In Call-Ace Euchre everyone plays for themselves. After trump is set, the maker names an off-suit ace (or the best card of a suit), and whoever holds it becomes the maker's secret partner for that hand. Nobody knows who the partner is until the called card is played. If the card is buried in the kitty, the maker is unknowingly alone. Makers and partner each score; defenders each score 2 for a euchre.
Call-Ace Euchre fixes the biggest problem with euchre for odd-sized groups: fixed partnerships. Everyone plays for themselves, and on each hand the maker gets a partner by calling an ace. Whoever holds that card joins the maker’s side, secretly, until it’s played. It adds bluffing and deduction, and it works for 4, 5, or 6 players with nobody sitting out.
If you don’t know the standard game yet, start with the four-player rules. Call-Ace keeps the same trump system, bowers, and trick play.
What You Need
| Players | Deck | Cards each | Kitty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 24 cards (9–A) | 5 | 4 |
| 5 | 24 cards (9–A) | 5 | none (turn up the last card dealt) or use 32 cards with a 7-card kitty |
| 6 | 32 cards (7–A) | 5 | 2 |
Keep scores on paper, one column per player.
How to Play
1. Deal and turn up
Deal 5 cards to each player in packets of 2 and 3, and turn up the top card of the kitty. (For five players with 24 cards, every card is dealt, so the dealer shows their last card as the proposed trump. Many groups simply use 32 cards for five instead.)
2. Bid for trump
Bid in the usual two rounds, starting left of the dealer: order up (or pick up) the turned card, or pass. Then, if everyone passed, name another suit. Most groups play Stick the Dealer.
3. Call the ace
After trump is set, the maker calls a suit that isn’t trump, for example “I call the ace of clubs.” The player holding the A♣ is now the maker’s partner, but doesn’t say so. The partnership is revealed when the ace is played.
Common rules for the call:
- You may not call trump.
- If you hold all the aces you might call, or want to play alone, you may call your own ace. That’s a secret loner.
- Some groups use the “best card” rule: if every ace of the called suit is out of reach (for example buried in the kitty), the next-highest card of the suit is the partner card. Agree on this before you play.
Instead, the maker may announce “alone” for a bigger payoff (see scoring).
4. Play five tricks
The player left of the dealer leads. Standard rules apply: follow suit if you can, the Right Bower is highest, and the highest trump or the highest card of the led suit wins.
Scoring
Scores are individual. First player to 10 wins.
| Outcome | Maker | Partner | Each defender |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maker’s side takes 3 or 4 tricks | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Maker’s side takes all 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Maker’s side euchred | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Announced loner, all 5 tricks | 4 | — | 0 |
| Announced loner euchred | 0 | — | 2 |
Some tables subtract 2 from a euchred maker instead of paying every defender, which keeps scores from inflating with six players.
Strategy
Call the ace that covers your weakness. If you hold two small clubs and no club ace, calling the A♣ gives you a partner exactly where you’re likely to lose tricks.
Short-suit the call. A void in the called suit is ideal: your partner’s ace wins the first round of that suit, and after that you can trump in.
Hide your partnership. If you’re the partner, playing the ace early reveals you. Holding it back can lure defenders into leading through the maker, and into your ace. But don’t wait so long that the ace gets trumped.
Defenders: watch for the partner. Until the called card appears, anyone might be on the maker’s side. A player who seems reluctant to take a trick from the maker is often the partner.
Secret loners. Calling your own ace looks like a normal call, so defenders may play carelessly and expect help from a partner who doesn’t exist. Use this with hands that can take 3+ tricks on their own.
Call-Ace vs Other Formats
| Standard euchre | Call-Ace | Buck Euchre | Cutthroat | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | 4 | 4–6 | 4 | 3 |
| Partners | Fixed | Chosen each hand, secret | None | 2 defenders team up |
| Scoring | Team | Individual | Individual | Individual |
For five players who’d rather keep ordinary partnerships, see the sit-out method.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you play Call-Ace Euchre?
Deal 5 cards to each player and bid for trump in the usual two rounds. The maker then calls a suit, and whoever holds the ace of that suit (or the highest card of it, in some versions) becomes the maker's partner for the hand. The partner stays secret until that card is played. Everyone keeps an individual score.
How many players is Call-Ace Euchre for?
It works for 4, 5, or 6 players. With 4 or 5, use the standard 24-card deck; with 6, add the 7s and 8s to make 32 cards. It is most popular with 5 players because it gives everyone a partner opportunity without anyone sitting out.
What if the called ace is in the kitty?
Then the maker has no partner and plays alone against everyone, though nobody, including the maker, knows it until the hand ends or all aces of that suit are accounted for. Most groups score this as a regular make: 1 point for 3–4 tricks, 2 for a march.
Can you call an ace you hold yourself?
Yes. Calling your own ace is a legal way to go alone secretly. The other players believe you have a partner, which can change how they defend. Some groups require you to announce 'alone' instead; agree before you play.
How is Call-Ace Euchre scored?
Scores are individual. If the maker's side takes 3 or 4 tricks, the maker and partner each score 1 point; all 5 tricks scores 2 each. If they are euchred, every defender scores 2. An announced loner that takes all 5 tricks scores 4 for the maker (some groups award 1 point per player at the table). First to 10 wins.