Bad Call, Bad Execution, or Bad Luck

When you get euchred, you must ask yourself and your partner:

  • Was it a Bad Call?
  • Was it Bad Execution?
  • Was it Bad Luck?

Rather than start complaining about the cards, which would violate the Tenth Commandment of Euchre, or their partner, which is poor sportsmanship, you should analyze the entire hand. If you determine the hand played was a Bad Call or Bad Execution, then use it at a learning experience for you and your partner. If it was Bad Luck, then keep it as reminder that you are playing the best euchre possible.
 
Let’s look at an example to determine if was a Bad Call, Bad Execution, or Bad Luck?

Score
E/W: 2
N/S : 5

North (Dealer)

 K Q
 A 9
 Void
 K

Up-Card
 A
West
 9
 Void
 A Q 10
 J
Euchre Table East
 A J
 K Q 10
 Void
 Void

South 

 10
 Void
 K
 Q 10 9



After the deal, East Passes, and South tells North to pick up the A and discarded the 9.

The Call: From South’s point of view, he has 3 trump cards, and North will have at least one trump and an improved hand. You should never underestimate the dealer improving their hand; it is simply a powerful play in euchre. South doesn’t know where the 3 remaining trump cards are located, but he realizes his partnership has the majority of trump cards.

Verdict: South simply made a solid call. What can be more wrong than knowing your team has the majority of trump cards with an improve hand?

 

The Discard:

It may have been slightly more accurate for North to discard the Q, because North is voluntary stripping the guard of the A.

Verdict: Despite the slight inaccuracy, it won’t change the outcome of the hand. Try it out for yourself.

 

1st trick:

East leads off with the A, everyone else follows suit.

Verdict: Just following the rules of Euchre

 

2nd trick:

East leads off the K, South Trumps with Q and North follows suit.

Verdict: It doesn’t matter which card South tosses out, West will play the right Bower. North must follow suit.

 

3rd trick:

West Leads off the A. North plays the A, and East Trumps over the Ace with the left Bower. South follows Suit.

Fate is sealed! East and West have euchred North and South. Rather pointless, but North/South will win the remaining two tricks.

Verdict: There was nothing that North could play to stop the other Bower.

 

So what went wrong?

North/South had 5 of the 7 trump cards, and yet they still got euchred. Many you will claim that North/South lost because they lack the bowers, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

North/South lost because East/West were able to coordinate their cards. If you look at the hands, East held 3 hearts and West held 3 Diamonds. This disparity allowed East and West the able to not follow suit, other than Spades. Their trump cards were never in jeopardy of being played during the same trick.

If East had played a Heart Instead of the A, South would have likely played the natural Q, and North/South would still have been euchred. In fact, South would have needed to play the very uncanny 10 to win that scenario.

Verdict: Bad Luck! While it is rare for a team to have coordinated cards, it is not completely uncommon. The vast majority of time, when a team has 5 out of 7 trump minus the bowers, the defending team will not be so lucky.

 

 

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