Euchre Universe

Euchre on vacation

2007-04-15T08:56:00.001-05:00

The Euchre Universe is on vacation (caribbean cruise) and won't be able to update until April 23. Meanwhile, we'll be honing our skills by introducing and pounding these east coast dandies in our favorite card game...euchre.

He's now off working to become the world's most famous cosmetic chemist.

Introducing New Euchre Software that can help you play better

2007-04-06T22:55:00.000-05:00

The Euchre Universe is happy to announce the release of an exciting new piece of software. This program can significantly improve your euchre play. Go check out Fred Benjamin's Euchre Challenge and download a free trial version.

Having been one of the beta testers, I can attest that this software features some of the most challenging euchre bots that you'll encounter. Be careful because they don't always play in ways that are expected.

Of special note is the Euchre Simulator that allows you to input various euchre hands and have the computer automatically play out the hands. It keeps track of the results and lets you determine what the best strategies are of any given hand.

Be sure to get the companion euchre strategy book along with the software. We'll be doing a more thorough review of the book but it is full of excellent euchre knowledge.

And if you have thoughts about how to make the software better, feel free to post your opinion here or at Yahoo! Euchre Science.

Want to improve your Euchre play - stop playing and start watching

2007-04-03T21:18:00.001-05:00

You read the Euchre Universe, follow the discussions at Euchre Science, play online and live games, and even participate in a euchre club. But if you're not watching the performance of other euchre players, you are missing a golden opportunity to improve your game.

According to a recent paper in the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers found that...

"when a person watches someone else perform a task with the intention of later replicating the observed performance, motor areas of the brain are activated in a fashion similar to that which accompanies actual movement."

This means you can actually CHANGE YOUR BRAIN by watching other people play euchre. So, if you want to become a better euchre player, put those good ol' euchre playing cards down and go watch some people play euchre.

But the important part is that you can't just watch the games passively. You've got to watch the live or online euchre games with the intention of copying the plays that good players are making. Passive observation is almost worthless for euchre game improvement.

Watch with intention.

If you can't find a live game with a great player worth watching, go check out the many online games that allow spectators. You can find them on Yahoo, Hardwood Euchre, or Pogo.

Yahoo Euchre Science - A place for you euchre questions

2007-03-27T12:42:00.000-05:00

While all things euchre can be found on the Euchre Universe, there are pockets of useful information at other spots on the web. We've mentioned other places like Euchrelinks.com, Natty Bumpo's site, and Euchre-There is no other Card Game. Today, I wanted to direct you to a great source of euchre talk created and moderated by Gerry Blue creator of the Euchre Laboratory.

Euchre Discussions

If you really want to find out what a bunch of euchre "experts" think about a particular euchre situation, go to Yahoo's Euchre Science group. Sure you have to sign up but it's painless and they won't send you a bunch of spam.

But when you're here, you'll find wide ranging opinions on all kinds of subjects like

Donation
Ordering Next
When to Order
Euchre Rules
Euchre Equipment
Mathematics
Euchre History
Online Euchre
Even Euchre Grammar

Really anything else about euchre you can ask here and you'll get someone's opinion. Before you ask, check through the 5 or 6 year's worth of archives. There's a huge amount of information here and you can learn a lot. Some of it is garbage but you'll find a few gems here and there.

So, if you've read through the entire Euchre Universe and you just want to get other people's perspective, check out Euchre Science today.

A euchre computer programming quiz

2007-03-21T22:48:00.000-05:00

Harvy Lapp of Euchrelinks tipped the Euchre Universe off to this interesting euchre computer quiz. If you are interested in computer programming this one might be right up your alley. It's in a computer language that I don't know but maybe you'll know it.

6 Reasons Why Euchre is Better Than Poker

2007-03-14T07:31:00.002-05:00

Sure we here at the Euchre Universe do things other than play euchre. We juggle, play table tennis and even sometimes throw a little cash around the poker table. But as every serious euchre player knows, Euchre is Better Than Poker! For those of you who don't know, here are 6 reasons.

1. Poker is mostly boring. In the wildly popular poker game Texas Hold 'em there are only 1326 hands to start. Of those there are only 169 that are distinctly different. In euchre, there are 42,504 hands and you have to play the cards you get. Anything can happen. In poker, you'll spend most of your time throwing your hands away and watching everyone else take your money.

2. Without money, poker is senseless. Playing high-stakes euchre is great fun and certainly adds excitement to the game. But money is not a crucial part of the game. It's a game of intellect. It's your brain against your opponent's. Poker is a financial transaction. You might as well be a stock broker. Playing poker without money is like voting for a Republican in Chicago. There's no point.

3. Euchre is a team effort. In a poker game, your success is celebrated by you. Winning creates a sense of desolate isolation. Your opponents despise you unless you lose. In euchre, victory is celebrated with a companion. It's a game of sharing, the joys, the pain, the fun. And besides, you get to blame someone else if you lose.

4. Euchre is intellect, poker is emotion. Euchre is won by the players with the most smarts. Poker is won by the guy who's luckiest. Last weekend I lost a poker hand to a guy who held a 5-2 off-suit against my A-Q suited. A 2 hit on the river. Go figure. Skill in poker is a myth.

5. You can't get arrested for playing euchre. You ever hear of a euchre game getting busted by the cops? It doesn't happen. That's why euchre is dominated by scientists, poets and philosophers. Poker is played by criminals.

6. The characters are more interesting in the euchre world. Not even close here. I'd put our Natty Bumpo against their Phil Hellmuth any day.

Play poker if you must. It's a fine enough game. But when you are ready to use your brain, start playing euchre. It's really the best game in town.

Update: Harvy Lapp and Natty Bumpo weigh in on their feelings about Euchre and Poker. This is what happens when the most famous cosmetic chemist writes about euchre.

The ultimate euchre equation

2007-03-13T07:07:00.000-05:00

Euchre is a finite game. That is to say there are a limited number of situations that one will face. In fact, there are only 42,504 unique euchre hands possible. (combination of 24 things taken 5 at a time).

Because of this, euchre is a game that can succumb to the rigors of mathematics and game theory. The point system for evaluating your euchre hand that we use here in the Euchre Universe relies on the finite nature of the game to work.

It is interesting to note that any strategy you use in euchre can be described by one equation, The Ultimate Euchre Equation. If someone can figure out all the factors in this equation than the perfect euchre strategy can be created. The perfect strategy would be the one that results in the highest value for the equation.

Here is the The Ultimate Euchre Equation.

Expectation = 4 x p1 + 2 x p2 + 2 x p3 + 1 x p4 - 4 x p5 - 2 x p6 - 2 x p7 - 1 x p8

p1 = Probability of scoring a loner
p2 = Probability of marching
p3 = Probability of euchering opponents
p4 = Probability of making your point
p5 = Probability of opponents scoring a loner
p6 = Probability of opponents marching
p7 = Probability of opponents euchreing you
p8 = Probability of opponents making their point

Figuring out the values for all the different probabilities and which strategy leads to the highest value of the Ultimate Euchre Equation is one of the main topics of this blog.

Random euchre ramblings on the web

2007-03-08T06:22:00.000-06:00

A list of interesting euchre sites for the curious.

1. Striptease euchre. It seems to be some club of euchre players that like to strip? Does nakedness go with euchre? And would the people who pass be called "knockers"?

2. Sir Psycho Sexy Euchre. What? When did euchre get so sex-crazed?

3. Dangerous Logic - He's got a few interesting euchre questions. Check out the latest one.

4. How to cheat at euchre - A section taken from the excellent book Expert at the Card Table. This shows you exactly how you can stack the deck.

5. Hoyle's card rules from 1914 - See how euchre has been played in the past.

Is a red shirt killing your euchre game?

2007-03-06T07:17:00.000-06:00

Euchre Quote

There's nothing wrong with being well red

Euchre Haiku

When picking a shirt
To wear for a euchre match
Stay away from red

Euchre Gambits

Some time ago I started wearing red shirts whenever I went into some competition. This was based on a science story that suggested competitive athletes wearing red uniforms had a slight advantage over people wearing other colors. I'd wear red to kickball, while joggling and every other time there would be some competition.

It made sense that the same study would apply to euchre. Unfortunately, I didn't see much improvement in my euchre results. I'm not really sure if I saw improvement in other sports but euchre was most disappointing.

Then I heard about this study about how the color red effects test results. Typically, I don't put much stock in what psychologists have to say. It's not like real science. However, when you hear something that makes sense and is consistent with experience, you stop and take notice.

According to this research the color red has a negative impact on people taking tests. They theorize that people associate red with mistakes and failures (remember the color pen teachers use to mark papers?). This association in turn makes them do worse on the test.

So, maybe wearing a red shirt during a euchre competition isn't the best strategy. From now on, I'm hanging up my unofficial "Greatest American Hero" euchre competition shirt. Perhaps, I'll switch to my favorite color yellow. No more red for this member of the Euchre Universe.

Incidentally, didn't wear a red shirt yesterday and my team won our euchre match 4-1. Maybe you shouldn't wear a red shirt either.

Euchre Book Review - The Complete Win At Euchre

2007-03-04T19:16:00.000-06:00

Joe Andrews, tournament director and card strategy book guru was kind enough to forward a copy of his latest euchre book, The Complete Win At Euchre. We just finished reading it and have the following review.

Book: The Complete Win At Euchre
Author: Joseph Andrews
Rating: 4 out of 5 chickens

Overall euchre rating

This is a good book and should be part of everyone's euchre card strategy library. It is filled with basic rules, strategy tips, quizzes, euchre profiles and a list of interesting situational hands. With a bit better organization, more in-depth analysis and less superfluous information this could be an excellent book.

--------------
Since the day the Euchre Universe started, this book has been listed as a resource on the side bar. It's about time we got around to reading and reviewing it.

Euchre Book Layout

Of all the books reviewed thus far, this one feels the most like a "real" book. It's a standard trade-size paperback weighing in at 161 pages. It follows the general format of Andrew's other book Win at Spades with a section on the basic rules/terms, some playing strategies, a little history, some quizzes and illustrative hands. Overall, you won't feel too bad about dropping a few dollars on the book.

Euchre book content

But pretty covers aside, content is king in the world of euchre books, and here's where the book both shines and stumbles. The first section begins with some euchre history which is interesting. However, the next longer section is a history of playing cards and the US Playing Card Company. It seemed a bit strange to include this as it has almost nothing to do with euchre. Maybe it would work at the end of the book but not right at the beginning.

The next section, Basics, begins with a glossary of euchre terms. This is helpful despite the fact that a few common terms are missing like "bagging", "green" and "follow suit", while other obscure terms like "tenace" & "pone" are included. It is nice to have all the terms in one place so this is a plus.

For me, the location of this section seems out of place as glossaries are typically found at the end of books. But this is the third book on euchre strategy that starts with a glossary so maybe I'm out of touch. If you don't know the rules of the game, these terms won't be of much use.

The basic rules are listed next and the illustrations will really help beginners understand the strange suit-shift that the Left Bower engages in. Next is lists are euchre variations that take up more pages than the basic rules. This left me feeling a little confused and might have worked better if it was put at the end as an appendix. The inclusion of the Ten Commandments of Euchre was a nice touch. It really belongs in the "Technique" section but that's just nitpicking.

Next was the Technique section which was of most interest for me. The tips on bidding and leading are a little vague but the quizzes are fun. They will make you think and most answers are instructive. Unfortunately, this section makes up only 20 pages of the book making it feel less "complete" than the title suggests.

The next three sections "Views", "Information", & "Profiles in euchre" gives a wide range of euchre information. There's some useful information about protecting yourself against euchre cheats, written in conjunction with Harvy Lapp who has a more thorough treatise about euchre cheating on his website. The Information section is more like things you'd find in a book appendix. The "Profiles" were nice but felt a little like filler as they won't really help your euchre game much.

The finale of the book is a list of 24 classic euchre hands. Not sure how classic they are, but they're entertaining and instructive. And while some of the explanations are debatable, they make for an interesting read.

If you buy this book it should help improve your euchre game. But don't expect this to be the last euchre book to buy because despite the title "Complete Win at Euchre", there is a lot of details glossed over and just plain missing.

Click here for more information about Joe Andrews and Grand Prix Card tournaments.

Euchre Quiz even Poker Players could Pass

2007-02-22T07:30:00.000-06:00

Hey Euchre Universe faithful. Check out this euchre quiz and see if you can score 25 of 25 points. Really, that should not be a problem. There were a couple of answers that don't seem perfectly correct but they are close enough. It's a great review of the basic rules and terminology.

World Series of Euchre Announced

2007-02-20T06:25:00.000-06:00

The 2007 World Series of Euchre will again be held in Lansing, Michigan this year. Tournament dates are September 14 - 16th. It is sponsored by GrandPrix Card Tournaments and the U.S. Playing Card company.

This year I hope to make it out there and see just how all the other players in the Euchre Universe stack up. From Harv's recap, last year's event sounded like a lot of fun. I'll just be sure not to try and sell anything.

Did you know euchre could be so brutal

2007-02-15T07:35:00.001-06:00

Euchre League update

Brutal.

That's the only way to describe the events of last Monday's euchre league night performance. My partner and I lost 1 game to 4. And really, we were fortunate to win the game we won.

To demonstrate how tough the games were consider the following.

Game 1. We were ahead 9-4. According to the Euchre Challenge calculator, we would win this game over 92% of the time. Well, we ended up losing. After I dealt and got us to 9-4, my left hand opponent calls herself up a loner and makes it. (9-8). My partner has a Queen of spades as the upcard while I hold 5 red cards. She turns it down, opponents call Next and score their point (9-9). Right hand opponent deals and turns up the Jack of Clubs. They make their point, we lose the game. Ouch.

Game 2: We were ahead 9-6. I have Ace, King of hearts, an Ace of Clubs and King, Nine of spades. The upcard is a Queen of hearts so I order. Left hand opponent leads Right bower, then Left. Then she leads the Ace of Spades to euchre us (9-8). Then on their deal, our opponents turn up another bower and proceed to march winning the game 9-10. Double ouch!

Game 3: We just couldn't overcome the two loners made by them. Final score 3-10.

Game 4: Frustration has peaked. After being down a few points we claw our way back to make it barn-barn (9-9). But it's their deal and the cards frown on us again. Lose 9-10.

Game 5: Now it's just laughable. We build up a pretty good lead until it's 7-4. On my deal, I look at 5 black cards and turn up Jack of hearts. In our league you can't order trump unless you have one. A forced turn down. Left hand opponent goes alone and makes it to take the lead 7-8. Then some luck. On her deal, they order. They will easily make their point until LHO realizes she didn't play the Left bower when trump was led. We catch her on the euchre and take the penalty points. (9-8) On my partner's deal, she turns up a bower and we finally win a game.

But the night was a brutal one. Our play wasn't stellar as there were a couple of times we could've euked the opponents if we played right. There was also another time when my partner could've gone alone but she thought we had 8 points instead of 6. Our strategy is to almost never go alone when you have 8 points.

So, what can you take away from this experience?

No matter how good you are, you're going to lose at euchre about 30% of the time.

To help cope, remember what we say here at the Euchre Universe. Playing well is more important than winning. At least that's what the rubber chicken keeps telling me.

Euchre Strategy - Is your bower naked?

2007-02-12T07:09:00.000-06:00

Euchre Quote

It's nice out, I think I'll leave it out

Euchre Haiku

Left bower in hand
It is worth a trick for sure
Unless it's naked

Euchre Strategy

Last week we were playing euchre and my partner went alone. She's a good partner and will try a loner whenever we are in the pasture.

With Hearts as trump and my partner dealing, the first chair leads the Queen of Clubs. The next opponent throws off the 10 of Spades. My partner puts up the King of Clubs and wins the trick. She next plays the Right and surprisingly both opponents follow. I wondered, "Why didn't our opponent trump the first club trick?"

When my partner led the next trump (Ace of Hearts) it became clear. The left hand opponent played her bower to win the trick. My partner went on to score the point, but it was an excellently played hand by the left hand opponent.

You see she could've won the club trick and maybe improved her chances for a euchre. But playing a trump on the first trick could also have led to a 4-point march. This is how.

Suppose my partner was short in clubs. When the left hand opponent plays a trump, my partner would certainly overtrump. She would then lead trump again stripping all the trumps out of our opponent's hands.

Only by holding back her guarded Left Bower can she ensure that her side will win at least one trick. And when someone is trying a loner from the pasture, you better make sure you can stop the sweep. If she would've played one of her trumps she would've left the her bower unprotected or "bare". When you have the second highest trump, you should never leave it bare.

Euchre League Update

Tonight, we try to keep our winning streak alive. We are currently in 23rd place with 2 match wins. You really need 4 or 5 match wins to make the playoffs.

More euchre math to make you feel marvelous

2007-02-04T13:08:00.001-06:00

The basis for any good strategy is mathematics and probability. It's also the basis for making yourself feel good about your play even when you are losing to inferior players. That's why we write about it a fair amount on the Euchre Universe.

Last week as my partner and I watched our opponents turn over bower after bower upcards it made me wonder...

What is the effect of the upcard on a given euchre hand?

So, I cranked up the excellent euchre simulator software (Euchre Challenge) and ran a few experiments. I did 400 hand simulations. The most interesting results are as follows.

Euchre experimental findings

+The dealing team always has the advantage. Depending on the value of the upcard, they should expect to score points 67 – 80% of the time.

+It makes little difference if the upcard is 9, 10, or Q. Even K is only a tiny bit better.

+An Ace gives the dealing team about 5% more chance of scoring points.

+A bower is best scoring the dealing team positive points nearly 80% of the time.

Euchre statistics when a bower is the upcard

To give you an example of what you can expect when a bower is the upcard, here is what the simulator showed.

