Euchre variations and house rules

Michigan euchre, farmer's hand, the Canadian loner, three handed euchre and the rest. What each rule actually says and where it is played.

Last updated 2026-09-06

There is no world authority on euchre. What there is instead is a few hundred regional variations, all of which are convinced they are the real one. Here are the ones you will actually run into.

Stick the dealer

If everyone passes twice, the dealer must name a suit. Effectively universal in the American Midwest and Ontario. Covered in full on stick the dealer.

Michigan and Midwest euchre

Euchre is close to a state sport in Michigan, and what people mean by "how we play it here" is usually a bundle:

• Stick the dealer, always. Nobody asks.
• Play to 10, with 11 appearing in league play.
• Farmer's hand allowed, described below.
• Deal in packets of 2 and 3. Dealing one at a time gets you a comment.
• Table talk discouraged but not policed, unlike tournament rules.
• Some tables play "no ace no face," a redeal for a hand with no ace and no face card.

None of these are official. They are what the table expects, and getting them wrong marks you as somebody who learned online.

Farmer's hand

A hand so bad it deserves a second chance. The strictest definition is three nines and two tens. Looser tables accept any hand with no ace and no face card, which is also called no ace no face, bogus, or a benny depending on where you are.

What happens next varies:

• The holder may swap three cards with the kitty
• The holder may force a redeal by the same dealer
• The hand is thrown in and the deal passes

It must be declared before the first bid. Once you have passed, you have accepted your hand.

Canadian loner

A lone player takes their partner's best card, or plays the partner's hand face up as a dummy. The point value usually stays at 4. It makes loners much easier and is genuinely controversial, since it removes the main risk of the play.

Not implemented here on purpose.

Defensive loner

A defender may go alone against a lone maker. If the defender takes three or more tricks they score 4 instead of the usual 2. High risk, rarely correct, memorable when it works.

Playing to 11, 15, or best of three

Ten is standard. Eleven is common enough that you should ask. League and tournament play often uses best of three games, or a fixed number of hands with cumulative score.

Three handed euchre (cutthroat)

Every player for themselves. The maker plays against the other two, who temporarily team up. The maker scores 1 for three or four tricks and 3 for all five; if euchred, both opponents score 2 each. First to 10.

Two handed euchre

Deal five each and set aside a stock. Both players see part of the deck. It is a serviceable game but it is not really euchre, because euchre is about the person across from you.

Bid euchre and 500

Larger deck, players bid a number of tricks, scoring is numeric rather than fixed. A different game that shares the bower.

Joker euchre / benny

A joker is added to the deck and is the highest trump, above the right bower. When the joker is turned up as the upcard, the dealer usually chooses the trump suit.

Luke Deal

A house dealing mode built into this site. In the first round the dealer's team receives four cards each and the opponents one; in the second round it reverses, so everyone still ends with five. It changes what information sits in whose hand at the moment of the first bid, and it is very funny to be on the wrong end of.

Setting your house rules here

Every table has switches for stick the dealer, farmer's hand, the target score and the Luke Deal mode. Set them in the lobby before the first hand, and they are remembered for the next table you start.

FAQ

What is Michigan euchre?

Not a distinct rule set so much as a regional style: stick the dealer always on, playing to 10 or 11, farmer's hand allowed, dealing in packets of two and three, and a strong preference for calling next. Michigan is one of the places where euchre never stopped being the default card game.

What is a farmer's hand in euchre?

A hand with no ace and no face card, most strictly three nines and two tens. Depending on the house rule, the holder can swap three cards with the kitty, force a redeal, or throw the hand in. It must be declared before bidding starts.

What is a Canadian loner?

A variation where a player going alone uses their partner's best card or plays the partner's hand as a dummy. It makes a loner far easier to make and is not part of the standard game.

Is euchre played to 10 or 11 points?

Ten is standard. Eleven is a widespread house rule and is common in league play. Ask before the first deal.

Can you play euchre with three people?

Yes, as cutthroat euchre, where the maker plays alone against the other two. Or play the real four handed game online and let a bot take the fourth seat.