Slight detail to give more incentive to loner is also the loner pot which is a quarter for every loner stopped and hand set. Usually gets to be about 20 bucks so there' equity in that too fwiw. I figured that's worth mentioning.

go big or go home

Bumping this thread cuz idc.

Firstly, killer's post is amazing. Secondly, any of you guys downloaded that euchre app for your phones?: https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...s.euchre&hl=en

It's so freaking addictive, and it has a fun Party Poker feel to it.

I guess I'll pose a question to get things back on course! Assume the score is 5-5, and STD format (stick it to the dealer, I.E. dealer has to bid if it gets to him in the 2nd round.)

Youre in the first seat with JQTKQ

The dealer turns down a K

Do you bid diamonds or pass? IOW is this hand strong enough to go against Hoyle?

If we change our hand to JQTKJ

I assume we should be less apt to bid since we block all loners, but would you bid diamonds anyways? or go with Hoyle and bid spades? Or pass both?

both easy passes i think, if i call in first hand i play qc pretty sure

we need some tichu strategy talk

Would you still pass diamonds if I changed the hand to this?:

JAKKQ

jhad9dksqc seems strong enough

I can't see myself passing QKA and Ks Qc here tbh. Just lead the Td and hope someone goes high. If you get set it's not that big a deal since we block their setting hands anyways. It's way more likely the other 4 trump are split up than coolering you. You also can't set spades/hearts that easily also. You'll only have right and I think we need to try for 1 pt here enough times that we should set some of the time. We only give up 1 extra point and we sometimes get 2 as well. I just sort of realized that it's probably better to get set more often on their deal as well.

Not giving up a chance to call it seems reasonable. What's the math on this call being made. Can't be that hard to figure out!

I'm confused. So you're saying you would call with AKQKQ in the first seat after dealer turns down a K, but then you say lead the T which we don't have. Am I missing something here.

Meant to put as played lead the Td after you bid in the original hand sorry.

But yeah pwn it shouldn't be hard and I'm not sure how to do it tho lol.

I really have no clue if calling that hand is correct (and have no clue how to math it out) but I like going with this heuristic:

If you have a hand that you perceive as close between calling and passing, tend to call if you don't block all loners and tend to pass if you do block all loners.

This would lean someone to call with a hand like JTQKQ after the dealer turns down a K

And pass with a hand like JTQKJ in the same situation.

Note that the score can be a huge factor obviously. For example, if you're up 9-7, calling in the first scenario is absolutely mandatory imo. Why even give the opposition the chance to win it on a spade loner. Might as well call thus giving your team 2 chances to win if necessary--the 2nd chance being when you're the dealer with around 70% equity.

More poast please

I'm down 8-0 and I'm 3rd seat with their Q showing

I have J 9 two black aces and 9c

I guess it's probably a trivial bid given the score probably but what if it's closer or 0-0? I think I'd prob still bid but with weaker offsuits pass on the left 9 with say one ace and the bottom of my remaining two assuming I don't block hoyle etc.

Pass and let your partner decide? If it gets there

It’s a good call if you want to start the next game.

Fair enough. What hands are you bidding then at score or worst hands?

The more I’m thinking about it, that hand is right on the border. If I had right/9 A A I would call.

Maybe even left/9 Ac AKs I woukdncall. If you get that As through you can use Ks as trump bait.

One thing to keep in mind is when you're down 8-0, 3rd seat 1st Rd is not the spot to loosen up. Loosening up in that spot is more likely to hurt your team than help it. Like take your hand in question. It's a trivial pass. If the dealer calls you now have a decent chance to set him, and if the dealer passes your partner can always wake up with a loner, and those times your partner doesnt have much and forces a call in next--which is something he should be doing since he should basically only be passing down 8-0 with strong, all suits blocked, trap hands in an STD format--you hit him well.

Imagine calling with your hand and fighting for a point when the dealer would've called had you passed, or the dealer would've passed and your partner is sitting on a loner. Don't let that happen. This is part of the reason you should be playing very tightly in the 3rd seat-1st rd.

Today playing vs the app I managed to sink this NIL:

S T42
H JT54
D 754
C 932

My robo partner and me had a 5-4 spade fit but we managed to crossruff and opponent roboplayer made the 2s in trick 13.

Hearts Rules questions after household debate:

Do Hearts need to be broken before a heart can be led, or if the Queen of Spades is dropped, can hearts also be led? [save for only having hearts left in your hand obv]

If you shoot the moon, can you opt for -26 rather than giving everyone else 26?

Queen of spades does not break hearts

I don't know about the other one.

Back in the day when I played hearts, we always allowed a -26 option. If it is not an official rule, it should be.

I've played both ways. It's a common enough variant, I think, but agree on it beforehand.

Does anyone on here ever wanna play euchre on an android app or online? I'm not sure how I compare to 2p2 level but I'm pretty high elo for euchre (not that it's a high skill cap game of course).

This is how I've always played, family disagrees. Family plays with the -26 option, I've never done that before.