Frequency that dealer's team scores points = 78%

+Team makes their point = 52%

+Team sweeps = 3%

+Team makes a loner 11%

+Team euchres the opponents = 12%

Frequency that non-dealing team score points = 22%

+Team makes their point = 11%

+Team sweeps = 8%

+Team makes a loner 1%

+Team euchres the opponents = 2%

So, clearly it is good to be the dealer. And it shows you why the "steal the deal" gambit is so effective. If you'd like to see the raw data of the experiment you can click here.

Euchre Trickery - Completing the cut

2007-01-30T06:52:00.001-06:00

Euchre Quote

Make 'em respect ya.

Euchre Haiku

Take hold of the cards
Split and move half to the side
Complete to annoy

Euchre Gambitry

Here's a little euchre gambit that will drive card playing purists nuts. The next time you're offered a cut, make sure you complete the cut. That is, cut the deck as normal but then immediately take the bottom portion and put it on top of the cut half.

This bothers good card players because it is a breach of common card etiquette. Every good card player knows that you are not supposed to complete the cut. It's proper to cut the deck in half and let the dealer complete the cut. When you do it, you demonstrate a lack of sophistication. And you'll generally find that "good" euchre players hate playing against (or with) unsophisticated players almost as much as they hate losing.

And as we've seen in other euchre gambits, making your opponent hate playing with you is one of the best ways to win the game.

Euchre on the Internet

If you haven't made it over to Euchre Science in a while, check it out. It's one of the best places you'll find to discuss euchre theories.

Euchre strategy - a savvy discard

2007-01-30T06:48:00.001-06:00

Euchre Quote

It sure smells like something happened

Euchre Haiku

How do you discard
Watch what your opponent does
And get yourself short

Euchre League Update

Last night in the euchre league we won 3 of 5 games scoring 44 points. As I have a strong affinity for the number 44, it made me all warm and fuzzy.

Our opponents were nice enough guys and despite the fact that they showed up a bit late, the match was enjoyable. It's funny how matches in which you win are more enjoyable than ones where you lose.

I did have the opportunity to take advantage of one of my left hand opponent's quirks. Whenever I dealt, I had a pretty good idea of what to get rid of. He almost always led the Next suit.

For example, if spades were trump, he would lead clubs. If it was hearts, he would lead diamonds. So, if I had a choice about what suit to discard, I would always short suit myself in the Next suit.

Lots of euchre players have this tendency. Or they'll have the exact opposite. Just watch what your left hand opponent leads and you'll know exactly the card to discard.

See this previous post on euchre discards for more tips.

One year of the euchre universe

2007-01-29T07:39:00.001-06:00

While my posting as of late has been pretty weak, I did notice that the one year anniversary of the Euchre Universe has just passed. I have enjoyed writing this blog and intend to keep at it. All that can be written about euchre certainly hasn't been written yet.

This blog kicked off my entire blogging "career" which I hope to expand in the coming year. Beyond the Euchre Universe, I also write Just Your Average Joggler, Chicago Urban Tribe and there are a couple others I contribute to.

In the beginning, I was able to write about euchre every day. Oh if only I would've paced myself better. But with all the other blogs I write, my marathon training, and a full time job, it got harder and harder.

But this year, I've got more plans for the Euchre Universe. I'm going to...

1. Fix all the links on the side.
2. Re-vamp the blog layout
3. Put together a Euchre Universe book
4. Move to my own hosted server
5. Experiment with a Euchre Universe podcast

It's all quite ambitious but I enjoy euchre, blogging and writing. I've met some great people as a result of this blog and it's still a lot of fun.

Tonight, my partner and I take on our next opponents in the McGees Euchre league. We lost a close one last week and really need to get on the board tonight.

I'm still conducting my "Getting smarter" experiment and will have an update later in the week.

I'll leave you with this euchre haiku.

Euchre Haiku

Just over a year
Playing euchre and blogging
I have learned a lot

5 reasons why euchre probabilities are useful

2007-01-22T05:57:00.000-06:00

Euchre Quote:

Flip a coin for peace of mind.

Euchre Haiku:

Another season
Another chance for greatness
If the cards agree

Euchre Strategy

Tonight is the beginning of the McGees Euchre League and hope springs eternal. Hopefully, my partner and I can tune up our game and win more games than last season. To prepare for tonight's first match I thought I'd review some euchre mathematics. This page on euchre probabilities is helpful.

After reviewing that page you might be asking "so what?" Why does any of this mathematics matter? Here are 5 reasons why knowing the mathematics and probabilities of euchre is useful.

It helps you know what to lead. If you have 3 trump odds are high that your opponents have 2 or less. Lead trump to burn 'em and avoid the euchre.
It helps you know when to order. Probabilities are the basis for the Euchre Universe point system of ordering. If you know the chances that each of your cards can win a trick, you'll know when you should order or pass.
It boosts your euchre image. Spouting out statistics is an excellent euchre gambit to keep your opponents nervous and off-balance.
It helps you identify bad luck. Do you ever wonder whether your losses are a result of bad luck or bad play? Probabilities help you figure that out. For example, there is an 18% chance that you will not have even a single card of the upcard suit. And only 3% chance that it will happen twice in a row. If rare things like this happen to you, you know it's bad luck.
It helps defend against a critical partner. Some euchre players think they are geniuses who know exactly how to play your hand without even looking. Well, most of these players are delusional (at least about their euchre skills). If you have a mathematically sound reason for ordering or passing, you can assuage your nit-picking partner. Or at least make them feel a little less certain about their euchre conviction.

Euchre Universe Experiment Update

Since Jan 4, I've been conducting an experiment to make myself smarter. To that end, I've been doing puzzles, memorizing lists, and working through the problems in a book called Dental Floss for the Mind. It's quite good and I feel smarter already. I've also taken to drinking less, exercising more, eating better, and sleeping more. Hopefully, all this extra brain work will make me a better euchre player. Or at least smart enough to figure out how to make $44 million.

Improving your euchre intuition

2007-01-15T06:17:00.000-06:00

Euchre QOD

90% of everything is stupid

Euchre Haiku

When playing euchre
You should know the math involved
But play with your gut

Euchre Strategy

The Columbus Euchre Guru had written awhile back about the need for mathematics in euchre. It is an interesting perspective on what you need to do to win at the game. Basically, he says you don't need math, you need a good "gut feel" or "intuition".

What he doesn't provide is a method for improving your euchre intuition. Well, that's where the Euchre Universe comes in. We searched high and low for methods to improve your euchre intution. Here is a list of the top six ways.

6 ways to improve euchre intuition

Play euchre often. There is no substitute for experience. And with online sites like Hardwood Euchre, you can play a lot of games against a lot of players.
Study your opponents. Watch how they play and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Look for euchre tells. See this previous post on the top euchre tells.
Watch others play euchre. Online sites allow you to watch games in progress. Spend some time seeing how different people play. This will help develop your observational skills.
Learn tried and true euchre strategies. Read a few euchre books and visit the Euchre Universe often. Intuition will be improved by knowing which is the "smart" play.
Learn from your losses. Review your euchre session and try to remember the times you've lost. Was it the right play at the wrong time? Or did you just screw up? Reviewing losses will help prevent a repeat in the future.

Create your own euchre cards

2007-01-12T06:42:00.000-06:00

Euchre Quote

There's a fine line between confidence and arrogance

Euchre Haiku

Euchre between two
If your wife is the other
You better not win

Euchre Cards

Now isn't this cool. The folks over at Crafy PC are selling a set of blank playing cards & software that allows you to create your very own deck. This could certainly allow us to realize the Euchre Universe dream of having a complete rubber chicken deck of cards.

One month to smarter euchre

2007-01-08T22:19:00.000-06:00

Alright, maybe all these brain exercises aren't worth doing. According to this article from the Boston Globe, there is no proof that brain exercises help make you smarter at all. The study shows some minor long term effects in most areas except in the area of memory.

However, studies also show that in the short term, these exercises can actually help you out. I know that when I practice memorizing a deck of cards it improves my ability to remember cards played during a euchre game. And studies also show that juggling improves your brain.

So, you decide. Maybe training your brain will help your euchre play but on the other hand, maybe it won't. Maybe you might be better off having an extra beer during the game. It might not help your play but it might make you feel better about losing.

How to increase your luck in euchre

2007-01-05T06:44:00.000-06:00

Who believes in luck? As we've previously wrote about euchre is a game with a large luck factor. This website is designed to increase how often you win at euchre but the reality is, one third of the time you will lose no matter how great you play.

Increase luck to increase euchre wins

Here at the Euchre Universe, we don't much believe you have control of luck since everything that has and will ever happen was determined when the Big Bang formed the universe some 14 billion years or so ago. However, we do believe in diversity of opinion so this list of what some countries believe will bring luck in the new year is interesting. These things won't help but they won't hurt either and it could liven up your euchre game. Here are some favorites or at least some that seem a bit odd.

Austria - They believe that pigs and green peppermint ice cream in the shape of a four-leaf clover will bring luck.
Bengali - What could be luckier than painting a pattern on the ground with a flour solution, then putting a pot decorated with Swastikas and filled with mango sticks in the middle?
Brazil - They push a boat filled with flowers out to sea and eat lentil soup.
Denmark - They break dishes at your front door.
China - Paint their doors red.
Sicily - Good luck comes from eating lasagna on New Year's Eve.
Spain - They eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight. Weird, I like to drink 12 beers.
Thailand - They have a big water fighter.
Norway - Rice pudding with a hidden almond is lucky (as long as you don't choke on it)
United States - Everyone plays euchre with a rubber chicken (oh wait, not everyone yet)

Of course, these things won't have much effect on your euchre game but it could make it more fun.

Smarter euchre - Starting the experiment

2007-01-04T06:38:00.000-06:00

Since becoming a better euchre player is what this website is all about, I thought I would follow the plan laid out in the smart euchre post and see if it helps. Feel free to report your results.

Smart Euchre - Initial IQ test

I completed the test over at IVillage and scored much lower than I would've hoped. 122. But I was distracted when I took it.

Two day update

Alright, steamed by my showing in the IQ test I decided to see if the extra sleep and good eating was helping me. I mean, it's been 2 days right? On Tuesday I got 8 hours of sleep and the fact that I only got 5 last night shouldn't matter. I ate better both days having breakfast and a smart Salmon dinner last night. So, I re-took that stupid IQ test and guess what? This experiment must be working. I score a whopping 170!! That's higher than a genius. I can't believe it. I'm a genius euchre player. Now I'm worried that if I keep the experiment up my head will explode. But I'll risk it. Becoming a better euchre player is worth it.

In one month you can be a smarter euchre player

2007-01-02T06:46:00.000-06:00

Here at the Euchre Universe we are constantly on the look-out for ways to improve your euchre game. If you've taken to heart the euchre ordering strategies, the euchre playing strategies and even the euchre gambits, you're well on your way to becoming an excellent player. However, you still might be losing more than you like because your brain isn't firing the way it should. Forgetting things, remembering things wrong or just losing your focus can all degrade your euchre game.

Recently, there was an experiment about getting smarter published over at Wired magazine. In one month, the author claimed to get smarter. Here's an adapted version of how you can get smarter and become a better euchre player. Try this one month experiment and see if it helps you

Test Your Euchre Smarts

The first thing you'll want to do is find out how smart you are. There's no sense doing an experiment to get smarter if you don't know where you started. Try out this free IQ test to see where you stand. After you're done try another free IQ test to see if you've gotten smarter.

Week 1 - Sleep more and eat better

Now, for one month you'll want to get more sleep and eat better. The experts suggest just over 8 hours sleep is ideal. For food, eat breakfast each morning and include protein & vitamins. Some kind of fortified ceral should work.

Week 2 - Break your patterns

Start changing up the way you do things. Brush your teeth with your opposite hand. Take a shower with your eyes closed. Change the order in which you put on your clothes. Read a book upside down. Breaking patterns improves your creativity and this makes you smarter.

Week 3 - Train your brain

During this week dear euchre enthusiast, you'll want to exercise and train your brain better. Try one of the free exercises as My Brain Trainer. Or if you prefer a cheaper option, try memorizing the order of a deck of cards everyday. Even learning to juggle will improve your brain. This is quite challenging for the brain.

Week 4 - Final exam

After a month of improved sleeping, eating, and brain training you're ready to see if it helped. Take another IQ test to see if it made you smarter. And a smarter person who knows some euchre strategy will become a smarter euchre player.

Good luck and let us know how you did. I'll be starting the experiment myself and will report the results on the Euchre Universe.

Euchre gambits - A brand new method of cheating at euchre

2006-12-28T06:23:00.000-06:00

This article about a chess player being banned for using electronic equipment to cheat gives you something new to watch for at the euchre table. According to the article the player was wearing a hat in which he stitched a Bluetooth headphone. His confederates (that's what hustlers call their accomplices) would work out the best move on a computer and relay back to him what he sould do. Ingenious. And it would've worked if not for a random check. Sucker. Now he's been banned for 10 years from competitive chess.

So, how might a euchre player use this con? Simple. He wears a set of headphones like he's a bigtime poker player or he's expecting an important phone call, non-euchre related of course. His confederate stands behind the Left hand opponent and peeks at her cards. He then relays important information about the opponent's hand so our cheat will know what to order.

Prevent it!

1. Don't fall for the old "headphone in the ear" trick. Require your opponent's ears to be unobstructed. No hats either!

2. Don't let anyone see your cards. Hold your cards as if every eye in the place is trying to see what you have. Look at your cards, memorize your euchre hand them using these tips, and put them down.

It is hard enough to win at euchre without having to overcome cheaters. As you play in those New Year's Euchre Tournaments, watch yourself out there.

Last minute shopping ideas for your favorite euchre player

2006-12-20T06:59:00.000-06:00

As a service to all in the Euchre Universe (thanks to some inspiration from a recent joggling post) we list here the top 10 gifts a euchre addict might like to get.

1. Tournament Euchre Chart. Hey, who couldn't use one of these?
2. Euchredoodle. Because keeping score with cards is just not cool.
3. Card and mug set. What euchre player wouldn't love these?
4. Magnetic Cards. Great for playing outside when it's windy.
5. Columbus Book of Euchre . Natty may be nutty but he knows his euchre.
6. Hardwood euchre software. One of the best places to play on the net.
7. Euchre gift pack. It's all in one place.
8. Waterproof playing cards. A must for spring training.
9. Hoyle card games. The euchre game is decent. Great when you can't find opponents.
10. "I love euchre" t-shirt. Our recommendation until the folks at Euchrelinks come out with a shirt.

Of course, if you need to know where to send something to the Euchre Universe, just send an email and we'll get you an address right away! ;)

Should you count on your euchre partner to win one?

2006-12-19T07:26:00.000-06:00

You often hear the euchre advice that you should "count on your partner to win one." Ever wonder why this should be or whether it's even true?

We can find the answer by looking at the euchre point ordering strategy. The point system is derived from euchre probabilities. That is the chances that a card will win a trick. We can only approximate these probabilities because it is highly dependant on the other cards at the table. However, by simulating a large number of hands we can see patterns start to emerge. For example, an off-Ace (in the Next suit) will win about 44% of the time. In a green suit it is about 50% of the time that an Ace wins.

Now, if we can figure out the average value for any card by taking the average of all the probabilities. This turns out to be about 24.8%.

Since you have 5 cards in your hand, you can simply multiple that probability by 5 to get the average expectation. This turns out to be about 124%. Therefore, you should expect the average euchre hand to win 1.24 tricks thus this validation of the idea that you should "always count on your partner to win a trick."

Of course, this is all very rough mathematics. It is quite variable in any specific case. For example, if your hand is better than average someone else's hand will be worse than average and will not be able to win a single trick.

So, if your partner doesn't happen to win her trick don't be too hard on her. Sometimes you're on the wrong side of average.

New Space: I'm trying a new MySpace account. Come check it out and send me a friend invite if you like.

Keep score with a tournament euchre chart

2006-12-18T07:10:00.000-06:00

Not sold on the Euchredoodle method of keeping a euchre score? Well, this author put together an official Tournament Euchre Chart wipeboard. You can post it at your next euchre tournament. So stop using that wrinkled piece of paper with crooked, hand-drawn lines. Step up to the Tournament Euchre Chart and be the envy of the Euchre Universe.

Is euchre making you sick?

2006-12-10T08:03:00.000-06:00

Here's an interesting article about how poker playing is making you sick. It applies to euchre even more since you play at a smaller table closer to fellow players.

According to the article germs from sick players get on their hands, then on their cards, and then on you. And this hand-washing nag says that if people would just wash their hands at the right times they will never suffer a cold again. Yeah right.

We here at the Euchre Universe believe that this is an excellent new gambit that can improve your game. You use it like this.

1. Dazzle your opponents with all the stats and info from this study. This will get them nervous.

2. Cough and sniff often.

3. Be very apologetic and suggest that you might be coming down with something.

Your opponents will be so distracted with the potential cold they might pick up that their card game will go to hell. And when that happens winning will be easy.

Euchre book review - Win At Euchre

2006-12-05T07:42:00.000-06:00

Whenever we finish reading a euchre book we like to let the rest of the matter in the Euchre Universe know what we think. Today, we look at Gallagher's book Win at Euchre .

Book: Win at Euchre
Author: Thomas A. Gallagher
Rating: 2 out of 5 chickens

Overall: This book has some interesting content including a unique point system for evaluating your hand. However, it is also disorganized, complicated and way overpriced for what you get. It's worth reading but don't expect much.

--------------------
Truth be told, I only ordered this book because I needed to push my Amazon order over the $25 mark to get free shipping. Sure, it seemed like an interesting enough book but I would rather have found it in a used bookstore or an old library copy. No matter, I got the new book and here's what I think.

Book Layout
The book was immediately disappointing. I was expecting a book but what I got was an $8 pamphlet. I felt ripped off before opening it. It's puny! 29 pages with 4 extra inserted in the middle. And the pages are 3 inches wide. Puny! The cover is clever, but hardly worth $8. On the inside the book switches different font sizes and overall looks pretty amateurish. Its design is reminiscent of The Columbus Book of Euchre but at least that book was substantial. I don’t know what it is about these euchre books. Clearly design is not a top priority.

