01The left bower trap
Most reneges are accidents with the left bower. Once trump is named, the jack of the same colour belongs to the trump suit, not its printed suit. If hearts are trump and diamonds are led, the jack of diamonds does not follow diamonds: it is a heart. A player who must follow diamonds and has only the jack of diamonds in that colour has no diamonds at all.
The reverse is the other trap: when trump is led, the left bower must be played to follow if it is your only trump.
02Penalties
The common penalty is 2 points to the opposing team, or 4 if the offender’s opponents were playing alone. Some tables instead award the hand to the opponents as if they had won every trick. The hand is usually stopped as soon as the renege is caught.
03Questions
- What happens if you renege in euchre?
- Usually the opposing team scores 2 points, or 4 against a lone hand. Some tables score the hand as a march for the opponents.
- Is the left bower part of its own suit?
- No. Once trump is named, the left bower belongs to the trump suit only.
04Related rules
- Stick the dealerIf every player passes in both rounds of bidding, the dealer may not pass a second time. The dealer must name a trump suit, other than the suit that was turned down.
- Defending aloneWhen a maker goes alone, one defender may also declare alone. Their partner sits out, and if the lone defender takes three or more tricks, the defenders score 4 points instead of 2.