Euchre Strategy R1S2 Dealer’s Partner Ordering/ Bidding

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Richardb02
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Joined: Mon Dec 10, 2018 8:57 pm
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Euchre Strategy R1S2 Dealer’s Partner Ordering/ Bidding

Unread post by Richardb02 » Sat Oct 17, 2020 3:19 pm

(Card_10-C) This is the 3rd of a series of Basic Euchre Bidding/ Ordering.
R1S2 is shorthand for Round 1, Seat 2
Seat 2 is aka Dealer’s Partner
Minimums is my term for hands that are close to the “Edge”
Edge is the minimum hand, IMO, that should be ordered
Assumptions: Approximately equal players, Score is NOT being considered
Format: I will use BPS-Basic to explain my thought process. BPS (Bidding Point System) is best thought of as an organized analysis of easily observable factors that all players should consider, for ordering(Bidding). Point means that we assign values from 0.00 to 1.00, incremented by 0.25 (1/4) point, for each observable factor. 1.00 is the value assigned to a Right, it is the only single card guaranteed to take 1 trick. Therefore, it takes 1.25 points, in general, to count on taking 1 trick (with a 95% certainty), after all Euchre is a game of chance.
Basic Euchre ordering strategy includes the concept that you should order if you have 2 near-certain tricks in your hand. You then count on Partner to take the 3rd trick and earn your point! So, if you have 2.50 points in your hand, you should order (in general, remember this section of the forum is for Beginners and Casual players).
Goal: to improve Beginner & Casual Players to a level of Casual Plus. You are reading this information to enjoy Euchre more thoroughly by winning more often, aren’t you?
Suggestions: Beginners, please read the OE (Ohio Euchre) Lessons, for a basic understanding of Euchre strategies. Next, read the BPS-Basic section in this Beginners and Casual section, to understand the BPS approach. Advanced players, please post your more nuanced questions in the General Euchre section.

The 3rd most decisive seat is S2, IMO. You have a significant opportunity to order because your partner is the dealer. Conversely, you have the responsibility to give your partner the chance to order Alone! Thirdly, you have powerful Reverse Next options in R2. This will be covered later in this series. I will always assume that most Beginner and Casual players bid too passively and miss many opportunities to order. That costs them from winning more often! The reason? They play to avoid being euchred, instead of playing winning Euchre. They fail to grasp that getting euchred 1 out of 3 hands, on edge hands, is winning Euchre!

I see too many B&C players pass on orderable hands, from R1S2! Let’s use BPS analysis:
Up (Card_A-C)
S2 (Card_J-C) (Card_K-C) (Card_9-D) (Card_10-D) (Card_Q-D)
1.00 value of R1S2
1.00 value of Jc
0.50 value of Kc
0.75 value of 2 voids (2 Suited)
0.25 The positive net value of the Ac(0.50 minus 9 or Tc, -0.25, net +.25)
3.50 points, exceeding the 2.50 point minimum to order by 1.00 point or 4 factors. This is a powerful hand!
So I definitely order this hand. Do you?

From R1S2, even if we can order, should we? Let’s switch this hand around:

Up (Card_J-C)
S2 (Card_A-C) (Card_K-C) (Card_9-D) (Card_10-D) (Card_Q-D)
1.00 value of R1S2
0.50 value of Ac
0.50 value of Kc
0.75 value of 2 voids (2 Suited)
0.75 The positive net value of the Jc (1.00-0.25=0.75)
3.50 points, exceeding the 2.50 point minimum to order by 1.00 point or 4 factors.
But the Up is a Jc, a Right! Partner has an enhanced opportunity to order Alone and earn your team 4 points! You must consider this factor! It is too important to ignore! The short version is that I don’t order a right, unless I have 3 trump, under normal circumstances. So passing is my strong recommendation.

BPS is straightforward in understanding why you should pass. Your hand is 3.50 BPS, but 1.00 is value of the Jc. The Jc is in your partner’s hand. Therefore your hand contributes only 2.50 points, which is the edge call. It makes more sense logically to give your partner a chance to take 4 points, than to order a break even hand! It is also important to understand that 2.50 is not meant to be a perfect recommendation. It is a recommendation or a strategy to order. In fact, I am considering renaming the Bidding Point System to the Bidding Point Strategy! Even a beginner BPS user needs to understand that the point total is plus or minus 0.25. Total points of 2.50, is really a range of 2.25 to 2.75, from a solid pass to a solid order. But, only adjust based on observable factors and the occasional “gut instinct.”

Let’s look at an edge hand:
Up (Card_A-C)
S2 (Card_K-C) (Card_Q-C) (Card_9-D) (Card_Q-D) (Card_10-S)
1.00 value of R1S2
0.50 value of Kc
0.50 value of Qc
0.25 value of 1 void
0.25 positive net value of Ac Up(0.50 minus 9 or Tc=-.25, net adjustment 0.25)
2.50 points, an edge hand. There are no other factors to consider. So I order knowing that I expect to be euchred 1 out of 3 hands, but ordering is the correct play. I have my pep talk ready, “you stopped a 4 point Loner”!

I actually use a 65% success, 35% chance of getting euchred, to define this hand. I round to 65% to simplify the concepts. (I also round because I also eliminate Opponents from getting a 4 point Loner)! This is a break even order. B&C players need to order, to get use to getting euchred 1 out of 3 hands. Getting euchred is not the negative. Missing opportunities is the real negative! More advanced players, note that there are no defensive possibilities with the hand that I have illustrated.

Let’s go back to the OP (Opening Post) hand, which had a BPS of 3.50. How much better is it than the 2.50 hand? BPS is based on 1.25 points being equivalent to 1 almost certain (95% probability) of taking a trick. So if your hand contains 3.75 points you have an almost-certain probability of taking 3 tricks. (Note, you may want to consider a loner with 3.75 points! That will be covered later in this series). For this discussion about the probability of winning, 2.50 points give you a 65% opportunity and 3.75 gives you a 95% probability. Simply interpolate to an 89% opportunity to win this hand. You don’t even need math! Simply increase the probability by 6% for each 0.25 points over and above the 2.50 minimum. The 3.50 point example is 65% +6% +6% +6% +6%= 89%. You are already an analyzing genius!

Continuing this thought, 2.75 points = 65%+6%= 71%. 3.25 = 65+6+6+6=83%. Etc.

BPS is powerful, yet it is simple. It is simple enough to use in real games, with practice. I suggest that you practice online, against Bots. I suggest devoting 1/3rd to 1/2 of your playing time to learning and/or practicing.

Please let me know about your experience with this series. Please post any R1S2 questions to this thread.

***(Advanced players, feel free to adjust the points, plus or minus by 0.25, 0.50 or a maximum of 0.75, based on your analysis of advanced factors/observations, not covered by BPS-Basic. BPS-Basic is simplified for B&C players. There are many other factors that are too difficult for B&C players to consider. I will enjoy discussing these factors in the General Euchre Discussions).



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