Book Content
As we saw with The Columbus Book of Euchre, poor design can be compensated with great content. Unfortunately, Win at Euchre falls short in this area too. The book is not laid out in any kind of chapter form so it’s difficult to explain the layout. Basically, it has 6 sections: History, Rules, Ordering, Playing Strategies, Tournament suggestions, and a Glossary.

While it’s understandable to begin a card book with some bit of history it feels like filler in this book. Why do we need to know about the history of cards? And according to at least one expert the information about the history of euchre is not exactly right either.

The second section of rules covers the game as we play it here in the Euchre Universe. If you’re a beginner they may not be too helpful and if you’re a veteran you won’t need them. This section is mostly for someone who hasn’t played the game in a while and needs a refresher.

The point system is the real meat of this book and that’s what comes next. Having independently created a euchre point system of my own, I was interested in seeing how Gallagher’s works. Overall, the system seems complicated. It gives the same value to a Left Bower as a Right Bower. Then it has different values for aces whether they are singletons, doubletons or tipletons. This mathematically makes sense but it complicates things.

And then using the system to order it up is also a bit complicated. There are 4 possible requirements for picking it up. Then it says to order your partner up with 2 trump. But it doesn’t take into account the up card or the score. For example, if your team has scored 6 points and your dealing partner turns up a bower, you should pass with almost any hand just to give her a chance to go alone and win the game. Subtle plays like this are not considered in this point system. Of course, this is a shortcoming of my own point system but I’m working on fixing that.

The rest of the book has some interesting tid-bits but some of the information is just not right. For example, it suggests that you shouldn’t order up with 2 bowers. This is true sometimes but at other times this is just wrong. If you are sitting first seat, a red Upcard is turned down and you have the two red bowers, you should definitely order up the Next suit.

The glossary provides some interesting euchre lingo but is certainly not comprehensive. And the information about euchre tournaments is short. He does finish the book with a poem which I certainly appreciate. But that’s not enough to save this pamphlet. Buy the book if you like, just don’t expect much.

Euchre playoff update - Round and out

2006-11-30T07:46:00.000-06:00

Bleah! Losing sucks. Sure, we can chalk this one up to supremely bad cards, but it's a loss just the same. As a good pal of mine from college used to say, I'd rather be lucky than good. That is now the official motto of Euchre Universe.

Here's how it went down. We got matched up with the same team we beat on the first night. This was unfortunate because after our team, they were the most skilled team remaining. Worse yet, they didn't make any obvious mistakes and got some great cards.

In the first game, we traded points until the score was 3-3. Then our opponent calls a loner. She had Right, Left, Ace of trump (diamonds) and the Ace and Queen of spades. Neither my partner or I had enough trump or even 2 spades. That put the score 3-7 and we never recovered. Stupid loners.

In the second game we started out alright. Scored our own loner to go ahead 4-1. But on the very next hand, they ordered a loner and made it to make the score 4-5. And it was an unstopable loner no matter how we played it. Next, it was my deal and I tried for a loner. It was foiled on the last trick when the Ace of clubs covered my King of clubs. Blast! Score 5-5.

Next they euchred us when my partner made a Next call with Left, Ace, Queen and two hearts. She led the Left which was covered by the Right. A heart came back and the opponents won it. Then the Ace of diamonds was led was led from the person who was to the right of my partner and we were sunk. The left hand opponent had the King of trump and was short in diamonds. Every play possible by my partner would've led to a euchre. And that's what happend. Score 5-7.

They made it to the barn and we scored a couple more points when we euchred them. 7-9. On the last hand, the opponents were dealing and the Jack of Diamonds comes up. My partner passes. I'm sitting third seat and I look down at 9 diamonds, 10,9 clubs, 10 spades, 9 hearts. Just out of spite I ordered it up. We got euchred in glorious fashion. (The dealer had both bowers and the Ace of trump).

The match, playoffs, and season were all over on that hand. Blasted cards! Like I said before, in euchre and in life...

I'd rather be lucky than good.

Euchre Playoffs - Second Round

2006-11-21T07:11:00.000-06:00

Some things shouldn't happen. The Cubs shouldn't have lost game 6 of the 2003 National League playoffs when leading 3-0 with 1 out in the 8th inning. The Greatest American Hero shouldn't have gone off the air after only 3 glorious seasons of superhero wackiness. The Urban Tribe shouldn't have lost to those punks on Move, Pitch Get Out the Way. Faster jogglers shouldn't have started running marathons before I broke the world record. And we shouldn't have lost a match last night. Unfortunate things shouldn't happen but they do.

The night started off brillantly. We played a couple of decent enough guys. Decent is a comment on their personalities not their play. Perhaps they are much better players than they showed in our match, but last night they had me scratching my head. How the hell could they be the 6th ranked team in this league?

The first game was a battle. We traded point for point until the game was tied 4-4. Then my LHO makes a loner to put us down 4-8. We battled back to 8-8 and won the game by euchring a questionable call by my RHO. But the seeds of doubt about one of our opponent's ability were sewn. He orderd us up (giving my partner the Right) from the first seat with Left, Ace, King of trump. But then he leads out the Ace of Spades. I trump & win with the lowly 10 (a singleton) and lead back the Ace of clubs. Everyone follows and we euchre them when my partner throws out the Right. A bold move that lost them the game. Clearly, he doesn't know the LTD rule. Lead Trump Dammit!

But the wheels really fell off in the second game. LHO goes alone right away. He has 4 trump (hearts) headed by the Left. His off-card was the King of spades. I lead the Queen of spades, partner plays the Ace and it wins. Our opponent pouts "that was the only thing that could beat me!" Next, she leads another spade. LHO trumps in with the King. I hold the Right, Queen and 10 of trump. Instead of overtrumping, I through a club. The opponent leads out the Left which I promptly cover with my Right. I lead the Queen of trump, he plays the Ace and is euchred when he tries to float the 9 of trump. That was terrible luck for my opponent. Getting euchred with Left, Ace, King, 9 trumps, plus an off-suit 10.

Unfortunately for them, he started to press, we euchred them 2 more times and were winning 6-0 after three hands. A sweep and a euchre gave us the game and match 10-0.

Next, we played against a couple of guys who were decent except for 2 pieces of strategy they followed. First, they would order it up and not lead trump. It mostly worked out for them but they got lucky on a couple of plays. But the worst thing was the donation strategy. They were winning 7-1 after making a laydown loner. My LHO orders me up the Queen of trump with only the 9 in his hand. We easily euchre them to push the score to 3-7. "I didn't want you guys to make a loner."

Now, I love the donation strategy but not when you're winning 7-1! When the score was 8-5 in the same game he donated again! Eventually, the score was 9-9 and we unfortunately lost when they turned over spades and ordered in Clubs. Yes, my partner could've ordered up spades (she had 3 and I had the left) but she was momentarily distracted and she just passed. The second game gave us more unfortunate luck.

After starting with a 2 point sweep, they proceded to get all the cards (even a loner). Eventually, they won 10-6. Now we move to the loser's bracket. We still have a shot to win it all, and that's just what we want to do. Stay tuned for details next week.

The Euchre Universe will be heading out of town for vacation so no posts 'til next week. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

A euchre decision - black red or alone

2006-11-16T21:37:00.000-06:00

I saw this post about euchre at another blog (Dangerous Logic). They raise an interesting situation.

They had J♦ J♥ A♣ J♣ 9♣. His team is losing 6-8 and he is sitting first chair left of the dealer. The Ace of spades is turned down. What should you do? Order up hearts, diamonds, clubs or pass? Bring partner with or go alone?

Here are some possibilities with some comments.

1. Order Clubs. You'll have a pretty good chance of making your point but you have 2 losers in the red suits.
2. Order Red. Diamonds or hearts aren't really different. You've got 2 guaranteed winners and a probable winner in clubs.
3. Pass. You've got 2 winners in all suits. If the opponents order they're in trouble. If your partner orders, a sweep is likely.

The euchre universe point system shows that ordering Clubs is inferior to a red call. In clubs you have 20 points total. In a red suit you have 24 points. Clearly, you shouldn't order clubs.

Passing could lead to a euchre but you are gambling that your opponents or partner will order. If opponents do order, they've probably got 3 or 4 trump and will have a great chance of making it. Also, euchre is a game for assertive players. Passing is a losing game.

The best option is to order up one of the red suits. Unless you've seen other cards flashed, there really isn't a difference between hearts or diamonds. I like hearts so that's what I'd order.

The only question remaining. Do you go alone or with partner?

The point system says go alone (>23 points). The chances of you being euchred are remote and the chances of you scoring a march alone and winning the game is great. That's what I'd do.

Playoffs begin in the euchre universe

2006-11-14T07:34:00.000-06:00

Last night was the first round of play-offs in our Monday night league. My partner and I were the 16th seed out of 32 teams. We were matched up against the 17th seed.

The first game didn't start out so good. We lost a heartbreaker. Barn to barn with their deal. They turn up the Jack of clubs and proceed to pummel us. You know if you are the dealer, you have about a 70% chance of getting a point. Probability was on their side.

In game two, we opened up a can of euchre whoop ass! They scored the first point then I scored a loner (a 5 trump, near lay-down). Next, we euchred them when my LHO picked up the Jack of spades with no help. Some truly adept play by my partner scored us that one. I knew there was a reason she was the valedictorian of our high school class.

We finished off the game with a weak loner. I had 2 clubs (A, 10) and 3 diamonds (J, K, Q). RHO was dealing and the Queen of clubs was up. I passed as did everyone else in that round. Since we were in the pasture (6 points) I opted to try and win it right there with a diamond loner. I led out the Right and drew 1 trump. Next I threw the King and no one else had trump left. The Ace of clubs drew out the King making the 10 of clubs a winner. We win 10-2.

The final game was a little more challenging. They took a 6-3 lead and it felt like we were done. But we hung in there and euchred them a couple of times. We finished the game and match with a 10-7 win.

Our second match was against the top seed. This guy/girl team was pretty good competition. We traded points the first two hands, but then the guy scored a loner. We rallied back to make it a 6-6 game. Unfortunately, our cards stalled and we ended up losing 7-10.

Game two was a little bit better. My partner made a loner to put us up 4-1. Then they rallied back until the score was tied at 5. But a euchre and a loner finished off the game to push it to a deciding third game.

This is where things got grim. Our opponents jumped to a 7-3 lead. According to the euchre calculator, we only had about a 20% chance of winning. But that's just what happened. A euchre, a sweep and we were right back in it. We won going away 10-7. We got to the barn from 5 points when I called up a loner on a weak 4 trump hand. A next call would've killed us but they didn't make it. Lucky for us.

So, we advance to next week undefeated. Things are looking up.

Euchre Strategy: If you can go alone, take a chance and do it.

Euchre Card Skills - One handed dealing and cutting in euchre

2006-11-10T06:13:00.000-06:00

Since card handling is an important skill in euchre, we here at the Euchre Universe constantly search for new ways to manipulate the pasteboards. While stumbling around the web (literally) I came accross this nifty description and video of how to cut a deck one handed.

And if you want to see a video of it in action, check out this one over at Youtube.com. The second version in this video is known as the Charlier Cut and it's the one I most often use.

While you're at it, you might want to learn to just shuffle a deck of cards one handed. This will take a bit more practice than the cuts. Here is a video version that is pretty good.

But all of these card handling skills will be useful for intimidating your opponents at the euchre table. And since euchre is a game with a significant amount of luck, any edge you can get over your opponent is worthwhile.

Would you rather have 3 trump or 4

2006-11-07T07:27:00.000-06:00

Last night was league night and my partner and I were fortunate enough to pull out a victory. I played with my lovely wife instead of my usual partner so there were times when we didn't exactly "click". But she played smashingly and called "Next" like a champ. She didn't much like the idea of leading trump on offense but sometimes euchre is complicated.

No matter. We eeked out the victory, catapulting us to the playoffs with some momentum.

I did stumble upon the following interesting hand. It is a strange case where 3 trump is better than 4.

My hand.

Jack, Ace King Clubs
Jack, King Spades

My partner was the dealer and the upcard was a heart. Everyone passed and the option came back around to me. What should I call? Clubs alone or Spades alone?

Clubs. A club call would've given me the 4 top trump and an off-king. Not a bad hand for a loner but it can be beat.

Spades. A spade call would've given me 3 trump with an off-Ace, King.

I chose to play Spades as trump. The first lead was the Ace of diamonds. Both opponents followed and I ruffed with the King of spades. Next I led the Right and then the Left. This bled out all the trump and my Ace and King of clubs were winners. 4 points for my side.

If I would've called Clubs trump, my King of Spades would've lost to my RHO who had the Ace of Spades.

Bottom line...when it comes to trump, sometimes less is more.

What playing cards do you use?

2006-11-06T07:48:00.000-06:00

My favorite type of playing cards are Bee no.92, blue back. They have no borders and a pattern of mesmerizing diamond shapes on their backs. They aren't great for doing some magic tricks but for playing euchre, you can't get much better than the Bees. I especially like their Ace of Spades.

Here is a website put together by Bob Lancaster of some really interesting cards. Looks like he was really good at updating until about 2003. But the interface is pretty cool and he's got all sorts of interesting cards. My favorite is the Snoopy deck. The joker is Snoopy as a juggler. Anyone who has seen my other blog (Just Your Average Joggler) knows my affinity for juggling.

Tonight is league night and the last day of the regular season. I think we've made the playoffs but a win tonight would be key. It would also give us a good seed so I'm really hoping for good cards and great playing.

A frustrating night

2006-10-31T06:07:00.000-06:00

Last night was league night. We lost 2 games to 3. It was a bit frustrating as I was getting terrible cards, making some terrible plays, and so was my partner. Here was an example.

Early on in the game (score 2-4) my partner orders me up giving me the king of trump. That puts into my hand Left-King, off Ace (green), and 2 dud cards. I was three suited.

First trick: Opponent leads heart, my partner follows, trumped by RHO, I throw my ace.
Second trick: Opponent leads Ace of clubs. Everyone follows.
Third trick: Opponent leads hearts again. Instead of trumping like I should, I opt to throw off. LHO plays Ace of trump and my partner throws a heart. Euchre.

Terrible play.

I should've trumped in. Although, I still would've lost if I trumped in with the King instead of the Left. I just figured my partner to have a nice high trump and she did (right, nine)
but she never got a chance to play it.

We've got four victories going into the last week and I think our spot in the playoffs is assured. But I really would've liked to have won last night. We are better players than we showed last night.

Saving yourself from a loner

2006-10-25T06:13:00.000-05:00

Monday is euchre league night and my partner and I are doing pretty well. This is despite the fact that I've made significant changes in my euchre strategy without telling her what they are. She is a great euchre partner.

Anyway, there was a hand where our opponents went alone, and I had the following.

9 of clubs (trump)
K, 10 of spades
K of hearts
K of diamonds

The opponent was on my right so it was my turn to lead.

Trick 1: I lead the King of diamonds, partner follows with the Ace and my opponent trumps in.
Trick 2: He next leads the right bower and I play my 9 of trump. My partner plays the 10.
Trick 3: He next plays the left bower and now I have to decide

...do I play the King of Hearts or the 10 of spade?

I played the King of Hearts and it worked out. My opponent next led the Ace of spades and then the Jack of spades which I took with my King to stop the loner sweep.

My reasoning for throwing away the King of Hearts was that I thought about how my opponent plays and what he might have gone alone with. He was a conservative player and rarely went alone. I figured he had a 2 suited hand with either 3 or 4 trump. If he had a 3 trump hand then I wanted to protect my King of Spades in the event that his other suit was spades. The King of Hearts is no good here unless he went alone with something like 4 trump and the Queen of Hearts. Fortunately, this wasn't the case.

Bottom line: When someone goes alone, keep your long suits long

Ruffing the leader - euchre end-play strategy

2006-10-24T06:03:00.000-05:00

There was an interesting question posed in the Euchre Science group that prompted me to do a little mathematical figuring to come to an answer. It involves the following scenario that comes up often in euchre.

Scenario
Your side has ordered it up.

You need to win the last two tricks to make either a sweep or to prevent a euchre.

The first three tricks have been played and your partner was good enough to win the last trick with a trump. Now, you have the lone trump remaining and you also have a King of an off-suit that has yet to be led.

Your partner leads an off-suit King of another suit that was never led. The opponent on your right follows with the Queen of that suit.

Now it's your turn to decide, should you ruff (play trump) or should you play your off-suit King and hope that your partner's King will win the trick?

Mathematics
To find the answer you need to figure out the probability of two events and do the one that has the highest chance of winning.

Event 1: Letting your partner's King win the trick.

To figure out the chances in this case, let's review the overall situation at trick 4.

Your partner has 1 card left
Your right hand opponent has 1 card left
You have 2 cards left
Your left hand opponent has 2 cards left
The talon (kitty) has 3 unknown cards

There is only 1 card that can beat your partner's king.

There are 5 unknown cards that are relavant (2 in left hand opponent's hand and 3 in the talon)
There is a 40% chance that the Ace lies in left hand opponent's hand and a 60% chance it's in the talon.

So, mathematics would say if you let it go you have a 60% chance or winning and a 40% chance of losing.

Event 2: Ruff your partner's trick and lead you mighty King.

In this situation everyone has 1 card left.

You, the off-king of a suit that hasn't been led
Left and right opponents - 1 card
Partner - 1 card
Talon - 3 unknown cards

Again, your opponents have 2 chances to hold the card and the talon has 3 chances. We assume your partner doesn't have the Ace else he would've led it.

That means the chances of you winning with the King is 60%. And the chances of you losing is 40%.

Bottom line...Mathematically, there is no difference. However, if you can pick up on some psychological clues about who might be holding a high card, then you can adjust your play accordingly.

