In euchre, the 'kitty' refers to the 4 undealt cards placed face-down in the center of the table. The top card of the kitty is flipped face-up — this is the proposed trump suit for Round 1 bidding. If the dealer accepts, they pick up the face-up card, add it to their hand, and discard one card face-down to the kitty. If all four players pass in Round 1, the kitty is turned face-down and Round 2 begins (any suit except the turned-down suit can be named).
The kitty is one of the defining features of euchre and a major source of confusion for new players. Understanding exactly what the kitty is, when players can see it, and what happens to it at each stage of play will help you follow a hand from start to finish.
What Is the Kitty?
After each player receives their 5 cards (dealt in a 2-3 / 3-2 pattern), 4 cards remain undealt. These 4 cards are placed face-down in the center of the table — this pile is the kitty.
The dealer then flips the top card face-up on top of the kitty. This face-up card is called the turn-up card (or “up card”), and its suit is the proposed trump suit for Round 1 of bidding.
The 24-card deck breakdown per hand:
- 5 cards × 4 players = 20 cards dealt
- 4 cards remaining = the kitty
Round 1: The Turn-Up Card
The face-up card on the kitty serves two purposes:
- It proposes a trump suit. The suit of the turn-up card is what players are voting on in Round 1.
- It is available to the dealer. If anyone orders the dealer to pick it up, or the dealer elects to pick it up, the dealer takes that exact card into their hand.
During Round 1 bidding, players go clockwise starting from the player to the dealer’s left. Each player either passes or orders the dealer to pick up the face-up card. If a player orders it up, the dealer picks up the face-up card, the ordering player’s team becomes the “making team,” and trump is set. If the dealer themselves decides to pick it up (when it’s their turn), the dealer’s team becomes the makers.
Picking Up the Kitty: The Dealer’s Discard
When the face-up card is ordered up (or the dealer elects to pick it up), the dealer:
- Takes the face-up card into their hand (now holding 6 cards)
- Selects one card to discard face-down into the kitty
- Plays the rest of the hand with their new 5-card hand
The kitty then plays no further role in the hand. It sits face-down on the table until the hand ends. No one looks at the discarded card during the hand.
What can the dealer put in the kitty?
Standard rules allow the dealer to discard any card except a bower face-up. Most players follow these guidelines for discarding:
- Discard weak off-suit cards first — 9s and 10s in suits where you have no strength
- Avoid discarding trump unless necessary — each trump you discard reduces your trump count
- Never discard the Right or Left Bower — this is considered a misdeal or illegal play in most rule sets
- Think about voids — discarding your only card in a suit makes you void in that suit, giving you ruffing ability later
Can you put trump in the kitty?
Technically, standard rules allow discarding trump (other than bowers) into the kitty. In practice, many players and groups prohibit discarding any trump at all. Agree on this rule before your game begins. See the variations guide for common house rule differences.
The Dealer Peeking at the Kitty
The dealer may look at the remaining 3 cards in the kitty at any time after picking up the face-up card. This information is private — other players cannot ask what is in the kitty, and the dealer is not required to disclose it.
In casual play, many players don’t bother looking at the remaining kitty cards before discarding. In strategic play, however, peeking matters:
- It confirms what cards are out of play — information useful for card counting
- It may reveal whether any strong cards (like aces or the Left Bower) are buried, changing how aggressively you play the hand
Round 2: The Turned-Down Kitty
If all four players pass in Round 1 (no one wants the turn-up suit), the dealer turns the face-up card face-down. The kitty is now fully face-down and plays no role in Round 2.
In Round 2, players name a new trump suit — any suit except the turned-down suit. The dealer does not get to pick up any card from the kitty in Round 2. They play with the same 5 cards they were dealt.
This is an important distinction: the dealer only gets a card advantage in Round 1. In Round 2, everyone plays with equal information and no kitty benefit.
End of Hand: Revealing the Kitty
After all 5 tricks have been played and scored, the kitty is revealed. Players can see what was discarded and what was never dealt. This is normal and helps players learn from the hand — for example, seeing that the Left Bower was buried in the kitty (and therefore unavailable to anyone) changes how the hand should have been played.
Common Regional Variations
The kitty is one of the most rule-varied aspects of euchre. Common house rule differences include:
No peeking: Some groups do not allow the dealer to look at the bottom 3 kitty cards, only the face-up card they picked up.
Kitty scoring (rare): Some regional variants allow a player to “buy” kitty cards, but this is not standard euchre.
Exposed kitty card: If a kitty card is accidentally exposed during the deal, rules vary. Common approaches: show it to all players and continue; treat it as a misdeal and redeal; or require the dealer to pick it up.
Trump restrictions: Some groups prohibit any trump from being discarded to the kitty. Others only prohibit bowers.
The euchre variations guide covers the full range of house rules you might encounter.
Quick Reference: Kitty Rules at a Glance
| Situation | What Happens |
|---|---|
| After the deal | 4 cards form the kitty; top card flipped face-up |
| Round 1 — ordered up | Dealer picks up the face-up card, discards 1 to kitty |
| Round 1 — all pass | Face-up card turned down; kitty set aside |
| Round 2 | Kitty plays no role; no card advantage for dealer |
| During the hand | Kitty sits face-down; no one looks at it |
| End of hand | Kitty revealed; players can see discards |
| Dealer peeking | Allowed (by standard rules) after picking up face-up card |
For a full walk-through of a complete hand including the kitty and bidding rounds, see the how to play guide or review the complete euchre rules.