A Euchre variant, contributed by Chuck Barr .
King Cut-Throat Euchre is a trick taking game for 3 or 2 players, each playing for themselves. The 3-player version is highly recommended. The first player to score 10 or more points wins.
A pack of 33 cards is used, consisting of: A K Q J 10 9 8 7 of each suit, Spades, Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts plus One Joker.
The named trump suit has 10 cards, highest to lowest as follows:
There is always a trump suit, and all cards of the trump suit rank higher than any card in the other 3 suits.
The other 3 suits rank in standard order from Ace high down to 7, except the other suit same color as trump has no Jack.
* For Example, if the trump suit becomes Spades, the Jack of Clubs is considered a Spade for that hand, 3rd highest card. If the trump suit becomes Hearts, the Jack of Diamonds is considered a Heart for that hand, etc., The Left Bower does NOT behave as a member of its native suit.
Before the cards are dealt the players should decide if they want to play "polite" (all cards played in tricks remain revealed). A dealer should be chosen at random. Optional rules should be discussed.
The turn to deal rotates clockwise after each hand. The cards should be shuffled and cut. 10 cards are dealt to each player, face down, as follows:
If only two are playing, a phantom 3rd player should be dealt a hand. There should be no cards left over.
Before each hand is played a trump suit is named. Each player discards 3 cards from the their hand and places them "outside", a face-down pile separate from the kitty. After each player confirms they have discarded and hold seven cards, the dealer flips the top card of the kitty. A flipped Joker causes a re-deal.
The player to the left of the dealer decides if they want the suit of flipped card to be named trump.
If all players pass, dealer included, on naming the suit of the flipped card as trump, the card is moved to the bottom of the kitty, partially revealed to signify that suit can no longer be named trump. The player left of the dealer then has the option to name any of the 3 remaining suits as trump.
** Note: the kitty card(s) are always given to the player to the left of the trump maker, not to the dealer, as in normal Euchre (unless the bidder happens to be the player to dealer's right).
Before play begins, dealer may elect to count (not view) the cards "outside" and confirm there are 12 and they're all face down. In a two player game the 9 card "outside" pile is unused and can be collected with the dead hand if desired.
Each hand is played in 7 tricks. A trick is a single card played by each player with the highest ranking card taking/winning the trick. The winner of the trick takes it and lays it in front of them. A player who has won multiple tricks arranges them as to keep count.
Player to the left of the dealer leads any card (plays first card) and play proceeds clockwise. The other players in turn MUST follow the suit led, if able. If unable to follow suit, a player may play any card (any rank of trump in attempt to win the trick, or any rank of any other suit to concede). A trick is won by the highest trump, or if it contains no trump by the highest card of the suit led.
Winner of a trick leads next trick.
Example 1, Spades as trump:
Example 2, Diamonds as trump:
Example 3, Diamonds as trump:
Example 4, Clubs as trump:
The player who wins the most tricks at the end of the hand is awarded point(s). In a three player game, two players may end up taking 3 tricks, while the remaining player a single trick. This triggers the showdown: an additional hand between the two players with 3 tricks. Players "take it outside" and proceed as follows:
Acting as mediator, the player that had the single trick shuffles the "outside" pile and deals 6 cards to each remaining player. They each discard 1 reducing their hands to 5. A best 3 of 5 tricks hand ensues. Of the two players in The Showdown, the last to win a trick leads. The trump suit carries over. The player who takes more tricks wins.
Any player who takes/wins a trick by playing a King of ANY suit immediately scores 1 point. Capturing another players King does not score. For example player A does not score for taking player B's King in Example 4
The score is typically kept by means of a 4 and a 6 from the unused part of the pack for each player. These are arranged to show a number of pips corresponding to the player's score.
A player who reaches a score of 10 points wins the game, and play ends immediately.
If the players agree in advance:
Q. Do I have to lead with the trump suit?
A. No. Lead with any card.
Q. Do both players with 3 tricks score 1 point before the The Showdown starts?
A. No.
Q. If Player A has won 4 tricks and Player B has won 1 trick, can we just "throw them in"?
A. Only if all Kings have been played.
See Chuck Barr's King Cut-Throat Euchre Blog, which is also the source of these rules.
King Cut-Throat Euchre was developed and play tested in the pacific northwest, USA., 2009-2011