That's all for today from The Euchre Universe.
Sorry about the sparse posts, I've been training hard and focusing on my efforts to joggle the Chicago Marathon

A free euchre book

2006-10-19T07:12:00.000-05:00

Hey all you out in the Euchre Universe, check out this great book I found over on Google.

The Law and Practice of the Games of Euchre.

Sure, it was written in 1862 but the game hasn't changed much since then. I haven't read it yet however, when I do I'll write a book review. We've written one previously (Columbus Book of Euchre) on this site.

I love Google. Free and useful stuff.

3 Tips For Stealing the Deal

2006-10-17T07:34:00.000-05:00

There was a raging debate going on at the Euchre Science group about whether it was ok to steal the deal or not. We here at the Euchre Universe recognize stealing the deal as a legitimate part of euchre. It is not "immoral" as some would suggest, nor is it cheating. It is a standard play found in many live euchre events. Unless it is specifically stated to be against the rules (as it is in the league that I play in) then you should feel free to steal the deal as often as you can.

Here are a few tips on how to subtly lift the deal without your opponents noticing.

1. Become a card gatherer. Most times people flop their tricks on the table in an disorganized pile. Cards are not lined up and sometimes they are even exposed. When the hand is over, make it a point to gather up and straighten all the cards. Then hand the cards to the appopriate dealer. After a while, you can either keep the cards or hand them to your partner when it's not really your team's turn to deal. If you're opponents aren't paying attention, you've successfully stolen the deal.

2. Take the cards with confidence. When you are trying to execute the steal the deal maneauver, sometimes you can bodly just take the cards, quickly shuffle, and deal. As long as you flip the upcard, the deal stands. Speed and confidence are key with this ploy.

3. Distract with patter. The key to stealing the deal is to catch your opponents not paying attention to the game. One way to do this is to engage them in a conversation. Successful topics generally include subjects about them. Ask them where they work, what they do, how they like their life. If that's not working, bring up a normally taboo topic like politics, abortion or religion and take a contraian view to their own. They'll be so busy defending their beliefs that they won't notice you dealing the cards.

Having the deal is an incredible advantage in euchre. If you can steal the deal just a couple of times during a euchre match, this might be just the advantage you need to defeat your opponents. Use these tips and see if you can start stealing the deal yourself. Just one word of caution, make sure you pay attention yourself. You don't want your opponents stealing the deal on you.

Good luck rubber chicken

2006-10-11T06:47:00.000-05:00

When I play euchre in the league at McGees on Monday nights, I like to bring a host of good luck props. This will include anything from coins to medals to red clothing. And of course, there is always a rubber chicken. My latest rubber chicken was given to me by a kind soul at work. I suppose there is something about me that makes people think I need rubber chickens. I'm not complaining though. It's great!

Here is a short video of my lucky rubber chicken in action. Whenever I win a point, make a loner, euchre the opponents, or just sense a need for rubber chicken frivolity I "squeeze the chicken." Check out the video below.

That makes me wonder about the rest of you in the Euchre Universe. What are your good luck trinkets, props, or habits at the euchre table?

World Series of Euchre Report - part 4

2006-10-09T06:25:00.000-05:00

Tonight is league night again. Last week we won 2 games in a row with a stretch where my partner and I rattled off 21 points to the opponent's 0. That was quite a run. We've won 2 matches and lost one. We are in good shape to make a run come playoff time. But we really need to win 5 games to zip to move up the rankings signifcantly. Stay tuned.

Euchre Tour
Our final installment of the World Series of Euchre Report. Click on the appropriate number to find parts one, two and three.

Thanks so much to Harvey "the Rabbit" Lapp from Euchre Links for a great report. And good luck next year Harv. Perhaps Euchre links and the Euchre Universe can team up and take the title.

Sunday, Sept. 17th:

After breakfast, I checked down at the tournament site. I was told that they hadn't finished all the games the night before, and that the WSOE wouldn't be over until at least 2pm. There was now a dilemma. Football started at 1pm.

You see, in Vegas, I work on Sundays, and I never get to see live football. Adding to that, my favorite team is from back east, and not available on regular television in Nevada. Plus, I live on the wrong side of the building to get satellite t.v. at home, so I can't even record my game and watch it later. Now, here I was in Lansing, MI trying to decide whether or not I should watch a euchre tournament that I had been eliminated from (granted, it is the big one), or go to a sports bar about a block away to watch my favorite football team. Easy choice; I watched football! Sorry euchreheads, but it's just not as much fun watching euchre when you aren't playing. However, I find that watching football is quite enjoyable, and never get tempted to go in and take a snap.

I couldn't honestly tell you who won it all, but Joe Andrews will be posting it soon at http://grandprixtournaments.com. My congratulations to them! Mozeltoff!

Overall, I had a great time, and plan on returning again next year.

World Series of Euchre Report - part 3

2006-10-08T17:28:00.000-05:00

If you missed it, see parts one and two of the World Series of Euchre reports for the whole story.

Part 3: So close and yet so far. Our heros make a valiant effort but fall short of their World Series of Ecuhre dreams of glory.

Saturday, Sept. 16th:

10:00 am EST: There was a much rowdier bunch on Saturday. Drinks were flowing early, but I had made a previous agreement with my partner, that I wouldn't touch a drop of alchohol until we were eliminated, or preferably, until we had won the entire tournament.

It became obvious to me that most of the players in the WSOE all knew each other by playing online in Hardwood. I noticed this in Cleveland in 2005, but this year it seemed to be an overwhelming majority, as opposed to about half. Some players we spoke to actually believed that Hardwood was running the World Series and that you had to be a member in order to enter. When we introduced ourselves to our opponents, they usually asked; "what's your names on Hardwood?", and we usually replied; "we don't have any.

Note: I have joined Hardwood since returning home, if for no other reason, so that I will have a name on Hardwood next year.

In our first match of the day, nothing clicked. The cards were terrible for us. The opponents slowly chopped us down and beat us both games. During a brief break afterward, Michael said; "You might as well have a beer Harvey. As soon as we lose another game, we're out of it". I declined on the beer, insisting that we remain positive about our chances. Although I enjoy drinking beer while playing euchre, it dulls the senses and makes it easier to make mistakes. I couldn't afford mistakes at this point in the venture.

Upon returning to the tournament area, we noticed that there were some empty tables. Some of the teams had left after they were eliminated, so Scott Zagol restructured the roadmap to keep 2 teams on each table. This was when Scott announced that "the top 25 percentile was going to make it into the playoffs", giving hope to teams who might finish with 9 or 10 wins.

On that note, the cards began falling into place. We won 6 out of the next 8 games. We found ourselves building up momentum and heading into the final two games with 8 wins, on a pace to finish with 10 wins overall and a possible playoff entry. Joe Andrews then made a heartbreaking announcement before the 9th and final round; only teams with 11 wins were being accepted into the playoffs. Although everyone there knew that you needed 11 wins to get to the playoffs before they started playing, any hope that was offered by Scott earlier to teams with 9 or 10 wins, was suddenly crushed.

Joe's statement eliminated our entire table in fact, so we all took a trip to the bar before the 9th round and bought a round of beers. We played two half-hearted games even though Michael and I scored four loners. I also reneged once and pitched a card off the table, but it didn't really matter. The cards were on fire, but we were eliminated.

Shortly after that, the playoffs began. 16 teams with 11 wins or better played a best-out-of-three, double-elimination tournament to decide who the winners of the WSOE would be.

Michael and I were out of contention, so we sort of hovered around for a while. Word began circulating about a No-Limit Texas Hold-em tournament that was going to take place in the ballroom. My partner Michael might not be the most experienced euchre player in the world, but he plays Texas Hold-em several times a week in Las Vegas with some serious sharks. I didn't want to play poker, as I am burned-out on the game personally, however Michael did. While this game was being organized, and the initial rounds of the play-offs were taking place, Michael went upstairs to the room for a nap and it became "beer:30" for me. Why not? I was on vacation. I'm a mostly a "home-body" back in Vegas believe it or not.

At the bar, I spoke to all sorts of interesting people, including a gentleman from New Zealand who helped me out with a euchre-related project that I have been working on for some time now. I also played some pool with Sammy D. and his wife, a very cool couple I met that lived near Lansing.

Unfortunately, word had gotten out about the poker game and hotel security had shut it down before it started, but I found Michael another game that was taking place in one of the rooms. I woke him up and staked half of his roll, and he went up there and easily won everyone's money. Cool beans for us. We got our euchre buy-ins and part of the plane fare back, plus had fun doing it.

World Series of Euchre Report - part 2

2006-10-07T12:26:00.000-05:00

Continuing with the WSOE report. Our heros start their first day of euchre and only manage 2 wins out of 6 games.

From Harvey "the rabbit" Lapp

Friday, Sept. 15th:

The day of the big show arrived with my partner and I still discussing the same strategies. I planned to donate from first seat with a score of 8 or 9 to 6 or 7, if I had no definite stopper of the turned suit. This tactic is often known as "ordering at the bridge." The other part of that plan is, if I pass (indicating that I have a sure stopper), my partner only orders up if he thinks that he can take two tricks. Michael said that he would also order at the appropriate scenario, that is, if he remembered to. The way I looked at it, if that situation were to come up, we had about a fifty-fifty chance of protecting our interests. The opponents had a much smaller chance of actually scoring a four-point loner though, so I convinced myself that this was okay.

We began registering outside the ballrooms at about 5pm EST, and then had two hours to kill before the tournament started, so we went to Whitecastle for some of those tiny hamburgers that we can't get in Vegas. Our discussion over dinner didn't change much. I tried to pump Michael full of euchre strategy, but I began to feel that I was in danger of blowing a circuit in his brain. He looked confused. Even the concept of "next" seemed to be evading him. I decided that it would be better to just let him "wing it" again. Otherwise, he might not even call hands that he could score with for fear that he would be foiling some plan of mine that he didn't understand. He did assure me that he would order at the bridge at the appropriate time, but I doubted that he would remember to.

The table rules at the WSOE are harsh, as they probably should be. After dealing and offering the cut, the dealer must place a plastic "cut-card" under the deck while dealing. The players can only say; "Pass", "Pick it up" or "Alone." No variations of ordering and no knocks on the table are allowed. When a suit is called or ordered, a trump cube is placed on the kitty with the appropriate suit turned up. No asking "what is trump?", or even worse; "what was picked up?" allowed. Exposed cards, cards played out-of-turn, revokes and everything else mentioned above, score two points for the opponents of the guilty party while setting back the guilty team two points (a four point swing). When any of the above happens during a loner, four points are awarded, while two are taken away on the other side (ouch!).

In the WSOE 2006, each team played two games against 9 opposing teams, for a total of 18 games. On the first night, we played two games each against three different teams. The chip we drew randomly during the registration was N (North/South)-18, which meant that we were stationary on table 18. Our opponents (East/West), had to travel. The East/West teams played two games and moved up one table, each round. The tournament director, Scott Zagol, allowed a one hour time frame to finish the both games, which seemed to work pretty well. Last year in Cleveland, I saw players taking longer just to finish 8 hands (as opposed to two 10 point games) for some reason.

The first game was tense. Everyone was being careful to remember to mark the trump cube and say "Pass", Pick it up" and "Alone" instead of knocking, or using other phrases which are okay back wherever home may be. The game moved along at a decent pace and Michael and I were doing well at first. When we reached a score of 9-6 in favor of us, Murphy's Law took effect. The dealer was to my partner's right. He turned up the Jack of Spades, and my partner looked across the table at me as though he were remembering the "order at the bridge" strategy that I had been cramming down his throat for the past 24 hours. "Pass" he said, giving me a small hope that he was indicating a certain stopper in his hand. I had the nine and ten of Spades and a red Ace, none of which qualified as a definite stopper. I would have ordered up with this hand from Michael's seat, but, the question was, did my partner really have a stopper? I should have ordered it up anyway, not giving my partner a chance to drop the ball. Instead, I "Pass"ed, and was immediately "Alone"d by the dealer. We both passed that bower to him. The dealer had a "lay-down" too, but he followed the rules and played one card at a time. This opening loss set the pace for what was to become a tough evening. We only ended up winning 2 games out of the 6 that night. 3 rounds out of the 9 were complete.

Michael was especially bummed out. He had learned the hard lesson about defensive euchre and the need for conventional card play. He had also reneged during a hand in a later game in which we would have euchred the opponents and won, but instead, he turned himself in and had to hand the game over to them. I did respect Michael's honesty though. We didn't go there to cheat.

Back at the bar we discussed more euchre strategy. It was becoming clear to my partner that he was ill-prepared for an endeavor of this magnitude, but we weren't about to give up now. We had been told earlier that it would take 11 wins out of 18 to reach the playoffs, and that was our goal. So we needed to get up the next day and win 9 more games out of the 12 that we had left to play.

World Series of Euchre Report

2006-10-06T07:17:00.000-05:00

Hello out there in the Euchre Universe.

Today, we have a special treat. One of our faithful affiliates, Harvy Lapp of the excellent site EuchreLinks.com was able to attend the World Series of Euchre and has filed a report. I’ve never actually been to the WSOE ,so I was keenly interested in hearing about what goes on. As soon as I find out the details of the event next year, I’m in.

The WSOE took place over the weekend of September 15 – 17, 2006 in Lansing, MI. This 4 part report chronicles the adventure of two ex-New Yorkers transplanted in Las Vegas who invade the Midwest hoping for Euchre Glory. What they got were euchre heartbreak, dashed hopes and White Castle “sliders”. Enjoy.

WSOE 2006
From the perspective of Harvey "the Rabbit" Lapp

Thursday, Sept. 14th:

My partner and I arrived a day early. The flight from Vegas to Lansing was occasionally speckled with further strategy discussion. I had brought my best friend, Michael, on this mission. Although he is a decent card player in general, he is originally from Long Island, NY, and not from the euchre heartland. He only learned euchre a few years ago, and only plays once or twice a month at our bar tournament back home. My partner had been harder to meet up with to prepare our game plan back in Las Vegas than I had anticipated. He works a different shift at the casino than I do, so the plane trip became the bulk of the strategy discussion we've had going into the tournament.

My belief has been, that the best way to prepare for a partnership euchre tournament like the World Series, you have to go over conventions with your partner, such as; (if, and) when to donate, to (or not to) order a bower up to each other (unless going alone) and (whether or not) to always pick up a bower as dealer, etc., so that your partnership is always working cohesively. When you begin with the 50/50 expectation that you have in euchre, you can alter the odds in your favor by consistently making good plays with your partner.

When we checked into the hotel room, I must have bombarded my partner with 30 years worth of euchre strategy. He had no clue that my favorite game could be so complicated. He also was having trouble understanding and accepting the idea of donating at the bridge (or any other form of donation for that matter). Euchre and strategy didn't jive well at first with Michael.

My partner can play some serious eight-ball however, and they happened to have a pool table in the hotel bar, so we got on it right away and began beating up on the local hustler. Michael and I were on an APA team in Las Vegas that came in first place during the last spring session. If this had been a partner's pool tournament we were at, I would have been more optimistic about us taking home the prize.

Later that night at the same bar, Joe Andrews was holding some small, single-elimination euchre tournaments, so we entered one. Michael and I did well, advancing deep, almost winning the whole thing. We did it by "winging it" too. There were no pre-planned tactics employed.

After the tourney, my partner was tired, so he went up to the room and went to sleep. I stayed at the bar, playing small-stakes euchre games until closing time with Tom ("lovin' it") as my partner. Tom and I played very much the same way, making it tough to beat us. We had met last year and played a small tournament together once on Pogo.

Note: I've been in Las Vegas long enough to be rather surprised when a full bar wants to close down. It seems bad for business.

A euchre society in Michigan

2006-10-02T07:05:00.001-05:00

While stumbling around the web I found this euchre charter for the creation of a Euchre Society at the University of Michigan.

Right away I find it amusing because one of the stated purposes of the society is to "have a damn good time."

But they lose me a little bit in the Composition section where they state that "Members will be inducted only during the awards ceremony...". Inducted members in a euchre society? Ridiculous. Why would you need to have formal membership in a euchre society?

Next they have elelctions and leaders and everything. Very formal. Should euchre be this formal?

The Amendments provide some of the more interesting aspects of this document.

First, it is evident that they play euchre the same way that we play it here in Chicago.

Second, they leave the option of scoring with the 5s or the 6 & 4. We've previously discussed scoring systems and are advocates of the 6 &4 method. Or if you can get them, we also encoursage the use of the euchredoodledandy.

I then find it interesting that they use the term "bid". At least one euchre guru squawks about how this is just wrong terminology. And maybe he is right that it was not originally part of the euchre lexicon but it is so widespread now, that it seems reasonable for everyone to accept that the term "bid" is ok to use for the ordering rounds.

The rest of the rules are pretty standard, although I wonder how they handle scoring for a reneg during a loner. That is to say what if one team is going for a loner and the opponents reneg? Does the former get awarded 4 points or just 2 as indicated in the rules? How does the rest of the Euchre Universe handle this?

There is a list of variations that they don't accept (No Trump for example) and that is notable too. In our league we also accept only the Screw the Dealer variation. It's nice to know that if I'm ever at the University of Michigan I'll be able to play euchre like we do in Chicago.

More Nude Euchre

2006-09-30T16:21:00.000-05:00

Leave it to one of the Euchre Universe affiliates to find another place where you can get naked and play euchre. Check out the activities on July 15. I hope they put something down on the chairs before they sit.

I wonder how this would go over with the Urban Tribe. I know the chicken would fit right in.

Options for hosting a live euchre tournament

2006-09-30T16:15:00.000-05:00

A couple of days ago someone asked how you might run a euchre tournament for 20 people. We here at the Euchre Universe gave it a little thought and figured it would make a good post to suggest ways you might do this. Here’s what we came up with.

