Pass or Call with Euchre Hand
Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 8:06 pm
This came up in a game that I played last night and was wondering how you'd say the best way to play it is.
Neutral score. I'm the dealer holding this:
Upcard is the
.
Would you pass on this or call?
If I picked up, I've got two guaranteed tricks with both bowers. However, I don't really have much else. While the Ace-King might take a trick, there's also a decent chance that it won't considering that there's only three hearts left in the wild so I'd have to have each of the other players have one (or a partner that plays second hand low properly) to make that Ace good.
Here's what makes this interesting. If I pass and first seat calls next, then I'm holding the top three trump and I euchre them. If he goes against Hoyle and calls reverse next then I've got the top two trumps and have a chance at a euchre if I make the Ace good (or my partner gets a trick).
If I pass and everybody passes second round (a lot of people don't want to call if they don't have a bower) then I'll just call hearts and make the point.
In other words, this is probably a one point hand if I pick up. If I pass, it's either still good for at least a point and could very easily be a two point hand if either I score the euchre or if my partner calls to his strong suit and plays well enough to get the sweep.
Ultimately, I passed. First seat went against Hoyle and called clubs, but he actually led the queen of hearts. I guessed that he was fishing. My partner trumped it, his partner threw off the Ace of Diamonds and I played the Ace of Hearts. My two black jacks took two tricks later in the hand for the euchre.
My question is would you have played it the same way or would you have picked up the jack? What do you think of my reasoning here?
Neutral score. I'm the dealer holding this:
Upcard is the
.Would you pass on this or call?
If I picked up, I've got two guaranteed tricks with both bowers. However, I don't really have much else. While the Ace-King might take a trick, there's also a decent chance that it won't considering that there's only three hearts left in the wild so I'd have to have each of the other players have one (or a partner that plays second hand low properly) to make that Ace good.
Here's what makes this interesting. If I pass and first seat calls next, then I'm holding the top three trump and I euchre them. If he goes against Hoyle and calls reverse next then I've got the top two trumps and have a chance at a euchre if I make the Ace good (or my partner gets a trick).
If I pass and everybody passes second round (a lot of people don't want to call if they don't have a bower) then I'll just call hearts and make the point.
In other words, this is probably a one point hand if I pick up. If I pass, it's either still good for at least a point and could very easily be a two point hand if either I score the euchre or if my partner calls to his strong suit and plays well enough to get the sweep.
Ultimately, I passed. First seat went against Hoyle and called clubs, but he actually led the queen of hearts. I guessed that he was fishing. My partner trumped it, his partner threw off the Ace of Diamonds and I played the Ace of Hearts. My two black jacks took two tricks later in the hand for the euchre.
My question is would you have played it the same way or would you have picked up the jack? What do you think of my reasoning here?
) I'm absolutely passing at 9-9 given that points are more important than winning in that format.