Adopt an aggressive strategy, or fall back with shields; fight side-by-side with your partner, or dare to go solo - it's all your choice in Multiplayer Euchre. This is an engaging card game for 4 players, in which two players of the opposite side form a team such that 2 partnerships are formed. The goal of the game is to score at least 10 points by collecting the most tricks in each hand of play.
In this game, 24 standard playing cards consisting of A, K, Q, J, 10, 9 of each suit will be used. When a suit is named the trump, any card of that suit outranks any other card of a non-trump suit. The highest ranking card is the Jack of the selected trump (a.k.a. right bower), followed by the other Jack of the same color (a.k.a. left bower), then A-K-Q-10-9 of the trump, and then A-K-Q-J-10-9 of the leading suit. The leading suit is the suit of the first played card in each trick.
Before the start of each round, each player will be dealt 5 cards. Then the top card of the remainder will be placed face-up on the table and will become the trump if any player calls. Starting from the player on the left of the dealer, each player has the chance to pass or to ask the dealer to pick up the face-up card as the trump. Once the dealer picks up the card, the trump is set. Then the dealer puts the card into his hand and discards one card from his hand. If all players pass and no trump is set, each player will have another chance to call any suit except the one of the face-up card as the trump. If all players pass in the second round, the game will be forfeited and has to restart. After the trump is set, the team which called the trump becomes the attackers, while the other team becomes the defenders. During the phase of setting the trump, an attacking player may declare 'going alone' in an attempt to win the most points from a hand. In this case, if the attacking player can win all tricks, his team can score double points. But 'going alone' will remove his teammate from the game. A defending player may also choose to defend alone against a sole attacker, and if he succeeds, double points will be awarded to his team.
Once the trump is set, the player on the left of the dealer will go first by playing a card from his hand. The suit of the first played card in each trick becomes the leading suit of the trick, and the other players must follow suit if they can. If a player does not have cards of the leading suit, he can choose to play any card. A player must finish his turn within the given time limit, as indicated by the timer on the screen, or his team will lose. After all players have played a card, the highest ranking card on the table will win the trick, and the player who has won can lead the next trick. The game continues until 5 tricks are finished, and the teams can score points according to the following rules:
Attackers have won 0 – 2 tricks, the defenders win 2 points.
Attackers have won 0 – 2 tricks while both teams were 'going alone', the defenders win 4 points.
Attackers have won 3 - 4 tricks, the attackers win 1 point.
Attackers have won all 5 tricks, the attackers win 2 points.
Attackers have won all 5 tricks when an attacker was 'going alone', the attackers win 4 points.
When a team has accumulated 10 points, the game is won.
This game was suggested by Brad.