Option 1 Random Blind Draw Single Elimination. In this type of tournament you put everyone's name in a hat and draw for partners. If you have 20 people at your tournament, that will leave you with 10 teams. Then follow a bracket system like this one and randomly assign people to a team number. Play the first round as a "best of 3" and then play the next 2 rounds as a "best of 5" tournament.

If you'd like to do a double elimination version try one of the other brackets at the site. For more or less players, you’ll need to create different bracket systems.

Option 2 Cut-throat option. In this type of tournament you are on your own and the object is to amass as many points as you can. Each person is randomly assigned a number. Then tables are made up of randomly assigned people. You play euchre for 2 rounds and keep track of the scores. The temporary partnerships each get the number of points that they receive as a team. After 2 rounds of dealing, everyone moves to different tables and gets paired up with new people. The object is to score as many points as possible. The winner is the person who has the highest score after a set amount of table rotations. For 20 people, you could probably do 4 or 5 rotations in an hour. This means you'd rotate about 9 times in a 2 hour tournament. There is no end to the games so people could theoretically score more than 10 points in a given rotation.

Here’s a euchre site that explains this option in more detail. I particularly like the “duck” and the “euchre bingo” ideas. And the idea of having a “ghost” player in the event of an uneven number of players is a pretty good one too. And at the Semi-Official Euchre site they have scorecards for this type of play.

Either system works well. Option 1 is better for the "pure" euchre players because it stays truer to the game. In the cut-throat version sometimes your partner might try to get your team euchred just to ruin your chances of winning.

But Option 2 is better for people who would rather take responsibility for whether they win or lose.

That’s what we’ve got for now. Good luck.

Euchre for the blind

2006-09-29T07:23:00.000-05:00

One of the great things about euchre is that you apparently don’t even have to be able to see your cards to play the thing. Our good friends over at EuchreLinks.com tipped us off to this site from the Wisconsin Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired. For a mere $10 you get play euchre with the blind and their friends. I wonder if they have a lot of kibitzing.

It’s really great because you even get ice cream and cash prizes. Unfortunately, it was conducted last weekend and I was unable to attend due to a conflict with my marathon joggling attempts in Toronto. But next year, I’m putting this one on my calendar. I hope you don't need a blind friend, I don't know any.

Two bower play revisited

2006-09-18T07:27:00.000-05:00

Alright, today is actually the day that the euchre league starts. Yes, I know I said it was last week but that was just wishful thinking. Speaking of wishful thinking, there is a scenario in the point system that needs some further analysis. Specifically, how should you handle the two bower hand? That will be the subject of today’s savvy strategies.

Savvy Strategies:
When you are dealt the 2 bowers you have 17 points according to the point system of ordering. In reality however, you actually have 20 points. This is because you have both the highest and second highest cards in the deck, meaning that you have a guaranteed 2 tricks. The point system is based on the probability that a card will win a trick. With the top bower you have a probability of 100% of winning a trick. To make things easier, we lop off a zero and make the point score equal to 10. The reason the left bower has a point value of 7 is because there is only a 70% chance that it will win a trick. But when you have the Right and the Left, the Left now has a 100% chance of winning and should have a point value of 10 also.

Anyway, how does this all affect your ordering strategy? Let’s assume you have the two bowers and no other trump. Additionally, you have no off-suit cards higher than a queen.

Two jacks are nice to have as long as that suit is trump. If not, they are just two off-suit losers. Ordering up from any seat is a winning play but in some cases there is an even better strategy.

Seat 1: In this position you shouldn’t order. You have an excellent opportunity to euchre your opponents and if everyone passes you can order in the next suit and have essentially the same hand. The bonus is that you are not giving the opponents a guaranteed trump. This is how you should play this hand no matter what the score.

Seat 2: Generally, you should order up in this position. With 2 winners and another trump in your partner’s hand, your side is going to win much more often than not. You don’t want to pass because unless the opponents are playing the “next” strategy, you likely won’t get the opportunity to order again.

Seat 3: Pass. If your partner is playing the “next” strategy you are golden. If not, you could be in trouble.

Seat 4: Pick it up and go alone (unless you have 8 points). If you have two bowers in your hand and you’re getting another trump, you’ve got 3 winners. If luck is on your side you might march and possibly win the game right there.

Good luck.

Euchre Obitz:
The world of euchre just got a little smaller. Here’s a sweet tribute to a euchre player.

As if you needed another reason to play euchre

2006-09-13T06:23:00.000-05:00

Euchre Lifestyle
If you ever decide to visit a nudist colony, you’ll be happy to know that you can still enjoy a Wednesday or Friday night game of euchre. The next time you’re in …. Check out the Cyprus Cove nudist resort and spa. Located just 40 minutes out side of Orlando.

Euchre for all seasons

2006-09-11T06:54:00.000-05:00

Euchre QOD: “You can fool some of the people some of the time and usually that’s enough”

Euchre Haiku:
A new season starts
Perfect play is possible
But will still need luck

Euchre Update:
Tonight starts the next euchre league. We’ve been out of it for the whole summer but my partner and I are back. Since our last match I’ve learned a few things about euchre and hope to convince my partner to employ some of the winning strategies. For example, she’s never been much of a “next” caller. I’d like to see her start playing that way. I haven’t been much of one either, but as we saw in this previous post on ordering next, that is the best way to go. I’ll keep you posted as to how we do.

Euchre Universe:
And remember next weekend is the big World Series of Euchre! Unfortunately, this editor will not be able to attend as I am traveling to St. Louis for work and I have my big marathon joggling event the next weekend. That's a lot of traveling. But we may have a report from one of our key affiliates who is going to try his hand at the event. Good luck Harv!

Euchre on the Web:
As a follow-up to the post of the Top Ten Euchre Tells, I found this cool article at Euchre Links. It contains some online euchre tells that weren’t considered. Check it out. It’s even funny.

4 more euchre gambits for fun and profit

2006-09-06T06:06:00.000-05:00

Euchre is a funny game. You can play your cards perfect and still lose 30% of the time. Well, it doesn't have to be that way. By taking extra advantage of the opportunities your opponents afford you, you can push your edge just a little higher. And while some of these ploys and gambits might feel a little unethical, this is euchre for chrissake. A game that has acceptable cheating written into its rule book. Ever hear of steal the deal?

Here are four more euchre gambits to get your winning percentage a little higher. Note, most of these are effective in live games. We'll put together an online version soon.

1. Pay attention to your opponent's cards. Early on in the Euchre Universe we discussed the topic of spying your opponents cards. Back then we couldn't decide whether it was right or wrong. Well, now we don't see any problem with it. If you are next to some bafoon who can't keep his cards out of site of his opponents then he should expect that an opponent will use the information against him. Sure you could be polite and tell him to "vest his cards", but don't bother. Casually spy his cards and adjust your play accordingly.

2. Distracting conversation. My partner is great but she just cannot play cards and listen to a conversation at the same time. This is true of all but the best euchre players. When they are listening to a story it's extremely hard to play excellent cards. So, when you're playing your next euchre game throw out some distracting conversation. The key is to find a topic your opponents will be passionate about, then express a contrary opinion. Politics is an excellent choice. Religion, the existence of God, abortion, gay marriage, Iraq war, all great choices. Figure out which one will really spark your foe, find out what they think and then give them the opposing opinion. Nothing kills card playing like emotional upheaval.

3. Book worm ploy. The key to a good gambit is to affect the way your opponents feel. This one is designed to make them feel a little bit inferior. While playing the game casually use euchre terms that your opponents may or may not know. Check out the euchre glossary for a great starting list. But if your opponents know all the terms you bring up, start making up some of your own. Use these new terms as if anyone who plays euchre should know. When someone questions a term, give them a condesending look and tell them what it means. Then say something like, "I'm surprised you don't know that, everyone who plays euchre knows that." They'll be so busy trying to convince themselves that you don't know what you're talking about they won't notice you stealing the deal.

4. The mathematical gambit. People who play euchre with me often will hear the probabilities of everything. "There was only a 6% chance that queen would win that trick." "You know the odds of us winning is 70%?" "The chances that I'd get dealt 5 trump is 1 in 2100." After a game or so they get to calling me Mr Wizard. This lulls them into an expectation of losing. It's like playing poker against a pro. You never feel bad when you lose because you expect it. Speak of probabilities and odds and you too can make your opponents expect to lose.

Euchre book list

2006-08-31T06:37:00.000-05:00

Euchre QOD: “Play with a plan”

Euchre Books
While we haven’t reviewed all of the following books here at the Euchre Universe, we thought we would make a list of the ones we will eventually review.

1. Columbus Book of Euchre – Bumppo, Natty. One of the best. See our book review.

2. The Complete Win at Euchre – Andrews, Joe.

3. Win at Euchre – Gallagher, Tom. A guy with another point system for hand evaluation.

4. Euchre the Grandpa Lou Way – Ellis, John.

5. Euchre for Dummies - Gameland Sports. Comes complete with a deck of cards.

We'll post more book reviews as we get the books and have a chance to read them. Someday we'll have enough in the Euchre Universe vault to actually purchase some of these.

Euchre Literature. Where is it mentioned?
"It came out of the night and invaded the room. George said, "Anybody like to play a little euchre?" "I'll play out a few with you," said Whit. They took places opposite each other at the table under the ..."

Of Mice and Men – Steinbeck, J. p. 46.

Weekend euchre tournament recap

2006-08-28T07:19:00.000-05:00

So, we finished the tournament and didn't win. It was a field of about 20 teams. We made it through the first two rounds and lost in the third. While it was a double elimination tournament, my wife and I were tired of being there and decided to just forefit our remaining match. The way things were going, the team that was going to win it would be there until nearly midnight! That was just too long.

Overall, it was a decent tournament. My wife and I played together pretty well. There were times that she didn't call for "Next" like I would've liked but for the most part, we really gelled. The waitress was attentive and the bar atmosphere was fine. There were some temperature issues as I froze my ass off with the air conditioner blowing on me the whole time. It reminded me of being in Vegas. For some reason it is always so cold in those casinos.

The worst part about the tournament however, was how long it took. We were there from 1:00 pm until 7:00 pm and played only 3 matches. That put us in the elite eight. We still would've had another 2 matches to play (4 more hours) if we had kept winning. You cannot run a euchre tournament, play "best of 5" matches and make it double elimination. It just takes too long!

Oh well, we had a good time for the first 4 hours. Next time they should do either single elimination (best of 5) or double elimination in a best of 3 format.

Does anyone out there have a better idea on how to run a 24 to 32 team tournament in a reasonable amount of time?

Weekend euchre tournament

2006-08-25T07:22:00.000-05:00

Euchre QOD: “All wins should be appreciated.”

Euchre Haiku:
You sign yourself up
Get good cards and play them right
You too can be champ.

Euchre Palaver
“Hole card” – This is just another way to say upcard. Personally, the folks here at the Euchre Universe prefer upcard.

Euchre Universe Update
This weekend is the big Merkle’s Euchre Tournament. My wife and I will be playing as partners and trying to win it all. I can’t wait. It’ll be more fun than the 20 miles of joggling that I’ll be doing that morning. It’s been a long time since I’ve played tournament euchre. I think I’ve learned a fair amount about playing the game and my wife is really pretty good. If the cards don’t turn against us, we have a great chance for winning. I don’t know what the prizes are but it doesn’t matter. Anytime you can win anything you should feel fortunate. At least I do. I’ll keep you posted as to how it went.

Euchre on the Web
If you’re looking for a free euchre program here is one from DreamQuest software. I haven’t tried it out yet but you can’t beat the price.

A questionable euchre lead - What should you play?

2006-08-22T12:24:00.000-05:00

Skewed Euchre Jargon (from the urban dictionary):
Eucharist: A large box of bed sheets.

Skewed Euchre QOD:
“I went to the store to buy a eucharist.”

Euchre Strategy:
I was testing out a euchre simulator today and came upon the following hand when I was in seat 1.

The upcard was the Queen of hearts and the dealer’s partner (seat 2) ordered it up.

This brings to mind a question. What should you lead? Let’s look at the case for each.

Left Bower (Jack of Diamonds):
If you believe that the person in seat 2 is ordering with a weak hand, a trump lead might be good. You could be pulling out the dealer’s only trump and you would be setting up your Ace of clubs to win. The Left might even be the highest trump out so you’d be winning that trick too. However, you will likely be pulling out your partner’s trump and you’ve only got 1 other winner. I don’t like this lead.

9 of diamonds:
This is the “lead a loser” philosophy. Not a bad one when you are on offense but on defense, forget it. Sure your partner might have the ace of diamonds or might be able to trump it but the odds are not good. I’d stay away from this lead.

Ace of Clubs:
With three clubs, the ace of clubs doesn’t have a great chance of winning. (Somewhere around 50%) However, it’s not a bad choice. I like the King a little better however.

King of Clubs:
This one has just as good a chance of winning as the Ace of Clubs since you know they can’t both be played on the trick. However, you have the added chance that your partner will trump it, forcing the next player to trump higher if they’ve got it. Of all the cards, this one to me is the best option.

10 of Clubs:
This card is almost a certain loser and only makes your Ace of clubs less likely to win later. Of all the cards, I’d say that leading the 10 of clubs is the worst choice.

Euchring the opponents with this hand is not too likely. But you can improve your chances if you just lead the right card. According to the leading scientific research at the Euchre Universe, we say the King of Clubs is the best lead, followed closely by the Ace of Clubs.

I’m sure everyone in the rest of the euchre universe would agree.

4 euchre gambits to outwit your opponents

2006-08-21T19:41:00.000-05:00

Let's face it, euchre is a game with a lot of luck. When you happen to be going through one of those really unlucky phases is there anything you can do to turn things around? Well, we've searched the expansive Euchre Universe and came up with the following four gambits. Employ these at the right times and you may NEVER lose a game of euchre.

The key to winning euchre is to distract your opponents.

1. Ask your opponents if they forgot someting. Euchre requires a little concentration so if the opponents are thinking about something else, you'll have a big edge. To work this ploy begin a story about a rash of car thefts in the neighborhood. Then casually ask something like, "Did you remember to lock your car?" They'll be thinking and worrying about their car the rest of the night while you'll be euchring them and pulling loners.

2. Distract with decor. If you're hosting the euchre match be sure to make the surroundings suitably distraction. For example, employ the services of a "busty" French maid to serve drinks. Or if you've got the girls over turn on HGTV. They'll be watching the latest redecorating efforts while you score point after point.

3. The fagile seat. When a euchre player is comfortable, they will play better. So, you should do your best to make them as uncomfortable as possible. A simple way to accomplish this is to make them sit in a chair that is particularly wobbly or otherwise uncomfortable. In the league I play in, I make it a point to always find the least comfortable chair and arrange to have my opponent sitting in it. They'll be distracted all night and you'll be winning the game.

4. Slow play ploy. When someone is losing they want to get to the next hand as fast as possible. So if you are winning and you want to keep winning, just slow down. Take a little longer to throw your cards. Instead of three quick shuffles, do 10 or even 20 before you deal. Make your losing opponents wallow in their losing streak while you revel in your lead. The slow play ploy is particularly effective against good players who hate it when "inferior" players are beating them. Control the game speed and you control the game.

When we find more gambits/ploys we'll share them. In the meantime, what are some of your favorites?

On vacation

2006-08-21T07:29:00.000-05:00

The Euchre Universe editors were on vacation the last week and an internet connection wasn't readily available. Look for some new posts starting starting tonight. (I've got my regular job to go today).

In the meantime, enjoy this picture of the chicken.

This table talk is not tolerable

2006-08-08T06:28:00.000-05:00

Here’s the scenario. The opponent on your right leads the King of Clubs. You play the Ace of Clubs and the left-hand opponent plays the 9 of Clubs. Your partner has been watching the Fear Factor contestants chow down on giant Fijian long-horned beetles and isn’t sure about who played what card.

Is it acceptable for you to say to your partner, “I have it with the Ace of Clubs?”

While this happens all the time in our Euchre league, it is technically unacceptable table talk. It is true that you are just stating what happened, but the motivation to tell your partner that you have the trick won is so they don’t over-trump your Ace, pulling down a trick you already have. Was there a reason you didn’t tell your partner what the opponents played? Probably because that wouldn’t have communicated the message that you didn’t want her to waste a trump on a trick you already won.

Your partner should be sharp enough to ask who played what cards if they don’t know. It is fine to respond to the question “Who played the Ace?” But offering information that isn’t asked is akin to telling your partner what she should or shouldn’t play. This is just not right.

Bottom line: Avoid any table talk that would prevent your partner from making a mistake. And play euchre in a setting that doesn’t have tvs showing beetle mastication.

Playing euchre with less than 4 players

2006-08-07T07:15:00.000-05:00

One of the problems with euchre is that you need 4 players to play the game. Well, if your friends are lame and you can’t scare up enough to play a regular game of euchre, what are you going to do? Play computer euchre? Go online and play? Well, those are options, but here are some better, live-play options for playing euchre when you don’t have the “right” amount of people.

Options for playing euchre with a variety number of players.

One Player: Play euchre solitaire. I believe it is a Natty Bumpo invention. It works out pretty well and can even improve your euchre play.

Two Players: Play euchre for two as outlined by Joe Chellman. This is an interesting variation that requires you to win 7 of 12 tricks instead of the standard 3 of 5. A game is played to 31 and you get 12 points for euchring an opponent.

Three Players: Play Buck Euchre as described at Pagat. This is a bit different than regular euchre but you can add the extra incentive of gambling if you like.

Four Players: Play regular euchre of course.

Five Players: Play regular euchre with four and have the fifth player rub wrecking balm on everyone's tattoos to help remove the memories of foul euchre games of years gone by. Or that person could always try joggling.

The slowing the euchre universe

2006-08-02T07:02:00.000-05:00

While the actual universe seems to be accelerating, we’ve hit a bit of a gravity well here at the Euchre Universe because it seems like we’re slowing down.

Fret not. We’ll get back in focus. Other blogs such as Just Your Average Joggler have been cutting into the dedicated staff’s time and the Euchre Universe is getting shorted. But we will endeavor to continue. ‘Nuff Said.

