When you can't win a trick

Euchre QOD: “What to throw, what to throw, what to throw”

Euchre Haiku:
The turn is now mine
Nothing in my hand looks good
Why is it so hard?

Euchre Palaver
“Throw off” – To play a card that is not the suit led but is also not trump.
“Make the hand” – To order trump and win at least 3 of the 5 tricks.

Savvy Strategies
Many times in euchre a suit will be led in which you have no cards. On your turn to play, you have a free choice to play any card you like. So, what do you play?

Of course, that depends on what you have in your hand, who is currently winning the trick, and how many tricks your team already has.

Let’s just look at the situation when you have no trump. Follow these guidelines and you will give you and your partner the best chance (however slight) to make the hand.

1. If you have a doubleton Ace in a different suit, play the low card in that suit. This signals to your partner that you have an ace in that suit. It’s not a perfect signal but it’s something.

2. If you have a doubleton King in a different suit, DON’T play the low card in that suit. Playing the low card pretty much nullifies any chance the King had for winning a late trick in that suit.
3. Get rid of your singleton low cards. These won’t win anything anyway and you’ll want to protect your long suits (the ones with doubletons and triples).

4. Get rid of the singleton Next cards. These have a slightly lower chance of winning than the Green suits because there is one less card.

5. Keep smiling no matter what you play. Euchre is about having fun. Sometimes, you won’t be able to win any tricks and smiling doesn’t tip your poor hand to your opponents.

Euchre on the Web
Want a retro euchre t-shirt? Check out this site here.
Or play euchre with dominos!