Espositori

Euchre is a team sport - you play with a partner.  In order to be a good partner you have to be willing and able to let your partner help you take tricks after you've named trump.  I see this neglected most often after the dealer's partner has ordered trump.  The lead player fires right into the trump namer's short suit, and the trump namer instinctively jumps on it with a trump.  Not so fast!  Let's look at a scenario:

Your partner turned up the .  That's looking pretty good to you, so you order it up.  The lead throws out the , and your natural instinct is to come over the top with some trump.  Hold fast!

There's no way that  is winning this trick.  You don't have any clubs, so the odds are that the remaining players will.  If your partner had a high one, she probably kept it.  If she had a low one, she may have discarded it to pick up that  .  It is more probable that she can take that trick than the player sitting third.  Let her take it!

More probable does not equal guarantee.  Your partner may be hamstrung with a poor hand, and not be able to take anything.  Doo-doo happens.  You've no way of knowing that at this point, so your strategy should be to throw off your and let your partner take this trick.

If you think you are going to take all 5 tricks yourself, you should go alone.  When you don't, set your partner up for success.  You'll get 2 points for your calls more often if you do.