Euchre QOD: Don’t despair, but if you do keep playing anyway.

Euchre Haiku:
On defense you don’t
But on offense you better
Trump leads are tricky

Euchre Palaver:
Offense – The team who has ordered up trump and is endeavoring to make their contract.
Defense – The team who is trying to stop the offense by euchring them.

Euchre on the Web
Here’s an interesting site about a group of people who started the Euchre Federation. There are some interesting stories in the Euchre Chronicles section but the site seems to have gone the way of the Vegas Valley Leopard Frog. It hasn’t been updated since 2003. I hope it never happens to the Euchre Universe.

And here’s a story of one person’s obsession with euchre. You quite possibly have one yourself if you’re frequenting this site. That’s a good thing by the way.

Random euchre web sites

2006-07-24T23:05:00.000-05:00

Euchre on the web

Just a few interesting sites related to euchre that I've come across recently.

1. Euchre definition on the Urban Dictionary. Funny..."A card game fully understood when you're drunk"

2. Over at Realbeer.com there is a discussion of the rules of euchre.

3. I just downloaded a book over at Audiobooksforfree.com which is supposed to be about euchre. I haven't listened to it yet but it was free. You can get it at that website too if you like but you'll have to signup.

More tomorrow.

Euchre variations - When the regular game gets dull

2006-07-20T02:12:00.000-05:00

Alright Euchre Universe faithful. I haven’t done a post on alternative euchre games in a while so I thought I throw out some now. I found this article about different euchre variations that you might find interesting. I’ll recap the most interesting ones here.

1. Black Only. A Player May Only Bid Spades Or Clubs As A Suit.
Clubs has always been my favorite suit.

2. Blood Before Death. All red cards (Blood) must be played from your hand before any black cards (Death) are played, with the exception of being forced to "follow suit".
This one would work well on Halloween

3. Handcuffed. Only the 1st & 4th (Dealer) seats may call trump. They may also choose to go "Alone". The 2nd and 3rd seats (1st seat & Dealer's partners) are "Handcuffed" and may not call trump nor choose "Alone". The 2nd & 3rd seats only have the option of "Pass". This rule rotates with each hand.
This might be more interesting if the handcuff was on the 1st and 4th seats. Ordering from 2nd and 3rd seat is harder.

4. Haters. Any Suit May Be Called As Trump Other Than Hearts.
A fun one to play on Valentine’s day.

5. Red / Black Suicide
If the UP Card is RED (Diamonds/Heart) the DEALING TEAM MUST Take up,
If the UP Card is BLACK (Spades/Clubs) the NON-Dealing TEAM MUST Order it up.
This would be hard to defend.

6. Solitaire. One pard from each team MUST bid/defend alone in every hand, You are allowed to pass and pick trump, but you must go alone. Basically, this is a one-on-one game.
It is a bit like playing two-handed euchre.

They had a bunch of other variations but these were the ones I found most interesting. Anyone out there in the Euchre Universe have favorite variations?

Euchre news - Computers use game theory to win and you should too

2006-07-19T06:55:00.000-05:00

It seems scientists at Carnegie Mellon University have created a computer program named GS1 that plays poker (Texas Hold ‘em) better than the best computer players in the world. The remarkable thing is that the program is based strictly on game theory, and does not use input from the “best” human players. The program does it by using probabilities to make its betting decisions.

This is reminiscent of the computer program used to create the euchre point system strategy that is the heart of the Euchre Universe advice.

I’ve always believed that you could take a game like euchre and break it down to a matter of probabilities. There is always a “best” play to make and that is dictated by the probability that it will win or not. Hunches, beliefs and superstitions about euchre all succumb to the great god of game theory.

Now, this computer program hasn’t been put to the test against the greatest human players, but it will be interesting to see if GS1 can take all of Phil Ivey’s money someday. Maybe when they’re done with a boring game like poker, they’ll reprogram it to play euchre. Will the talking heads over at euchre science be ready for high quality computer opponents? They’re coming.

Questions about euchre playing cards

2006-07-14T07:09:00.000-05:00

Without cards there would be no euchre. And without euchre, the universe would cease to exist. You’ve used the plucky pasteboards all these years, but have you ever wondered where they come from or why they look the way they do? Well, author John McLeod did and he went out to find the answers. You can find his answers at his frequently asked questions about playing cards site.

Here is just a sampling of what you’ll learn.

How to turn your design idea into a real pack of cards.

Who was Hoyle.

Who was the inspiration for the people on the face cards?

Why is the Ace worth more than the King? Rebellious peasants no doubt.

Why does the Ace of spades have a bigger design than the other aces? Taxes.

And finally, did you know that the Joker was invented specifically for the game of euchre? And here I thought it was done as a tribute to joggling.

Euchre Lifestyle - Euchre Longevity

2006-07-10T23:58:00.000-05:00

Euchre QOD: “A decision delayed is a decision not made”

Euchre Haiku
Play cards all your life
And your health may be as good
As a lifelong jock

Euchre Lifestyle:
You want to live longer? Forget about physical fitness. Scientists have discovered that productive activities like playing cards are as effective as fitness activities in lowering the chance of death in older people. While joggling takes up my non-euchre playing time, I think this will definitely be good news for most die-hard euchre players.

Euchre Obits:
Sadly, the euchre universe is short one more euchre enthusiast. This poor kid had an infectious love of euchre but was done in by the waters of Lake Michigan.

How to remember the cards that have been played

2006-07-10T06:28:00.000-05:00

To be a great euchre player, you have to be able to remember the cards that are played. For euchre where there are only 24 cards, this is not nearly as difficult as it is for a game like bridge where there are 52 cards. But even with 24 cards it is easy to forget “what’s out there”. Here is a (nearly) practical method you can use for remembering the cards that are played. It takes some practice but once you get it, it’ll be much easier and your natural memory skills will improve immensely.

Pictures are easier to remember than cards
The key to memorizing cards is to substitute a memorable picture for each card. Cards themselves are not very memorable but your pictures can be.

The system works like this. Suppose Spades were trump and you wanted to keep track of the Ace of Spades. It’s relatively easy to do if this is the only card you are trying to remember. Essentially, you will just keep paying attention to what is played until you see the Ace of Spades. But if you were trying to remember every spade that was played along with all the off-suit cards, you would soon find it nearly impossible.

That’s where the substitution system comes into play. To use the system you substitute a different word for Ace of Spades and then create a memorable picture about the card when it’s played. A suitable substitute word for Ace of Spades is the word Suit. To remember when something is played, it is useful to picture a destroyed version of you substitute word. For example, when the Ace of Spades is played you picture in your mind’s eye a suit that has been ripped, torn and worn. The more damaged the suit the better. When you wonder whether a card has been played or not you look at the substitute word in your mind and see its condition. If it’s destroyed, the card is played. If not, the card has not been played.

Here is a complete list of substitute pictures you can use for each card. For the system to work you need to memorize these substitute words.

Ace of Spades - Suit
King of Spades - Sing
Queen of Spades - Steam
Jack of Spades - Spade
10 of Spades - Sauce
9 of Spades - Soap

Ace of Clubs - Cat
King of Clubs - King
Queen of Clubs - Cream
Jack of Clubs - Club
10 of Clubs - Case
9 of Clubs - Cob

Ace of Diamonds - Dot
King of Diamonds - Drink
Queen of Diamonds - Dream
Jack of Diamonds - Diamond
10 of Diamonds - Dice
9 of Diamonds - Diaper

Ace of Hearts - Hat
King of Hearts - Hinge
Queen of Hearts - Queen
Jack of Hearts - Heart
10 of Hearts - Hose
9 of Hearts - Hoop

Practice makes perfect.
The way to practice these is to take a euchre deck and shuffle them up. Deal 4 cards face down and keep them separated from the rest of the cards. Next, flip over cards one at a time creating pictures in your mind of the destroyed substitute words. For example, the 10 of diamonds would be crushed dice, the Queen of hearts would be a beaten queen, etc. Don’t move on to the next card until you’ve created a memorable picture in your mind. When you get to the end of the deck try to guess what the four face down cards are.

You should practice this exercise a couple of times a day until it becomes second nature. After that you will need to do it once or twice a week just to keep in practice. And you should use it during a euchre game. At the very least using a system will make you pay more attention to the cards which will automatically make you remember better.

For more information about memorizing things like cards, numbers, faces and other things check out the excellent book by Harry Lorayne, Super Power Memory.

Euchre strategy - Analysis of a euchre hand

2006-07-06T07:33:00.000-05:00

There’s a lively debate going on over at the Euchre Science pages. The question is what you should do about the following hand.

Jack of Hearts
Jack of Diamonds
Ace of Diamonds
Jack of Clubs
10 of Clubs

The Ace of Hearts was turned down, and you are sitting in seat 1.

Should you go alone or take your partner along? Should you lead trump or lead the loser? Should the score matter in your decision?

Let’s look at the first question.

Alone or with partner?

In case you don’t much care about all the math, here is the bottom line to this answer first.

Bottom line: Unless your team’s score is 8 points, you should go alone on this hand. If you have 8 points, you should bring your partner along with you, lead 2 trump, and hope for her to have the highest club.

Now the details…
This question is the source of much debate. First, consider all the ways that your partner could possibly help you sweep or march.

A. They have 4 trump and an off-suit winner
B. They have the highest club
C. They are void in clubs and have a trump

Math WARNING!!!

A. They have 4 trump.
There are a total of 8568 possible hands that your partner can have. This is found by taking the total number of cards left unseen (18) and figuring out how many ways they can be sorted into groups of 5. Combination of 18 things taken 5 at a time is 8568.

Of these possible hands only 14 will have 4 trump and only 3 of those will have a guaranteed off-suit winner. That means partner will only have a 4 trump helping hand 0.05% of the time. Those aren’t good odds.

B. They have the highest club.
If your partner has the highest club and you’ve saved one of your winner trumps, you can sweep for 2 points. To keep it simple we’ll consider only hands in which your partner has the Ace of clubs. Of the 8568 possible hands, your partner will have the Ace of clubs 2380 times or 27.8%. You’ll have to lead 2 of your trump first and your partner will have to save the Ace but you will sweep under these conditions nearly 30% of the time. Which also means you won’t sweep 70% of the time.

C. They are void in clubs, have a trump.
Complicated, yes. But a situation like this is not simple. Of the 8568 hands, only 2002 will be void in clubs (23.4%), and 1750 of those will also have a trump. That puts the chances of this sweep at 20%

Unfortunately, none of these situations can occur simultaneously. And the way you play will depend on which of these hand holdings your partner has. Based on the scenarios above, your best play would be option B which gives you a 27.8% chance of a sweep.

However, what are the chances of you making a sweep by going alone?
The chances that the 3 clubs are buried (either in partner's hand or in the talon...er uh kitty) and you make your loner is 6.86%. That was found by the following simple combination equation.

1. Number of unknown cards = 18. (24 - your 5 cards - the turned down card)
2. Number of cards that can foil your loner = 3 (A, K, & Q of clubs)
3. Number of possible opponent distribution of unknown cards = 43,758 (combination of 18 things taken 10 at a time)

4. Number of possible opponent distributions that don't contain any of the cards that can foil you = 3003 (combination of 15 things taken 10 at a time)

5. 3003 / 43,758 = 6.86%

Now, I believe we can also add in the times when the opponents have a lone Queen of clubs because after you've played your 3 trumps they probably dumped the lone Queen in favor of other cards. This improves your chances as follows.

6. Number of possible opponent distributions that are either void of clubs or could contain the lone Queen of Clubs = 8008. (combination of 16 things taken 10 at a time)

7. 8008 / 43,758 = 18.3%

So you should expect to make a loner with this hand a little more than 1 out of every 6 times.

Game theory comparison.
Expectation alone = 4 * 18.3% + 1 * 81.7% = 1.55 points
Expectation with partner = 2 * 27.8% + 1 * 72.2% = 1.28 points

Over the long run, going alone will get you more points and that’s what you should play.

Euchre Gambitry - More on euchre tells

2006-07-05T06:25:00.000-05:00

Last week’s post on euchre tells prompted a good deal of response from the euchre universe. Here are some additional tells you can use to help improve your overall euchre game.

11. Listen to an opponent’s table talk.
Sword_4_hire suggests that you listen for when an opponent says “I need you partner” or words similar to that. This usually means that they are weak and provides a good opportunity to lead trump. It is especially good to lead trump if the opponent in the second seat ordered it up.

12. Staring at your cards.
Sithlord78 says you should only look at your cards when you need to. You can pick up a lot of information from someone’s reaction to their cards when they are looking at them. If you are not looking at your own cards it not only prevents you from giving off information about your hand but it allows you to look at other people and see how they like their own hand.

13. Rearranging their cards.
Sithlord78 also reminds us of the advice that you shouldn’t rearrange your cards. Look for people who rearrange their cards. This will give you a great idea of the distribution of their suits. When rearranging, they will grab cards of the same suit and put them together. If you remember where there cards were when they rearranged them, you can find out how many of the different suits they started with when they play from that part of their hand. I use this kind of information all the time.

14. Taking a long time to order.
Baliddle writes that you can sometimes get information about a player’s hand during the ordering process. If they take a long time to decide to order, their hand usually has some weakness. Against most players this is in the off-suits. In these situations you can feel more confident leading your off-suit aces.

15. Hesitation during play
Joeelf points out that some players will hesitate during the playing round. In this particular case it meant that the guy was holding the guarded left bower. This allowed the next player to finesse a lower trump and make the point.

Since euchre is a game that relies heavily on luck, tells are an important extra piece of information that can help you win more often. Learn to look for these and your game will improve immensely.

*Picture : Chicken in South Carolina with Cooper River Bridge in the background

Euchre on television

2006-07-03T06:28:00.000-05:00

While I’m not a fan and have never watched the show, it appears that the Fox TV show 24 is produced by some euchre enthusiasts. Consider the following facts.

1. The lead character is named Jack Bauer. – Certainly a reference to euchre n’est pas?
2. The standard euchre deck contains 24 cards – Convenient coincidence.
3. The show involves suspense, intrigue, and high-stakes international terrorist plots – exactly the same as most euchre games.

Wow! This is eerie.

Euchre strategy - The top 10 euchre tells

2006-06-30T08:02:00.000-05:00

Euchre QOD: “Strong is weak and weak is strong”

Euchre Palaver
Tell – A habit, behavior, or other physical reaction that lets other players know how strong your hand is.

Savvy Strategies
While it’s true that playing a statistically/mathematically based euchre strategy will win you more games than it loses, it will also naturally limit your ability to win. For example, we here at the euchre universe love the donation strategy but it also gives away points. In the best case, you should only use the donation strategy when you know one of your opponents is going to attempt and make a loner. But the only way to know for sure is by looking at their cards and this is against most normal rules of euchre.

Perhaps we can learn a lesson from the world of poker. Players are constantly trying to find hints or tells about what their opponents are holding. Can the same strategy be used in euchre? You bet!

An article posted at pokertop10.com lists some of the most common poker tells. Here they are as they might be applied to euchre.

1. Watch the eyes. Players with good hands will stare at them for an inordinate amount of time. Look to your opponents and see if their eyes tell you whether they’ve got a loner or not.

2. Facial expressions. When a player has a weak hand they will often frown but with a strong hand they will have a look of confidence about them. Watch for this. I know my usual partner is the easiest person in the world to read because she just can’t control her look of disappointment when her cards are terrible. Then again, neither can most people.

3. Weak is strong / Strong is weak. While this one works better for poker than euchre it can also be instructive. If someone seems disinterested in their hand it’s often because they have great cards and they are praying it comes to them so they can order up their monster. And if someone is obviously handling their cards like they have the best euchre hand ever, they’ve likely got nothing.

4. Anxiety. This one comes up when a player has a really strong hand (lay down loner perhaps). These are actual physical changes like eyes dilating or blood pressure increasing. Look for these uncontrollable changes in your opponent (or partner) to see if they have a great hand.

5. Trembling hands. Shaky fingers means a strong hand. It’s a sign of anxiety.

6. Glance at scorecard (chips). While there are no chips in euchre there is a scorecard. Often a player will use the score to decide what they are going to do, especially when they have 6, 7, or 8 points. This usually means they have a pretty good hand because they are trying to decide if they want to go alone or not. If they look at their cards and have no chance of making a loner, they usually don’t care about the score.

7. Peeking at hole cards on the flop. Although it is interesting for poker, it doesn’t have much application to euchre.

8. Repetitive betting patterns. Not applicable to euchre. Although repetitive drinking patterns can help your game. We discussed how the drinking gambit a little while back.

9. Body posture/Attitude. Look for a player’s shoulders to drop or for them to slump a bit when they have a weak hand. Don’t bother donating to this player. But look out for the player his sits up in her chair and is real attentive. They’ve got a great hand. Be careful to look for the actors however. When a player is making it obvious that they have a great hand (or really weak one) the opposite is usually true. As they say in poker, strength is weakness and weakness is strength.

10. Trick arranging. (Chip stacking). Generally, more thoughtful euchre players will arrange their tricks in an organized manner. These players will be solid but conservative. The less organized the tricks the crazier the player. If you see one of these at your table, get away fast!

Well, that’s it. Hope you enjoyed the top 10 euchre tells. If you have any to add please leave a comment.

Euchre Strategy - Hand of the week 1 play

2006-06-29T06:51:00.000-05:00

Euchre Quote: “Sometimes cheaters win”

Euchre Haiku:
Experts at euchre
Playing every hand perfect
And getting lucky

Savvy Strategies:
Hand of the week
Just to finish up on the hand of the week from Monday. Remember the hand was…

K (Hearts)
10 (Diamonds)
J (Clubs)
J 10 (Spades)

Upcard is…

Q (Diamonds)

The way you should play it depends on what happened during the ordering round and what seat you are sitting in.

