# Right Bower: Rules and Basics for Euchre
The Right Bower is the most powerful card in standard North American Euchre. It is the core of Euchre’s unique trump ranking system, and new players often mix it up with the Left Bower.
What is the Right Bower?
The **Right Bower = Jack of the trump suit**.
It is the highest card in the entire hand, beating everything else, including the trump Ace and the Left Bower.
### Quick examples
- Hearts are trump → Jack of Hearts = Right Bower
- Spades are trump → Jack of Spades = Right Bower
- Diamonds are trump → Jack of Diamonds = Right Bower
Full trump order (highest to lowest)
1. Right Bower (Jack of trump)
2. Left Bower (Jack of the same colour, opposite suit)
3. Ace of trump
4. King of trump
5. Queen of trump
6. 10 of trump
7. 9 of trump
> Example: Clubs (black) trump
1. J♣ (Right Bower)
2. J♠ (Left Bower, also black)
3. A♣, K♣, Q♣, 10♣, 9♣
Important gameplay rules for the Right Bower
1. **Follows trump-suit rules**
When trump is led, if you hold the Right Bower, you must play it if you have no other trumps. If a plain suit is led, you can discard or trump with the Right Bower to win the trick.
2. **It only lasts for one hand**
The Right Bower changes every round. If the next hand calls diamonds as trump, the Jack of Diamonds becomes the new Right Bower.
3. **Nothing beats the Right Bower**
Once played, no other card can take that trick. Even the Left Bower cannot beat the Right Bower.
4. **Bower naming logic**
“Right” means it belongs to the named trump suit. “Left” is the matching colour Jack that borrows into trump.
Worked example
Four-player partnership Euchre, trump is diamonds.
Your hand: J♦ (Right Bower), 9♦, A♠, K♥, 10♣
Opponent leads Ace of diamonds.
You can play your Right Bower and win this trick, even against the trump Ace.
Common beginner situations
### Situation 1: You hold the Right Bower, but do not call trump
This is a risky play. A common saying: *Pass on a bower, lose for an hour*. Many players will order up trump when they have the Right Bower, because it is a guaranteed winner. But you can still pass if your rest of the hand is very weak.
### Situation 2: Leading the Right Bower
Leading the Right Bower early is a strong play. It forces opponents to use their Left Bower (if they have it) to beat it, or they lose the trick. If you hold both Right and Left Bower, you control the top two trumps.
### Situation 3: Confusing Right Bower with Left Bower
- Right Bower: Jack of the trump suit (1st highest)
- Left Bower: Jack of the same colour, different suit (2nd highest)
If hearts are trump: J♥ = Right, J♦ = Left.
Common mistakes
❌ Thinking the trump Ace is higher than the Right Bower
❌ Calling the same-colour Jack the Right Bower (that is Left Bower)
❌ Forgetting the Bower resets when trump changes for the next hand
❌ Treating the Right Bower as a regular Jack of a plain suit
Quick Cheat Sheet
✅ Right Bower = Jack of the trump suit
✅ Highest card in the hand; cannot be beaten
✅ Second highest is Left Bower (same colour Jack)
✅ Trump rank: Right → Left → A → K → Q →10 →9
✅ Resets for every new hand when trump is re-decided
✅ Great for calling trump or going alone