Two-Handed Euchre
Posted by Rob Herman at April 11th, 2006
Today, I present to you the rules for Two-Handed Euchre. It’s a fun, fast game for two people. The rules are similar to ordinary Euchre, but the play really isn’t. There’s more of an emphasis on tempo and remembering/guessing where the cards are. I find it to be a satisfying mix of strategy and luck.
Alatar beats the crap out of me at this game. I suspect he grasps the strategy at the deepest level that this game presents, and I’m missing something fundamental. I seem to be able to hold my own against most other people, though.
Deck: An ordinary Euchre deck, 9-A in every suit.
Deal: The deal alternates from round to round. Deal three cards face-down in front of each player; deal three cards face-up on top of those, and deal five cards for a hand. There should be two cards remaining. Reveal the top card as in ordinary Euchre.
Determining trump: First the dealer’s opponent, then the dealer has the opportunity to call the suit of the turned-up card as trump. If this happens, the dealer takes that card into his hand, sets a card from his hand facedown in its place, and the round begins.
If the dealer does not pick up the card, he turns it face-down, and his opponent has the opportunity to name any other suit as trump. If he does not, the dealer must name another suit as trump.
Play of the hand: Rank order is as in ordinary Euchre. Non-dealer leads to the first trick. Your hand is considered to be any cards in your hand, plus any that are face-up in front of you. If you play a face-up card that had a card below it, flip the face-down card up at the end of the trick. Obviously, these covered face-down cards do not count towards your obligation to follow suit. Thus, your hand changes as the turn wears on and new cards are added to your hand.
Scoring: When all 11 tricks are played, both players score one points for each trick captured. However, if the player to name the trump suit does not take at least 6 tricks, that player gets no points and his opponent gets 5 points for every trick short of 6. By contrast with regular Euchre, a pen and paper are required. Play for half an hour or so, or until whatever you were waiting for happens. Then total the scores (by crossing out the hands that cancel each other out, and adding the rest) and determine the final victor.
This reminds me; I was introduced to a Chinese card game this weekend. It’s a casual sort of game called, amongst other names, Chinese Poker or Big 2. I think I’ve heard that there’s an western game that’s similar, but don’t know of it personally. The game is for between 2-4 players.
Deck: Standard deck of cards. TTthe suits are ranked D C H S, and the rankings are 3-A-2. In other words, standard order, but 2s are the highest card.
Deal: Cards are dealt into hands of 13. The deal passes clockwise between rounds.
Play of the Hand: The dealer starts by placing between 1-5 cards face up on the table that make up a valid hand. The valid hands are similar to poker hands:
1 card
1 pair
3 of a kind
straight
flush
full house
4 of a kind
Then, going around clockwise, each player either puts down a better hand containing the same number of cards, or passes. Whoever plays last before everyone passes has won control and begins the next round. Hands of equal value are broken by suit, then by rank. For example, 2S, 2D is higher than 2C, 2H because the high card of the first hand is 2S, and the second hand is 2H. In the same way, a flush of spades beats any flush of any other suit. I’m told this is just the way poker games work in Chinese casino games, it’s not unique to this particular game.
Scoring: Whoever plays the last card in their hand first wins, and scores a number of points equal to the number of cards held by all other players.
Ah, one more rule: 4 of a kind can be played as a four card hand, or a five card hand (with any fifth card thrown in).