Opponents order it up and they are dealing.
That would put you in either seat 1 or seat 3. In seat 1 you would have to decide what to lead. In this hand you have little chance of winning any trick. Your best hope is the King of hearts. Unfortunately, a non-trump King will only win a trick about 1 out of 10 games. And this King is the in the “next” suit which reduces the winning chances even more. Things are not looking promising for you to win a trick.

But of your five possible leads, the King of hearts is probably the best bet. There are really two reasons it is best. First, it might win a trick. Second, your partner might be short in that suit so she can ruff.

The other leading option is to lead the 10 of diamonds (a trump). I could support this option if the opponent in seat 2 ordered it up. A trump lead from you may force them to make a decision between playing the Right Bower or their Ace of trump. It may also strip the only trump out of the dealer’s hand. Of course, it could also strip your partner’s trump and screw up the whole defense so I’m going to stick with the recommendation to lead the King and hope for the best.

If the dealer orders it up, you should definitely lead the King of hearts or maybe the 10 of spades. All the things said about the King stand but the 10 of spade lead could possibly set up a win for the Jack of spade later in the round. It’s weak but possible.

Opponents order it up and you are dealing
In this case you are in either seat 2 or seat 4. Not much to do here except wait to see what’s played. With three singletons, you’re pretty much just going to be following suit.

Partner orders it up and they are dealing
If your partner orders it up and you’re in seat 1, lead that trump right away. She ordered from seat 3 so she must have a strong trump hand. She would like to see you pull trump so the opponents don’t win a cheap trick ruffing one of her off-suit aces.

Partner orders it up and you are dealing
Again, not much to do here except wait to see what’s played. With three singletons, you’re pretty much just going to be following suit.

So now you are an expert at playing this hand. If you become an expert at the remaining 42,503 hands you will be the greatest euchre player in the known universe, at least the Euchre Universe.

Euchre Strategy: Hand of the week number 1

2006-06-27T14:02:00.002-05:00

I hope you’ve been pondering the euchre hand of the week from yesterday’s post.

Today, we’ll discuss whether you should order it up or not.

There are a couple of missing pieces of information that are critical for you to know before you can answer the question, should I order it up or not?

You need to know the current score and which seat you are sitting in.

How to Order
The first step in deciding to order or not is to evaluate the power of the hand using the point system. With diamonds as trump, this hand is worth 5 points. Pretty much based on hand strength alone, you should always pass this hand. But making this decision based on hand strength alone will not lead to superior euchre play. Here are some situations where Passing wouldn’t be your best choice.

Order it up if…
1. You are sitting in seat 1 and the game score is 9-6 or 9-7. This euchre donation strategy will prevent a loner and possible immediate victory by the opponents.

2. You are in seat 1, it is passed around to you and your team has either 6, 7 or 9 points. With a score of 6 or 7, you should order up green, and go alone with Spades as trump. This gives you a chance for immediate victory. With 9 points, just order it up and win the game. With 8 points you should bag and let the opponents (or your partner) order something. The chances of you euchring them are pretty good. With all other scores not yet mentioned, you should order it up in green.

Tomorrow, we'll look at how you might play this hand.

Euchre strategy - Hand of the week 1

2006-06-26T07:26:00.000-05:00

Well, I’m back from vacation and ready to start writing a bit more about euchre. When I started this blog at the beginning of the year I really didn’t think about how long I could make it last or more importantly, how much material I had. But if thousands of blogs about poker can be kept, couldn’t one blog about euchre be kept up? Well, I’ll keep trying.

Perhaps the format that I was following was too restrictive. Today, something new.

I’m going to deal out a random hand. And talk about how to play it.

Here’s the hand of the week…

K (Hearts)
10 (Diamonds)
J (Clubs)
J 10 (Spades)

Upcard is…

Q (Diamonds)

Questions to consider.

How should this hand be ordered?

How should this hand be played?

Tomorrow, we’ll talk about the answers.

On vacation

2006-06-19T09:18:00.000-05:00

I'm on vacation in South Carolina. But for all of you who need your Chicken fix here's a shot to enjoy....

Euchre Strategy - How to play a euchre hand

2006-06-14T07:22:00.000-05:00

Euchre QOD: “There’s no atheism in euchre!”

Euchre Haiku:
When your foes have six
And they order it alone
Will a euchre hand

Euchre Palaver
“Euchre hand” – A hand that has at least one winning trick no matter what suit is declared trump. An example would be a hand with 4 jacks. With this hand, you can’t help but win trick.

Savvy Strategies
Unlike a game like Bridge, Euchre has a small enough number of unique hands that it is possible to be dealt every hand in your lifetime. Think about it this way.

There are 42,504 possible euchre hands.
The average euchre game goes 10 hands.

So, if you played one game of euchre a day, you should expect to see every possible hand in just over 11 years. Play 3 games a day and you’ll see every hand in about 4 years.

But it won’t feel like it takes this long because many hands are practically the same. If you hand a farmer’s hand would it really feel different if your two 10s were the diamonds & clubs versus hearts & spades? No. Thus the number of unique “feeling” hands is much lower than 42,000.

With the frequency of unique feeling hands in mind, you can bet that sometime during a marathon session of euchre you are going to be dealt a euchre hand. These are a type of hand that has a guaranteed winner no matter what suit is called trump. It is an excellent hand when you are on defense but not as strong on offense.

Euchre Hand Examples.
1. Any hand with four jacks. With this hand you’ve got 2 winners no matter what suit is ordered. But 2 winners is not enough and to make, you will need some help from your partner.
2. Any hand with three jacks and an ace in the suit in which you don’t have a jack. Here you can’t help but win a trick.

3. Any hand with three jacks and a King, Queen combination in the other suit. Again, a winner no matter what suit is called.

The nice thing about a euchre hand is that it will prevent a march. The bad thing about it is that it is not usually strong enough to order trump, but as we’ve seen that will depend on the seat & score. Here are some ordering tips.

Euchre Hand Strategies.
1. In seat 1, pass in the first round. Order “Next” in the second. This play was described in the two jack ordering entry from last week.

2. In seat 2, pass in both first and second rounds. You have a good chance at euchring your opponents or being of great assistance to your partner.

3. In seat 3, pass in the first round, order it up in the second. With 3 Jacks, you’ve got two winners in at least 1 trump suit. You might as well take a gamble.

4. In seat 4, pass in the first round, order it up in the second. Again, you’ve got at least two winners. Count on your partner for 1 and you’ll score at least 1 point for your side. Euchre is not a game for the timid.

Follow these tips for handling a euchre hand and you’ll be euchring more opponents than you ever have.

Euchre Traveler
Traveling abroad this summer? Well, if you want to go to a place with real life euchre be sure to go to visit Cornwall, located in the south west corner of England. According to the wikipedia, there are numerous leagues throughout the county.

Euchre Strategy - Two Bower hand defense

2006-06-12T06:59:00.000-05:00

Euchre QOD: “Play passive when you’re strong”

Euchre Haiku:
Strong hands on defense
They require passive play
Hang your opponents

Euchre Palaver
“Benny” – A term for the joker. In some euchre circles, the joker is used to denote the absolute highest bower. Why an extra card had to be added to the deck is beyond me. But to be a complete euchre player, you should know all the terms.

Savvy Strategies
As promised, an entry on how to play a hand with two Jacks. Just to break things up a bit we’ll look at the two Jack hand on defense first.

Here’s the scenario. You are sitting in seat 1 and have a 2 Jack hand. The dealer ordered it up. What should you lead?

Many people I know will automatically lead one Jack and then the next. The thinking is that it makes sense to pull out the opponent’s trump and see how they fair in the off-suit. While this is a logical strategy it is not the best one to employ.

Unfortunately, what happens is that you end up pulling the trump out of your partner’s hand making it highly unlikely that they will win any tricks. And if you don’t have an ace, then your opponents will still have a chance to make.

Even if you have an Ace, you shouldn’t lead like this. The play that gives you the best chance of euchring your opponents is to lead a low, off-suit card. This lead gives your partner a shot at winning the trick (outright or by trumping it) or it could force your opponent to have to trump. This will give him two or less trump most likely and give you a great shot at stripping his trump.

The bottom line is that when you hold two bowers on defense, don’t lead them until you know you will pull out the trump! Play passive to hang the opponents.

Euchre on the Web
Only in the Midwest are you going to find people mentioning euchre in their personal ad. Check out Joan and Sharon. Feel free to contact these ladies if you are looking to do a little dating in Ohio.

Euchre Universe Notes:
Sorry about the infrequent posts. I was out on vacation last week and am going again next week. We’ll get better after that.

Euchre Strategy - Double Hooks, The Two Bower Hand

2006-06-06T22:18:00.000-05:00

Euchre QOD: “Always count on your partner for one trick”

Euchre Haiku
Two jacks in your hand
Double hooks means two winners
You still need one more

Euchre Savvy Strategies:
Every so often you are going to be dealt a euchre hand that has 2 bowers, but no other trump. Should you order this hand up or not? Go alone? How should you play it?

Well, the answers to these questions depend on various factors such as seat position, score, and the value of the other cards in your hand. Today we’ll look at whether you should order it up or not. Tomorrow, we’ll look at how to play ‘em.

Seat Position. As we’ve seen in previous posts, the seat position plays a big role in whether you should order or not. Here are some guidelines worth following.

Seat 1 : Never order it up in the first round. Nothing good can come of ordering up in the first round from seat 1. If one of the opponents happens to have 4 trump, then you could get euchred. If your partner had 4 trump, you just squelched her loner. Since you get to order up first in the second round, you can make trump Next and have an excellent shot of making it or maybe even getting a sweep.

Seat 2: Generally, order it up but sometimes you might pass. In this seat, you have an excellent shot of making it and it isn’t likely that your partner has a loner. You may as well order it up and be happy to get a point or two. If you have an off ace and you’ve got 6 or 7 points, going alone would also be a good play. Passing may be a better decision if you are playing against good euchre players. They will have a tendency to automatically order Next and you’ll have a great chance of euchring them for 2 points. This doesn’t work as well if you are playing opponents who don’t know the value of the Next strategy.

Seat 3: Generally, you should pass. You have an excellent hand for setting an aggressive dealer and a perfect helper hand if your partner orders Next on her turn. However, if your partner is timid and hasn’t embraced the Next strategy, you need to try something different.

In that case, order it up unless your opponents have 8 points. The chances of your team getting euchred are pretty low. Simulations of this situation still show that your team will win about 65% of the hands which is just about a break-even point according to game theory.

Seat 4: Order it up, and go alone most of the time. If you have 2 bowers in your hand, that means there is another trump on the table. You’ll have 3 trump and 3 sure tricks. You better go alone. But suppose one bower is on the table and you have one in your hand. In this case, you should just pick it up and play with your partner unless your team has 6 or 7 points.

Score
If you have 6 or 7 points and some decent off cards (an ace, king, two suited) feel free to go alone. There is a chance that you can march and a relatively small chance that you’ll get euchred. To go alone you should have some non-trump potential winners but it’s worth a shot since a march will give you the game.

If the opponents have 8 points, don’t go alone unless you have an off ace or even two. Being euchred will lose you the game which would suck. Getting euchred when the opponents have 8 points is like making the third out at third base in baseball. Just order it up and take your 1 point.

Other cards in your hand
Of course, the stronger your off-suit cards, the stronger you can play. If you have an off-ace or two you should be going alone. If you have a fistful of queens, tens and nines you better bring your partner along to help. As the old adage goes, always count on your partner for one trick.

Tomorrow, we’ll look at how you should play the two jack hand.

Euchre News - Around the world of euchre

2006-06-06T07:19:00.000-05:00

Euchre QOD: “I’m dying, but then again aren’t we all”

Euchre Haiku:
Nothing is endless
Bad cards, lucky breaks all cease
Except a circle

Euchre Obits
It seems we lost a euchre player on May 31, 2006. Ronald Childers, the game will miss you.

Euchre News
Who says Canadians can’t play euchre? Nobody, I guess. Here’s a quaint story about a group that started playing euchre when Ronald Regan was president.

And a story about a retiring lunch lady who will have more time to play euchre. Watch for Linda Zulz online.

Blog reorganization

2006-06-05T07:13:00.000-05:00

Hello Euchre Universe faithful.

To make this blog more useful we are in the process of organizing all the old entries into various categories. You can see some of the new categories on the side there such as Euchre Playing Strategies, Euchre Ordering Strategies, etc.

This is taking a little time so today we will only be left with a picture of the chicken after a wild night of drinking. We'll be back in full swing tomorrow.

Euchre Strategy - Liberal Loner versus the Conservatives

2006-06-02T07:18:00.000-05:00

Euchre QOD: “Lose a little to win a lot”

Euchre Haiku:
Go alone often
Mathematics are on your side
As should your partner

Euchre Palaver
“Loner” – Ordering up while telling your partner to lay their cards down. You attempt to make without help from your partner. Scoring is the same as if you were playing with your partner except that if you sweep you get awarded 4 points.

Savvy Strategies
I stumbled across this website that tells you how to play euchre. eHow is actually a pretty interesting website and if you want to know how to do something, someone probably wrote it up already. Anywhoo…

Here is what someone wrote as a “good” tip.

“You can only call a loaner hand if you have the trump ace, both bars, and no 9's in your hand. Even with the one trump nine, you cannot call a loaner, it is too risky.”

Now frequent visitors of the Euchre Universe have heard that euchre is a game for the bold. If you are limiting your Loner calls to hands in which you have the top three trump and no 9’s, you are not going to win as many euchre games as you should. This advice is so conservative that it will hurt your game.

True you will never get euchred when playing like this. Some people get really embarrassed when they get euchred on a loner. But this is ridiculous. By following the tenets of game theory, you have to make the play that gives you the highest rate of return. Sometimes this return will lead to a loss, but if the gain is great enough it wins over the long hall. Let’s look at two possibilities.

Conservative lone bidder. Never orders a loner on a hand that can get euchred.
Liberal lone bidder. Orders a loner whenever there is a positive expectation of gain.

Based on experience and a little logical guesswork we can put some numbers behind these two approaches to see which is better. To figure it out we need to know how often the loner is called, how often they make the loner, and how often they are euchred.

For the conservative bidder these factors would be as follows.

Ordering up a loner - 1%

Getting euchred – 0%

Sweeping – 50%

Making bid – 100%

For the Liberal lone bidder the numbers are more like this.

Ordering up a loner – 10%

Getting euchred – 10%

Sweeping – 10%

Making bid – 90%

So how do these two players fair over the course of 1000 games? The following equations shed some light on that.

Conservative:
the number of times they order a loner: 1000 x 1% = 10 hands
Expectation: (1 x 100%) + (3 x 50%) = 2.5 points
Points generated over 1000 games = 25 points

Liberal:
the number of times they order a loner: 1000 x 10% = 100 hands
Expectation: (1 x 90%) + (3 x 10%) – (2 x 10%) = 1 point
Points generated over 1000 games = 100 points

That’s a huge difference!

It just shows that sometimes you have to risk losing a little to win a lot.

Note: Just because Liberal bidding is more successful here doesn't mean it always holds true, in euchre or in politics.

Euchre on the web - No more on MSN

2006-05-31T06:18:00.000-05:00

Euchre QOD: “The cards they are a changin’”

Euchre Haiku:
Nothing is timeless
A euchre game starts and ends
Nineteen hands or less

Euchre on the Web
Looks like MSN is getting out of the euchre business. According to their site they are “retiring” their euchre game on June 19, 2006. According to one inside source they just weren’t getting enough players. As I write this there are 74 players. Well, they’ll get a lot less now. If only they embraced the euchre universe. Perhaps we could’ve driven a bit more traffic their way. Oh well, there are other places to play. Check out the links on the side page.

Joe Andrews had had a column on the MSN Euchre pages and you can see them here for the time being. Rumor has it that they will be taking them down.

Euchre Gambitry Articles

2006-05-30T19:10:00.000-05:00

Sometimes playing the game flawlessly using the euchre techniques found at the Euchre Universe will not be enough to win. Here is a list of entries that discuss some of the trickier ways to get more points.

Euchre Gambitry
Ethics of euchre - Are there any?
A Beer and Euchre Brew – Winning with beer
Slow down, you move too fast – How to discard
Mind control – Controlling your opponents
Some shifty plays – How people cheat at euchre
Dirty deals and deceptions – How people cheat at euchre part 2
Using readers – Looking for natural marks on cards
Stealin' stealin' pretty momma don't you tell on me – Stealing the deal
Be quick about it – How to prevent a lone call
Laying down and cutting – How to prevent a cheater

Euchre Strategy - A Beer and Euchre Brew

2006-05-30T07:06:00.000-05:00

Euchre QOD: “Is the euchre universe finite?”

Euchre Haiku:
Cold beer and euchre
A pair like peaches and cream
Beer and winning, no

Euchre Palaver
“Euchre juice” – Beer.

Savvy Strategies
I have a brother-in-law who doesn’t drink alcohol. He is a fairly good euchre player but he gets a lot better after everyone else has had a bit too much euchre juice. So a simple strategy to winning euchre is to surround yourself with euchre players who like to drink. Winning is a lot easier when your opponents are making mistakes. My partner and I have used this to great advantage in our euchre league. We spend the entire night drinking seltzer water with a lime. We don’t necessarily tell our opponents that it’s a straight seltzer instead preferring to let them believe it is a Vodka Tonic or Gin Fizz. They are lulled into a false sense of security and we’re ready to swoop in a take the victory.

Euchre Travel
If you happen to be passing through southern Oregon, be sure to stop by Euchre Creek. I believe it is somehow connected with Euchre Falls so you can get them both done in one trip.

Euchre Tradition - The Cow of Euke

2006-05-26T07:30:00.000-05:00

Euchre QOD: “Milk. It does a bower good.”

Euchre Haiku:
We just euchred them
Our seven score becomes nine
So pull my fingers

Euchre Palaver
In the barn – This means a team has scored 9 points in a 10 point game and is one away from victory. Also known as At the Bridge.

