Going alone in euchre

Going alone is worth 4 points only if you take all five tricks. Here is exactly which hands qualify, which ones look good and are not, and how to play the loner out.

Last updated 2026-09-06

Going alone means naming trump, setting your partner's hand face down, and playing all five tricks by yourself against two opponents.

Sweep all five and you score 4 points, nearly half the game. Take three or four and you score 1 point, exactly what you would have scored with your partner helping. Take two or fewer and you are euchred for 2.

That asymmetry is the whole decision. Going alone is not a bet on winning the hand. It is a bet on winning every trick.

The hands that are worth it

Both bowers and the ace of trump. Three of the top three. Lead them in order and only two cards remain unaccounted for. This is a loner every time.

Both bowers, one more trump, one outside ace. Pull both bowers, your third trump wins or forces theirs, and the ace covers the fifth. Strong.

Right bower, ace and king of trump, plus an ace. Missing the left bower is a real risk, but you have length above it. Reasonable at most scores.

Right bower, left bower, and two cards in one green suit with the ace. The void matters: after two rounds of trump you can trump anything they lead in a suit you are out of.

The hands that look like loners and are not

Both bowers and three small off suit cards. You take two tricks and then hand them the rest. This is the classic euchre-yourself hand.

Right bower plus four trump. Quantity, not quality. The left bower is out there and it beats everything you hold except the right.

Left bower, ace, king of trump. The right bower is missing, and it is the single card that ends your hand. Play this one with your partner.

Any loner where you hold no ace outside trump and no void. The fifth trick has to come from somewhere.

Playing the loner out

1. Lead your highest trump first. Both opponents must follow if they can. Two rounds of trump usually strips them.
2. Then lead your off suit ace, while they still have to follow suit.
3. Save one trump for last if you can. The single most common way a loner dies is running out of trump with one off suit loser in hand.
4. Count. Seven trump exist. If you hold four and two more appeared, one is out. Decide whether you can afford to draw it.

The score changes the answer

At 8 or 9 points, stop going alone on marginal hands. You need 1 or 2 points, and a partnered march gets you there with far less risk.

Behind by 5 or more, loosen up. A 4 point hand is the only realistic way back and a euchre costs you less than slowly losing.

When they are at 9, never go alone on a marginal hand. Take the safe point or defend.

Going alone here

Whoever names trump gets the option before the first card is led. Their partner's cards go face down and their video tile stays up, because watching your partner sweat through a loner is most of the fun.

The Canadian loner, where the lone player uses their partner's cards, is deliberately not implemented. If you want the 4 points you play the hand.

FAQ

How many points is going alone worth in euchre?

Four points if you take all five tricks. One point if you take three or four. If you take fewer than three, the other team scores two.

Can you go alone if you did not call trump?

Not in the standard game. Only the maker may go alone. Some house rules allow a defensive loner against a lone maker, but you have to agree on it beforehand.

Do you need both bowers to go alone?

Not strictly, but hands without the right bower rarely sweep all five tricks, and a loner that does not sweep scores the same as playing with your partner. Both bowers plus one more high card is the reliable threshold.

What happens to your partner when you go alone?

They place their five cards face down and take no part in the hand. If they would have led, the lead passes to the next active player.

Is it worth going alone for just one point?

No. Taking three or four tricks alone scores exactly the same as taking three or four with your partner, and you gave up their help to do it. Only go alone when you can see all five.