Dangerous Logic

I'd probably call diamonds/hearts and go alone leading red jacks then AJ9. The clubs is the hard part obviously. Just hope your partner had a couple clubs. :)

I'd also go alone in either diamonds or hearts. Lead the two jacks, hopefully draw out the rest of the trump, and then the Ace, Jack, and Nine.

Of course, I usually take a lot of risks when I play, so take that into account.

I think the safe routes would be to:

1. Play the same as above but not alone and possibly take all five tricks.
2. Call clubs and get a fairly easy three-trick score (depending on your partner to grab one of the off-suiters in case one of the clubs doesn't walk). But where's the fun in that?

Clubs isn't a safe route; "count on your partner for at least one" is a damned lie-- it's true except when it isn't. Whenever Lady Luck delivers the seemingly powerful combo of the right bar and ace of trump, she almost always delivers the left into the hands of the other team...the bitch. Going red, leading both bars, then throwing the ace is the only safe bet here.

Going alone is the real gamble part of that. Without the partnerial support, you may lose the ace trick; but if you don't, it's only the unlikely event that the same person is holding the high two or three of the remaining clubs that stands in your way of winning the game. (Unless you play that you have to be in the barn first).

I'd have gone for it. And probably lost. If Ferguson were reading this, he'd probably already have the probabilities worked out by now... :)

LOL I missed that he WAS reading this... my bad.

As a native of Indiana (where Euchre is the unofficial state pastime -- basketball is the official one), I think I can say that you should call hearts or diamonds, but not go alone. Going alone with less than three guaranteed tricks could be cause for physical assault.

Likewise, not calling something with that hand might also get you hurt.

Calling clubs is tempting, but that other bauer is hanging out there somewhere just waiting to steal the lead from you, and then you are screwed. Of course, you could call clubs and lead with the nine, hoping to draw the spade early and steal the lead back later. That would take some cojones, though, because if it goes bady, your partner would be perfectly justified in beating you senseless with a summer sausage.

Some people in Indiana take Euchre VERY seriously. And, yes, I have played cards with some of those people. I live in Iowa now, and hope that they don't find me. :)

Great comments, everybody. I think I'll leave this open a little while longer (although I think about all my regular readers have checked in already).

Another couple of data points -
o it was a casual game; my wife and I (who almost never play as partners) vs. my neighbors
o my left opponent is a very aggressive bidder; the bid would almost certainly not have made it to my wife.

I would've called either red suit, but not gone for the loner unless I had a really strong feeling that I should go it alone. Not being there to read the body language is a big detriment to the decision making process....

Reading body language, Susie?

You must be one of those people Jim (who, BTW, used to live very close to where you now work) moved to Iowa to escape from! :)

Reading body language is pretty low on the priority list the way we play euchre in my neighborhood; it's kind of problematic when you're juggling your cards in one hand, your beer in the other hand, and your cigarette in your other other hand.

Either red suite not alone would be my bet. But I've been known to call it alone and been killed

Two clubs from an opponent was sufficient to stop going alone. Since you had 9 and J, if either opponent had two clubs, at worst they play the 10 to your A, and then your J is beat by any other club.

Id call spades as a safe route, you have none meaning ur partner must be loaded.