Euchre Traditions
One of the more obnoxious traditions in euchre is a move called “milking the cow”. The way it works is this. When a team makes it “in the barn” one of the team members holds their arms out in front of them and gives a two-thumbs-up sign. They then twist their arms so that both thumbs are pointing down. The downward pointing thumbs are supposed to represent a cow’s udders.

At that point, the other partner on the team reaches over and pulls on both of the thumbs in a manner that is supposed to represent milking a cow. Typically, some kind of trash talking or other celebratory announcements are made while this action is going on.

For us more sophisticated Chicago euchre players, we frown on this kind of behavior. It’s strictly country.

Euchre Universe Notes
We're off the the Cubs game today. This season is brutal. With any luck, a euchre game will break out in the stands.

Euchre on the Web - Short and sweet

2006-05-25T23:03:00.000-05:00

The folks over at boardgamegeek.com have listed the top 20 “lifestyle” games of all time. I was happy to see that Euchre made it up to number 14.

Euchre Science - Health benefits of euchre

2006-05-24T07:14:00.000-05:00

Euchre QOD: “You’ll never get sick of cards.”

Euchre Haiku:
Feeling a bit drab
Call your pals to play euchre
You will feel better

The Science of Euchre
Did you ever notice that when you are playing euchre you never really feel sick? At least not until the effects of the numerous beers kick in. Well, it turns out that your euchre activities may actually be making you feel better. Researchers out of the University of California, Berkeley have discovered that contract bridge players actually have more immune cells after they play than before.

And since the two games have numerous similarities, this research can certainly be applicable to euchre. In fact, it’s likely that the only reason they didn’t run this study on euchre players was because it was conducted in California. Nobody in California plays euchre, right? Now, if the study was done by somebody at the Indiana University, they would’ve surely picked euchre.

In the study, they took blood samples of the players before and after a 90 minute bridge game, and measured the levels of T cells. It turns out there was a significant increase in blood levels after playing. T cells are the white blood cells that patrol your body in search of viruses and other microbial invaders.

So the next time you’re feeling a little under the weather, go out and play a little euchre. It will actually make you feel better.

Euchre strategy - Defending Against a Bower Upcard

2006-05-23T06:27:00.000-05:00

Euchre QOD: “If it wasn’t for bad luck, I’d get none at all”

Euchre Haiku:
A card that can win
Comforting when on defense
Frustrates the offense

Euchre Palaver
“Stopper” – A card in a suit that is guaranteed to take a trick when played properly. For example, the Right bower or a guarded Left bower.

Savvy Strategies
As we saw in this previous post, while turning up a Jack as the dealing team is one of the greatest moments in a euchre game, it’s one of the worst things to see if you’re the team on defense. But as we suggested the other day, there are different things you should do to ensure the highest probability of winning the game. Here are a few tips.

If you are in the first seat (left of the dealer)…

1. If the dealing team has 5 points or less, pass. Ordering up a bower to your opponents ensures they will win at least 1 trick making a sweep by your team impossible. You would almost have to have the next 3 highest ranking cards just to make sure you win 3 tricks. And even if you have those cards, you miss the opportunity to euchre an overly aggressive opponent. Unless you are playing really passive players, you should generally pass no matter what cards you have.

2. If your team is “in the barn” and you have a really strong hand, order it up. I know I just said don’t order it up but if you have a good chance of making it and you have scored 9 points already. Go ahead and go for it. The fact that you only need one point to win the game makes it worth ordering with hands that have 3 sure winners.

3. If the dealing team has 6 or 7 points, order it up if you do not have a stopper. This is a donation strategy and prevents the dealing team from winning the game outright with a loner. You don’t want to order if you have a stopper because this guarantees that they won’t be able to score 4 points and win the game.
4. If the dealing team has 8 points, order it up only if you have a sure winning hand. For example, you have four or five trump headed by the Left. This tip should be used sparingly however as you may want to just pass and hope that your opponent gets too aggressive and orders it up on next to nothing. This will allow you to score 2 points by euchring them instead of just 1 point.

If you are in the third seat (right of the dealer)…

5. Are you playing? Pass, pass, pass unless... Your partner is the one who should be making the decisions. If you are playing with a partner who will never donate then you should order it up when the opponents have 6 or 7 points and you don’t have a guaranteed stopper. You could also order it up if your team is “in the barn” and you have 3 nearly sure winners. But mostly, you should be passing.

That’s it for the Jack up-card ordering strategies. If you have any thoughts, leave a comment.

Euchre on the Web

If you are hosting a euchre tournament this site has a handy bracket maker and the best part is that it is free to join. You’ve got to register of course, but it is relatively easy to use. Check it out. It also works well if you are hosting a Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament. Now those are cool!

Euchre Strategy - When Jack is an Up-card

2006-05-19T07:20:00.000-05:00

Euchre QOD: “Turn down a bower, lose for an hour”

Euchre Haiku:
The clicks of the cards
Anticipating the flip
Glory to the Jack

Savvy Strategies
One of the greatest moments you will experience in a euchre game is when you are the dealer, you flip over the up-card and it is a Jack! This shoots the odds of your team scoring points way up.

Of course, that is only true if you actually pick it up. If you are playing winning euchre, you should almost NEVER turn down a bower. Consider even the worst euchre hand you could imagine…

You are dealing and the up-card is the Jack of Clubs. In your hand is 10 & 9 of diamonds, 10 & 9 of hearts, and 9 of spades. Strictly speaking, the point system would tell you to turn this down in a heart-beat. But the up-card bower presents a special circumstance which requires a bit of an adjustment to the point system strategy. In this case you should *order up the club and ditch the 9 of spades. You may get euchred but you will score more points in the long run.

Here are some tips to follow when the up-card is a Jack.

If you are the dealer…
1. As the dealer, always pick it up unless there is a good reason not to. To win at euchre means you don’t pass very often. A winning strategy sometimes requires that you order up weak hands to prevent your opponents from making loners.

The only really good reasons not to pick it up:

2. Don’t pick it up if you have sure winners in the 3 other suits. If you have a stopper in all the other suits (for example 2 opposite colored bowers and two Next trump) then feel free to pass. At most your opponents will score 1 point and they won’t make a loner.

3. Don’t pick it up if your hand is really weak and your opponents have 8 points. A really weak hand is like the one described above. No need to donate the game to your opponents. Make them earn it.

4. It is against the rules*. Unfortunately, some people play that you need a trump in your hand to order up.

If you are in seat 2 (the dealer’s partner)…

5. Don’t order it up to your partner, unless there is a really good reason to do it! Forget how many card points you have, follow the advice of the Euchre Gurus on this one. As brilliantly stated in the Eighth Commandment of Euchre, don’t do it. You could easily blow your partner’s loner and cost your team 2 points. Don’t worry, if you’re partner is following the rules above she’ll order it up.

The only really good reasons to do it…

6. Order it up if you have a loner yourself. Well, if you think you’ll be able to make it alone then by all means do it. You know where the big bower is so that should definitely help out.
7. Order it up if your team has 9 points. In this case it doesn’t matter whether your team score 1, 2 or 4 points. Any one of those will give you the game. Your partner will be happy to know that you have some support

So that’s it. Follow these tips on offense and you’ll be winning more euchre games than you were before. Tomorrow, we’ll look at what you should do if you are on defense. It turns out there are some cases where you should order it up.

*Note: Some euchre rules do not allow ordering up a suit in which you don’t have at least one. If you have at least one trump, Always pick up the bower.

We're back, sorta

2006-05-18T07:38:00.000-05:00

Euchre QOD: “Euchre, I don’t even know her.”

Euchre Haiku:
Take a few days off
No euchre games for a week
Recall how to play?

Euchre Palaver
“Lose your deal” – This is what happens when every player passes in both the first and second ordering rounds. When you are playing “screw the dealer” this will never happen. If you are playing advanced euchre players, it should never happen either.

Euchre Universe Notes
Sorry to all the Euchre Universe faithful about the lack of posts recently but I’ve been away on a trip and didn’t have Internet access. This one is short but we’ve got lots of big plans for the Euchre Universe coming up. Stay tuned…

Wedding Today

2006-05-12T17:05:00.000-05:00

Euchre Ordering Strategies

2006-05-11T15:54:00.000-05:00

Much has been written on the Euchre Universe about when you should bid. Here is a complete list of everything we've said about how and when to order up.

The Point System of Ordering
Points is points – The point system of ordering
When to order it up
The point system in action
Seats aren't all the same
More about your seat – Adjusting the point system
More on points – When to order it up
A little more on ordering – How to order
Tips for Dealer ordering – What to do when you’re the dealer
Seat 3 ordering strategies
The power of seat 2 – Ordering from seat 2
Ordering from seat 1
When Jack is an Up-card – How to handle this on offense
Stop in the name of love – The stopper hand
Assisting your partner – Ordering from seat 2
The weak lady and her pips – Ordering weak
Cutting loose in euchre – The break even theory
Paying Al – The donation strategy
Jean jean the green machine – When to order next
Ordering against tight players – Adjusting how you order

Ordering Alone
Liberal Loner versus the Conservatives
Hand of the week – How to play this loner
Saving your point alone – Don’t get euchred if you don’t have to
The lonely euchre player – When to go alone

Euchre on the web - The Wedding Bells Approach

2006-05-11T08:01:00.000-05:00

Euchre QOD: “Go make a difference”

Euchre Haiku:
Married on Friday
Play euchre on Saturday
Recover Sunday

Euchre on the Web
It looks like the Semi-Official Euchre Site is back online! This one is full of good euchre information and we here at the Euchre Universe highly recommend it.

Here’s a quiz we found that is really easy. If you can’t pass this, go back to the archives and start reading the Euchre Universe from the Big Bang (beginning).

A nice article on euchre is posted here. It’s a bit old but if you haven’t read it, it’s new to you. Forget about going to the website suggested in the column (www.absoluteeuchre.com). It doesn’t have any quality content and directly rips off material from the Semi-Official Euchre Site

And finally, if you happen to be traveling in Oregon (US) be sure to stop by Euchre Falls. It’s near Euchre Mountain. We haven’t had any of our staff visit themselves but the author doesn’t have much good to say about it. But it’s a waterfall. Waterfalls are pretty.

Blog Notes
Well, the posts might be a bit sketchy in the next week as the key staff member of the Euchre Universe is going to be off getting married. Even the chicken is going to appear at the wedding so don’t look for any posts from him. But we’ll be back by midweek and full of new discoveries in the Euchre Universe.

Euchre Playing Strategy Entries

2006-05-10T07:46:00.000-05:00

We've written many posts about how you should play your cards. Here is a good starting point for learning everything that's been written in the Euchre Universe.

The Fine Art of Finessing – What to lead
Double green lead – A classic strategy
Sitting in the drop – Positioning your play
Another leading tip – What to lead
What to do when you're long – Leading with a long suit
When you can't win a trick – Signaling with cards
The lone ace lead – What to play on your partner
Snakey strategies – The squeeze play
Shake your tail feather – When you should lead trump
Go big or go home – What card should you play?
What should you dump? – The art of the discard
How ruff is euchre? – The art of ruffing
Lead a loser – To make your point
Lead up to leading – General leading tips

Defense
Defending Against a Bower Upcard
When should you bag? – How to euchre an opponent
Alone again, naturally – Defending a loner
Loner defense resolved – Stopping a loner part 2

Euchre on the web - Acronyms Revisited

2006-05-09T21:59:00.000-05:00

Euchre QOD: “TFSB, GMAD”

Euchre Haiku:
Characters are short
But the messages are clear
It’s online euchre

Euchre Palaver
“Playing online” – This just means that you are at your computer and you are playing euchre through one of the various online gaming sites listed on the side over there.

Savvy Strategies
Learning to talk to your fellow euchre enthusiasts online is an art form all its own. In a post from last week we examined some of the acronyms used when playing online.

Here is a more extensive list of terms uncovered by the Euchre Universe staff that you are going to see when your partner and opponents are digital. We’ll add them to the official Euchre Palaver as an addendum.

2u2 -- To You Too
10x -- Thanks
afc -- Away From Computer
afk -- Away From Keyboard
aka -- Also Known As
asap -- As Soon As Possible
asl -- Age/Sex/Location
attn -- Attention
b4 -- Before
b4n -- Bye For Now
bb -- Bye Bye
bb4n -- Bye Bye For Now
bbfn -- Bye Bye For Now
bbiab -- Be Back In A Bit
b/c -- Because
bcc -- Blind Carbon Copy
beg. -- Beginner
bf -- BoyFriend or Best Friend
bfn -- Bye For Now
bm -- Bite Me
blnt -- Better Luck Next Time
bol -- Best Of Luck
bot(s) -- Computer Opponent(s)
brb -- Be Right Back
bs -- Bull Shit
btw -- By The Way
c -- See
cc -- Carbon Copy
cu -- See You
cul8r -- See You Later
cya -- See You
cuz -- Cause (Because)
da -- The
d/c -- Disconnected
ez -- Easy
faq -- Frequently Asked Question(s)
fw -- Forward
fyi -- For You Information
g -- Grin
g1 -- Good One
g2g -- Got To Go
ge -- Good Evening
gf -- GirlFriend
gg -- Good Game
ggp -- Good Game Partner
gl -- Good Luck
gl2u2 -- Good Luck To You Too
gm -- Good Morning or Good Match
gmt -- Greenwich Mean Time
gmta -- Great Minds Think Alike
gn -- Good Night
gr -- Good Roll
gr8 -- Great
gtg -- Got To Go
h -- Hug
h&k -- Hug & Kiss
hagd -- Have A Good Day
hagn -- Have A Good Night
ha ha -- Laugh
he he -- Laugh
hiya -- Hi You
ho ho -- Sarcastic Laugh
ic -- I See
ie -- That Is
im -- Instant Message/Messaging
imho -- In My Humble/Honest Opinion
imnsho -- In My Not So Humble Opinion
imo -- In My Opinion
irl -- In Real Life
isp -- Internet Service Provider
iwi -- I Will Invite
iwr -- I Will Report
k -- OK
kotc -- Kiss On The Cheek
kotl -- Kiss On The Lips
l8r -- Later
LG -- Ladder Game
lmao -- Laughing My Ass Off
lmbo -- Laughing My Butt Off
LN -- Ladder Name
lol -- Laughing Out Loud
LOL -- Laughing Out Loud Even Harder
LOLOL -- Lots Of Laughing Out Loud
LOOL -- Laughing Out Outrageously Loud
L/R -- Lost/Reported
mf -- My Friend
min -- Minute
miw -- May I Watch
mp -- My Pleasure
mwah -- Friendly Kiss
n/a -- Not Acceptable or Not Applicable or Not Available
nb -- Nota Bene
ne1 -- Anyone
nn -- Night Night
np -- No Problem
nr -- Nice Roll
oic -- Oh! I See
omg -- Oh My God
omw -- On My Way
p -- Partner
pls -- Please
plz -- Please
pm -- Private Message
ppl -- People
q&a -- Questions & Answers
qt -- Cutie
r -- Are
re -- Regarding
rgds -- Regards
rofl -- Rolling On the Floor Laughing
roflmao -- Rolling On the Floor Laughing My Ass Off
s -- Smile
sec -- Second
ss -- So Sorry
ssdd -- Same Shit, Different Day
tc -- Take Care
tff -- Too Freakin' Funny or Too F$#%in' Funny
thx -- Thanks
tl -- Talk Later
tmi -- Too Much Information
tnx -- Thanks
tom. -- Tommorrow
ttfn -- Ta Ta For Now
ttyl -- Talk To You Later
ty -- Thank You
tyvm -- Thank You Very Much
tyfp -- Thank You For Playing
tyt -- Take Your Time
u -- You
u2 -- You Too
ur -- Your or You're
url -- Uniform Resource Locator (Web Site Address)
urw -- You're Welcome
vgg -- Very Good Game
vgm -- Very Good Match
vnr -- Very Nice Roll
w -- Wink
w8 -- Wait
wb -- Welcome Back
w/o -- Without
wtf -- What The F#$k
wtg -- Way To Go
www -- World Wide Web
xoxo -- Hugs and Kisses
y -- Why
ya -- You
yp -- Your Play
yqw -- You're Quite Welcome
yvw -- You're Very Welcome
yw -- You're Welcome
z -- The
zzzzzz -- Sleeping or Hurry Up

And in case you were wondering what the Euchre QOD means, it’s a couple of phrases we like to say here at the Euchre Universe.

“Thanks for stoppin’ by” and “Go make a difference.”

Euchre Book Reviews - How Many Chickens Did It Get?

2006-05-09T20:36:00.000-05:00

From time to time we will get our hands on a new (to us) euchre book and we think it is only right that a review is in order by one of the excellent, reading staff members of the Euchre Universe. That way, you can get an unbiased perspective of the tome prior to plunking down your hard-earned cash. No one wants to waste their money on drivel.

If you have a euchre or card book you would like reviewed, please email us at thejoggler@gmail.com.

So here they are. The ongoing list of Euchre or other appropriate Card books, reviewed thoroughly so you know what you're buying. If it's highlighted, just click on the book name to read the review.

----------------------
Book: The Columbus Book of Euchre
Author: Natty Bumpo
Year: 1982, 1999
Rating: 4 out of 5 chickens

Overall: This is a must have euchre book. If you can get past the “homey” look and odd organization, you’ll discover a wealth of information that will make even the worst euchrehead better.

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Book: Win at Euchre
Author: Thomas A. Gallagher
Rating: 2 out of 5 chickens
Complete Review: Click here

Overall: This book has some interesting content including a unique point system for evaluating your hand. However, it is also disorganized, complicated and way overpriced for what you get. It's worth reading but don't expect much.
---------------------------------------------

Book: The Complete Win At Euchre
Author: Joseph Andrews
Rating: 4 out of 5 chickens
Complete Review: Click here