Euchre Quiz – What Should You Lead?

Euchre Quiz - What should you lead?

The dealer has picked up the Ace of Hearts. What is your best lead?

Nine of Spades King of Spades Queen of Diamonds Ten of Hearts King of Hearts

 

Answer

The Queen of Diamonds!

First of all, the K and 10 should be quickly eliminated from consideration, because you should not lead trump into your opponent’s order. This is stated in the Sixth Commandment of Euchre.

Leading 9 in hopes that you could someday play the K and squeeze out a trick is a long shot. Your opponents could easily win a trick and lead another spade to allow the other player to Trump In. You will be force to follow suit, when you would rather play a trump.

Leading the K is an inferior version of the 9 lead. The K has slim chances of making it around the table, and the 9 is a poor squeeze card.

Leading the Q creates a void in diamonds. This maximizes your chances to Trump In if your opponents leads a club or another diamond. If you win a trick, you can still play the 9 and hope to squeeze the K.

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Euchre Quiz – What Should You Discard?

Euchre Quiz - What should you discard?

You are the dealer, and the player to your left told you to pick up the Ten of Spades making spades trump.

What Should You Discard?

Ace of Diamonds  Nine of Diamonds  Queen of Hearts  Ten of Clubs  Nine of Spades

Answer

For obvious reasons, no one should have discarded the Ace or the Trump card. The 9 can be eliminated from consideration, because it doesn’t create a void in diamonds.

So there are really only two choices, the Q and the 10. Many of you would have picked the 10 because it the smallest card that creates a void. Discarding the 10 is not a mistake, but it is a dubious move. The better play would be to discard the Q.

Since the Q is alone, she can’t be used effectively as a squeeze card, therefore making her is a equally as useless as the 10. The only difference between the two cards is that the 10 is in the next suit, and Q is in the green suit. There are 5 hearts unknown in play compared that to 4 clubs unknown in play. It is more likely that  a heart will be led than a club. This edge may not seem like much, but it does add up over time. An extra trick leads to extra point, and eventually leads to extra win.

Your first priority is to create a void in the color opposite of trump. If that option is not available to you, then your second priority is create a void in the next suit. Your last priority should be to eliminate the lowest card.

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