I think there should be a thread for non-poker card game strat discussion.

I will start it off with this Euchre hand:

Score is 9/9. I have AAJQT in the 1 seat.

Up card is the Q and it passes around. Do I call spades or clubs?

I know spades is my best chance at getting all 5 tricks but is clubs better for getting just 3?

Euchre rocks. You will be in good shape either way but I would go spades here. With clubs you are guaranteed one with the right, ace gives you a probable 2, and the ace of diamonds a maybe 3; queen and ten are useless. With spades you get an almost guarantee one, queen and ten are both maybes/probablys, then you have two off aces that are both maybe/probably tricks. Spades seems like the most +EV call imo. Hope that made sense.

Also, why are you concerning yourself with winning all 5 tricks when you only need 3 to win?

Was just saying that if the score was 0-0 I would definitely pick spades (probably go alone in spades) but since it's 9-9 I thought maybe picking clubs is better.

Calling spades there gives you a way stronger hand imo.

If you call clubs you (probably) only win if the opponents both have diamonds AND whoever has the Js doesn't have any other trump. Calling spades gives you two aces to lead and then three trump.

All you Euchre players should try bridge. You will love it.

bridge people party too hard

I'm curious as to why you'd think that was a good hand to go alone with in spades.

why wouldn't you go alone?

Def borderline to go alone (if the score wasnt 9/9 obv) since you are relying on your opponents not having the right bower but if they don't you have a decent chance to pick up all 5 especially since you have the non-trump aces, so it might be worth it to get the 4 points.

never tried euchre. Looks weird.

Euchre rocks, never realized there was this much interest. We should start playing.

For the hand mentioned, it's gotta be spades right? There's a pretty good chance (8/18 = 44%) that the right bower is in your partner's hand or buried, in which case there's a good shot at all 5 tricks. I think spades is better for all 5, let alone 3...if you go clubs you are wasting your ace of clubs imo.

+1 (imo).

The queen/ten aren't at all useless. You lead with one, get the K/A out (most of the time), and the other is good once you get control and flush trump out. They're not incredibly valuable but they're far from useless.

This this this. Maybe if you're lucky you'll get the right out too.

dye they are talking about when clubs are trump, which shouldn't matter since you should never call clubs

I always knew euchre was popular in Michigan, but apparently it's massive there.

I played some regular bridge when I was a kid, but it seemed so partner-dependent and I figured people that had the same partner for years would have an insurmountable advantage.
There was also a group that would come into the community center (where I worked) once a week to play duplicate and I would watch them for a little bit.

When I first started getting into euchre a few years ago, I noticed a VERY large disconnect between people who had been playing for a long long time and people like myself and my friends (one of whom is the OP) who were younger poker players who just got into bridge as far as going alone is concerned. We're usually pretty willing to take the risk with boarderline hands, since the reward is so high. In this situation we only don't get 5 if the opponents either have the right, or have the ace/king not alone, which happens a lot of the time, but even the times it does happen, we almost always get 1, so the risk/reward is decent enough to try to go for 4 since that'll win you the game in most spots.
My buddy (not the OP) used to go alone in game theory-esk spots like that all the time and it made the regulars mad. Like "want to step outside" mad. I always found that funny.

In this spot, b/c it's 9-9 so there's no reward unless you think your partner is going to screw up your hand, which in this case isn't a problem.

If you're in Vegas, theres a group that meets usually once a week.

lol at you thinking i was talking about at 9-9

i'd appreciate it if you didn't assume i was ******ed when i said things

Appreciate all the comments. I think I was being dumb in picking clubs. I was being even dumber in leading the J (I should lead the T) and then A (J was played on first trick) and then A without counting how many clubs had been played. The dealer ended up having thee clubs AND no diamonds AND my partner was unable to take either of the last two tricks and we lost .

So I called the wrong suit, played it the wrong way, and was still pretty unlucky to lose. Such is Euchre I guess.

Feel free to submit your own hands for analysis.

Here's another one of mine:

Euchre: Score is 5 to 8. I have AAK9J in the 1 seat.

Upcard: Q

Q1: Pass or Order Up?

I passed and the dealer picked it up.

Q2: What do I lead and why?

Let's see how much I've forgotten about this game since high school...

1. Pretty clear pass with no bowers and only one non-trump ace.

2. Lead A. Dealer almost certainly has three trumps, and him winning the opening trick without having to play a trump is a disaster for you.

if you think the dealer certainly has 3 trump the people you play with are a lot less aggro than the people I play with

i'm fairly certain my default play here would be to play a diamond, probably the king

LOL, probably. I never found that good things happened when I picked up a low card with a lone right bower in my hand, though.

i would pick up here with left, ace, ace, and at least one card same suit as ace

Ah, rules when I played were that you couldn't pick up with left only.

Right and the other two aces...maybe, just doesn't seem that strong.

is that a literal rule or a house rule? maybe it is one