The Laws of Euchre Part 4

Make it next when you can, and do not cross the suit, unless very strong, especially when a bower is turned down; for example, the dealer has turned down the king of spades, with ace, king, and seven of hearts, knave of spades, and ten of clubs: make it next, and lead the left.

When making the trump with ace and two others (without the king), lead ace in next, and small one when crossing the suit.

If the right is not turned, lead trumps through the a.s.sisting hand. The exceptions to this are,--With left and small one; ace and small one; with score four to three in your favor, and you play with certain reasons to stop a march; and occasionally when short of a suit.

With a large tenace in trumps as right, ace, or right, king, and no outside cards of any special value, play an off-suit, whether dealer takes up with or without a.s.sistance.

With one or two trumps and two aces, lead trumps, whether through a.s.sistance or not.

If the dealer adopts the trump, avoid, if you can, leading from suits of king, seven; queen, seven, etc. If possible, lead an ace, or from a short suit of king or queen, or from a suit of equals, as king, queen, or queen, knave, or knave, ten.

In general do not lead trumps up to the dealer's adoption; but with three trumps, and the score two points in your favor, lead a trump, if the turn-up is not above the king. If you hold the two bowers and an outside ace, always lead them in the order named.

Always lead a trump when your partner has ordered up, or made the trump. If you have no trump, play your best card. Avoid leading the turn-down until at least one round of trumps has been played. If you have left and small one, lead the left and continue with small one if both opponents follow. With any two others, lead smallest, unless equals.

Score four to three in your favor is a position of caution, and consequently your play should be very conservative.

SECOND HAND.

Do not a.s.sist too light. This is the most common error in Euchre.

a.s.sist with three trumps.

right and another.[1]

left and another, and outside ace.

[Footnote 1: "Another" means "a small one."]

a.s.sist with left and another; dependent upon the score, two trumps and two aces.

ace and another, and outside ace; dependent upon score; always, however, if right is turned.

two medium trumps, and one suit of three, headed by the ace, dependent upon the score.

Ace and another, and king and another, even when short of a suit, are permissible only when justified by scores of four-all or four-love in your favor.

Anything less than this is not good Euchre, except, of course, at the two above-named scores.

Do not a.s.sist the right with two small ones. Your partner usually will know what to do with the bower. By too light an a.s.sistance you may tempt him into a lone hand, under the impression that one or two big trumps are out of his way.

Remember that to be short of one or two suits is a great advantage to an a.s.sisting hand.

When led through with right and another, play the right, except when the ace is turned,--when it is permissible to finesse.

When led through, when a.s.sisting with left and another, play left, unless right or ace is turned.

When a.s.sisting with three trumps, if you take the first trick in suit, lead trumps at once. If you take the first trick by trumping a suit, your play is then dependent upon the value of your remaining trumps and the turn-up.

With two trumps and two aces, lead trumps as early as possible, if your opponents have not done so for you.

If your partner adopts the turn-up without your a.s.sistance, and you hold queen, seven; ten, eight, etc., in trumps, ruff as early as possible with the big one, and lead the small one.

If you take the first trick in suit, and your partner throws away, do not lead the suit he has shown, even if you have the ace of it.

If your partner turn down black, make it red if you can, especially if he has turned down the bower.

When playing second to a small card, do not ruff with right alone if it is the first trick. Ruff with left alone, especially with your partner's make or adoption.

If your partner refuses to adopt the turn-up, and the third hand declares to play alone, lead a card of the same suit as the turn-down.

With one small trump, ruff as soon as you can.

Do not finesse in lay cards.

THIRD HAND.

It requires a stronger hand to order or make the trump in this position than in the eldest hand, since you cannot depend upon your partner's lead, and he has displayed weakness by pa.s.sing.

However, if you have a good hand at the turn-up, and are very strong at next, it is better to order, since the stronger you are at next, the greater the improbability that your partner will be able to make it next.

It is wise to see your way absolutely clear to three tricks before ordering the right.

There are certain hands, however, which by their strength compel you to order,--the right not being turned; and here are most of them.

Order with four trumps.

two bowers and another.

two bowers and outside ace.

three trumps and two aces.

three trumps and one suit, headed by ace.

right, ace, and another.

left, ace, king, and outside ace.

left, ace, king, and one suit.

left, ace, king, dependent upon the score.

left, king and another, and outside ace.

left, queen and another, and outside ace.

Order with ace, king and another, and outside ace.

If you ruff, it is usually well to beat the turn-up.

THE DEALER.

Take up three trumps.

right and ace.

right and king right and queen.

right and another, and one suit.

right, another, and outside ace.

left, ace, and outside ace.