simple tally for tournaments

At a tournament or a long night of games, write the score down. A score sheet is easy to check and settles arguments.

1. Draw two columns, one for each team, with the players’ names at the top.
2. After each hand, write the points in the column of the team that scored, then the new total.
3. If your event tracks loners or euchres, mark them with a letter, such as L or E.
4. When a team reaches the target, circle the final score and have both teams check it.

Events count results in different ways: some rank players by games won, others by total points. Ask before the first game. More on the Euchre tournaments page.

Let the score guide your bids

• 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. Play it safe and aim for 3 tricks.
• When the other team has 8 or 9. A euchre would hand them the game. Call trump only with a solid hand.
• When you are far behind. A 4-point loner is the fastest way to catch up.

When a loner is worth the risk is explained on the going alone page. For more on bidding, see Euchre strategy.

Questions and answers