I married into a family that taught me Euchre and this was not one of the rules I learned. As the other commenter stated, this is likely a regional issue.
Euchre can be a little tough because there are different variations, and i'm not sure if there is one OFFICIAL way to play. Things like "stick the dealer" and "Canadian Loners" are used in certain areas, but not others.
I have definitely heard of "you have to have one to call it" as a regional rule...but personally, i think it makes no sense. I have honestly never even heard a reasonable argument for keeping this rule in place.
I appreciate all the comments, and I agree with them all. Personally I would have no issue with somebody wanting to pick up with none in their hand as it seems more of a disadvantage (most times) rather than an advantage. My biggest question was whether or not it was an official rule, but it seems like it's more of a regional rule than anything else.
Thank you all for your comments.
Regional I believe. We did it in Indiana ("you have to have one to call it") but it's "rules" like these that are best agreed to aforehand. (This does not seem to be a "rule" in any of the three online games I've played.)
I should have been more specific - we did that rule in Southern Indiana not Central - or maybe the other way around - been 40 years since I've been back there.
Maybe some of it is historical too. Last time I played Euchre in IN was about 20 years ago. Played in northeast, mid (Indy), and east central, never south though.
Side note, I do NOT miss Indiana! 😅
That's the rule that we play by here in Southern Ontario where you need a natural suit in your hand to be able to pick a card up, meaning you can't pick the ace of clubs with the jack of spades in your hand like you described, but could obviously pick the ace of clubs it were the jack of clubs you were holding instead - or any other club for that matter.
I think that rule goes hand in hand with the rule that if you order your partner up you have to go alone. I just assumed the first rule was to help prevent cheating. We play by these rules here in Toronto.
Yep they are very Canadian rules. I've since stoped playing needing a natural since picking up a J with the left and an offsuit ace is a winning hand most times, so just limits variability.
My Uncle Elmer would say no, you can’t pick up that ace of clubs if you don’t have a club in your hand. You don’t have to follow Uncle Elmer’s rules, but he is on the side of your family members who say no.
I don’t understand this. I mean you might want your opponents to order you up in this situation if you’re 2 suited. Id want confirmation first that
my opponents passed them maybe pick it up. Only regional rule like this I’ve ever liked is a farmers hand. It just sucks to have to reshuffle and deal.
Don’t think so, you should be able to pick the card dealer even if someone doesn’t tell you to. I’ve always played that way. If other team or your partner doesn’t tell you to pick it up the dealer has the opportunity to or flip it over or pick it up.
Just here to say that I don’t like, or understand the purpose of this rule.
Agreed. Really hampers strategy, ie making a sacrificial euchre when the dealer turns up the right and you have 0 in the suit.
That's literally the point of the rule
Which is why it sucks. It's sour grapes. Someone was upset their loner got spoiled. Too bad.
It's too bad that you can't talk to your partner and hint at them what you have in your hand. It ruins a great strategy! Same energy.
What? I don't see how this follows at all.
I married into a family that taught me Euchre and this was not one of the rules I learned. As the other commenter stated, this is likely a regional issue.
Euchre can be a little tough because there are different variations, and i'm not sure if there is one OFFICIAL way to play. Things like "stick the dealer" and "Canadian Loners" are used in certain areas, but not others. I have definitely heard of "you have to have one to call it" as a regional rule...but personally, i think it makes no sense. I have honestly never even heard a reasonable argument for keeping this rule in place.
Explain Canadian loner?
If I'm the dealers partner and order them up, I have to go alone.
I appreciate all the comments, and I agree with them all. Personally I would have no issue with somebody wanting to pick up with none in their hand as it seems more of a disadvantage (most times) rather than an advantage. My biggest question was whether or not it was an official rule, but it seems like it's more of a regional rule than anything else. Thank you all for your comments.
Regional I believe. We did it in Indiana ("you have to have one to call it") but it's "rules" like these that are best agreed to aforehand. (This does not seem to be a "rule" in any of the three online games I've played.)
I never heard of this before and played in several areas of IN for a decade. Strange how specifically regional the rules are.
I should have been more specific - we did that rule in Southern Indiana not Central - or maybe the other way around - been 40 years since I've been back there.
Maybe some of it is historical too. Last time I played Euchre in IN was about 20 years ago. Played in northeast, mid (Indy), and east central, never south though. Side note, I do NOT miss Indiana! 😅
That's the rule that we play by here in Southern Ontario where you need a natural suit in your hand to be able to pick a card up, meaning you can't pick the ace of clubs with the jack of spades in your hand like you described, but could obviously pick the ace of clubs it were the jack of clubs you were holding instead - or any other club for that matter.
I think that rule goes hand in hand with the rule that if you order your partner up you have to go alone. I just assumed the first rule was to help prevent cheating. We play by these rules here in Toronto.
Yep they are very Canadian rules. I've since stoped playing needing a natural since picking up a J with the left and an offsuit ace is a winning hand most times, so just limits variability.
My Uncle Elmer would say no, you can’t pick up that ace of clubs if you don’t have a club in your hand. You don’t have to follow Uncle Elmer’s rules, but he is on the side of your family members who say no.
Stick the dealer and steal the deal seem like the most common rules
I don’t understand this. I mean you might want your opponents to order you up in this situation if you’re 2 suited. Id want confirmation first that my opponents passed them maybe pick it up. Only regional rule like this I’ve ever liked is a farmers hand. It just sucks to have to reshuffle and deal.
Don’t think so, you should be able to pick the card dealer even if someone doesn’t tell you to. I’ve always played that way. If other team or your partner doesn’t tell you to pick it up the dealer has the opportunity to or flip it over or pick it up.